Thank you to The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt for awarding $47,818 in grants to our teachers this year! The 2026 grant recipients were honored on April 2nd at the annual Education Foundation Appreciation Reception, catered by Ms. Sullivan and her talented CDHS culinary students.
Over the past 32 years, the Ed Foundation has awarded more than $930,000 in grants to Central DeWitt educators — an incredible investment in our schools and community. A heartfelt thank you to them, and the donors who make these opportunities possible. And, a big congratulations to this year’s recipients!
GRANTS AWARDED
• ART MATERIALS ($248) Students explored the meaning of culture and created a mask that represents traditions, symbols and identity from various cultures around the world. We are so proud of their creativity and grateful for the support that made it possible.
Awarded to Alexandria Naughton
Funded by the Fred and Doris Gerdes Fine Arts Endowment
• BUDGET CHALLENGE 10 WEEK FINANCIAL LITERACY SIMULATION ($690) Central DeWitt students participate in Personal Finance/Budget Challenge 10 week simulation that undertakes the approach of issuing faux bills and processing faux payments allows students to learn by doing. Paying bills like an adult, experiencing consequences and fees, and dealing with unexpected events allows students to make their rookie mistakes in our simulation and not in the real world.
Awarded to Jason Lansing
Funded by The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt Grand Fund and the William “Bill” Turnis Endowment
• BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE SENSORY AREA FOR ALL ($263) This grant created a sensory area in a special education classroom where students with and without disabilities can learn how to calm and regulate their bodies so they will be ready to learn. When our bodies are properly regulated, we are able to learn effortlessly and happily. It is important to have the opportunity to use various items to regulate ourselves and the knowledge to know how to use the items. Better body regulation leads to more learning.
Awarded to Tara Michel
Funded by the Wilma Owen Endowment
• CHILDREN'S BOOK LIBRARY AND ENRICHMENT ($1000) The Children’s Book Library and Enrichment space for the CDHS Preschool Lab allows the classroom to be filled with new children’s books, puppets, felt board stories, and a cozy story-time rug that bring learning to life. This space is already making an impact in two big ways. Our 3- and 4-year-old Preschool Lab students are building language skills, imagination, and confidence through interactive read-alouds. At the same time, our high school students are gaining hands-on experience planning lessons, leading story time, and creating developmentally appropriate learning environments.
Awarded to Rebecca Barnes
Funded by the Barbara K. Dull & Max J. Dull Endowment and the Robert and Phyllis Parrott Endowment for Language Arts and Journalism
• DECODABLE CHAPTER BOOKS & MATERIALS ($974) Who says decodable books need to be boring, with poor plots and bland characters? Practicing your decoding and phonics skills should be fun and interesting. The addition of Fox Kid books and materials to small group reading will do just that! Students are enjoying new engaging stories with dynamic characters while practicing important reading skills thanks to the Central DeWitt Education Foundation!
Awarded to Penny Roberts
Funded by the Helen Jeanne Helble Endowment
• DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS UPGRADE ($5237) Thanks to the generous support of the Central DeWitt Education Foundation, the recently reorganized Digital Publications class will have new and improved resources for the production of the High School Yearbook, The Centralian. Previous Ed Foundation support added new cameras to the class, and this latest support will provide professional quality lenses and filters to compliment them. This will give CDHS students better productive capabilities to capture a year in the life of Saber Nation, while providing experience working with pro-level tools.
Awarded to Eddie Mercado
Funded by DeWitt Bank and Trust's Central DeWitt Skilled Trade Fund, the Stuedemann Endowment for Skilled Trades, The Bill and Shirley Homrighausen Journalism Endowment, The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt General Fund, and the Warren Waack Endowment
• DOCUMENT CAMERA ($424) The first grade team is excited to utilize the document cameras in their classrooms and will be able to display and manipulate activities, worksheets, and student work on the whiteboard in the classroom for peers to see bigger.
Awarded to Courtney McNeil, Tonia Dirksen, Jennifer Hill, and Sarah Osmun
Funded by the Helen Jeanne Helble Endowment
• INTERACTIVE FLAT PANEL (NEWLINE) ($11,780) Our Preschool and Music classrooms have been transformed with the installation of a brand-new interactive smart board. This updated technology has already made a tremendous impact on our students’ learning experience. Through hands-on, engaging lessons, especially with our various curriculums, students are actively participating by moving shapes, counting objects, tracing letters, creating music, and solving problems right before their eyes. The interactive features have increased student engagement, strengthened collaboration, and supported a variety of learning styles. Our classroom now offers a more dynamic, inclusive, and modern learning environment where curiosity thrives and foundational skills are built with confidence.
Awarded to Erin Hughes, Amy Haack, Allison Paulsen, and Kristan Mitchell
Funded by the Carolyn Hilmers Ruggeberg Endowment, the Helen Jeanne Helble Endowment, and The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt General Fund
• JUMPSTART LISTENING & LEARNING CENTER ($832) Jumpstart Kindergarten is being awarded a grant to purchase Tonie Boxes and characters, creating a child-friendly listening center in their classrooms! This grant will provide our youngest learners the opportunity to immerse themselves in literacy and social-emotional stories, allowing them to engage independently in listening to literature they may not experience outside the classroom.
Awarded to Abby Messerich and Rebecca Wackerle
Funded by the Helen Jeanne Helble Endowment
• LARGE SCREEN IPAD FOR MCLASS INTERVENTIONS ($845) Mrs. Rustan incorporates the digital component of mClass lessons with her small group of students with the new large-screen iPad! Students can manipulate word and picture cards and play phonics games that help reinforce the skills being taught in small group reading.
