Education Notebook: Altrusa grants expand literacy projects in area schools

Altrusa International of Spokane has announced the winners of 2024 literacy grants.

Since 2009, the foundation has contributed more than $80,000 to 67 literacy projects in the Spokane area.

This year’s grant awards are wide-ranging.

Colbert Elementary School’s outdoor learning space will add a small greenhouse for each grade to create gardens. This will allow students to journal and chart their findings as they learn to grow their own food.

A Mullan Road Elementary first-grade class will purchase social and emotional resource books that will teach students conflict resolution and role-playing scenarios on how to work as a team and effectively problem solve.

Prairie View Elementary School will purchase books for the SOaR (Science of Reading) Lab, which will use multisensory learning tools that assist students facing literacy challenges in their development of phonics skills.

Opportunity Elementary School will purchase English Language Learner books for the library to help students and their families read high-interest books in dual languages to increase their English proficiency.

Shaw Middle School will purchase books on English, social studies, math and science for classroom libraries to promote reading and literacy across these subjects.