Awarded to Hannah Rustan
Funded by the Helen Jeanne Helble Endowment
• LIGHTING OPTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM TO HELP FOCUS AND CALM ($446) Lighting options like floor lamps, LED tape lights, ceiling light covers, hanging sphere lights, and sconces can help students choose what works best for their needs. Options can help students find what helps them focus most and be calm. We want each student to be able to advocate for his or her own lighting needs and be most successful.
Awarded to Tara Michel
Funded by The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt Grant Fund
• LITTLE LEARNERS, BIG DISCOVERIES ($6,218) Because of this generous support, our Jumpstart Kindergarten classrooms are now filled with hands-on literacy, math, STEM, and sensory centers designed to spark curiosity and build strong foundational skills. From alphabet manipulatives and phonological awareness games to counting tools, building kits, and purposeful sensory learning manipulatives, our students are learning through meaningful, joyful exploration every day. We’re excited to see increased engagement, stronger collaboration, growing independence, and exciting gains in early reading and math skills. Most importantly, our students are going to be building confidence as capable, creative learners.
Awarded to Rebecca Wackerle and Abby Messerich
Funded by The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt General Fund
• PUG MILL FOR K-12 CLAY RECYCLING ($8,500) The Ceramic Pug Mill will serve as a cornerstone of our Central DeWitt K-12 Art classroom studio’s sustainability and efficiency goals. Currently, our program generates significant waste clay, and hand-processing this material is time-intensive and causes physical strain on our participants. This pug mill machine will enable us to efficiently reclaim and recycle 100% of our clay scraps, reducing our material purchasing costs and creating a self-sufficient, eco-friendly studio. By automating the mixing and de-airing process, we will ensure consistent, high-quality clay for our students, while significantly reducing the risks of repetitive stress injuries and fostering a more inclusive, accessible working environment.
Awarded to Cassie Garrity, Courtney Janaszak, Alexandria Naughton, and Brianne Magill
Funded by the Fred and Doris Gerdes Fine Arts Endowment, the Henry R Pelham Education Fund, and The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt General Fund
• RECHARGEABLE TI-84 PLUS CE CALCULATORS CLASSROOM SET ($4,700) This grant was used to purchase 30 TI-84 Plus CE Rechargeable Calculators for use in math classes. This purchase will help students move forward in their growth in mathematics, and provide a useful resource to help navigate the subject.
Awarded to Jason LaPage
Funded by the Henry Pelham High School STEM Endowment and The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt General Fund
• RIFTON BIKE ($3,495) Our students can now use a new adaptive bicycle, and it's been amazing! It's making recess more inclusive, helping kids with their physical development, and letting students with disabilities experience the freedom of riding a bike. We are so thankful for this. Now, we see more students moving, smiling, and playing together.
Awarded to Jamie Waleszonia
Funded by the Helen Jeanne Helble Endowment and the Lyndsey Hanas Memorial Endowment
• STEAM LAB EXPANSION ($6,418) Enrollment in STEAM programming continues to be an important focus in Iowa, and Central DeWitt High School is committed to providing access to cutting edge content and resources. In the 2026-27 school year, CDHS will consolidate current STEM classes and equipment into a new space that will support programming in Graphic Design, Digital Publications, Virtual Reality, and Esports. This “STEAM Lab” will be housed in the former ICN room, which provides convenient access to the district’s internet infrastructure. The new workstation will help expand opportunities for Central students to work with Windows-based software and professional production tools.
Awarded to Eddie Mercado
Funded by First Central State Bank School to Work Endowment and the Henry Pelham High School STEM Endowment
• STEPPING IT UP IN SCIENCE ($1,079) Students now explore science through hands-on labs using microscopes, cell models, and real weather tools. From examining cells to collecting live wind data, learning is active, engaging, and student-driven. These new materials are helping our students think like scientists every day.
Awarded to Trisha Brookins and Kayleen Griep
Funded by the James D. Owen Jr Foundation Fund and The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt Grant Fund
• STORIES THAT HELP US GROW ($472) Students in Mrs. Messerich’s and Mrs. Wackerle’s Jumpstart classrooms are learning important character traits through books and read alouds. They are using the books to help students identify traits in the characters and then through role play and discussions, students are learning how these characters can help them in their own lives.
Awarded to Rebecca Wackerle and Abby Messerich
Funded by the Anne Volkman Endowment
• TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI-30XS MULTIVIEW SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR ($1,636) This year’s shift to regular calculator use has been a game-changer for our middle school mathematicians. Students are tackling bigger ideas with more confidence, solving problems faster, and exploring multiple strategies without getting slowed down by long calculations. We’re already seeing stronger understanding, higher engagement, and more willingness to take risks in math.
Awarded to Jeff Frick
Funded by The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt Grant Fund
• UFLI MATERIALS ($503) Thanks to grant funding, we were able to bring the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) Foundations program to our classrooms. This year, teachers received hands-on resources, and our students dove into engaging, research-based lessons that built their confidence as readers. We’re proud of our teachers, our students, and our community for making this possible.
Awarded to Samantha Miller
Funded by the Anne Volkman Endowment, the Robert and Phyllis Parrott Endowment for Language Arts and Journalism, and the Wilma Owen Endowment
➡️ If you are interested in donating to The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt or creating an endowment fund, please reach out to edfoundation@cd-csd.org or call/text Brett McKamey at (563) 650-5985.
