Dysart Education Foundation Awards Laird Mini Grants

The Dysart Education Foundation (DEF) recently announced 15 recipients for the 2025 Laird Mini Grants totaling more than $22,000.  Funding for the mini grants was provided by the City of Surprise Community Outreach Program, Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE), Subaru Superstore of Surprise, Alicia Sterna of Western State Bank, and other local businesses and community members. 

 Mini grants were awarded for projects that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) education, student need, and creativity in student learning.

• Alexander Goreski (Sonoran Heights Middle School)
• Ashley Meyer (Rancho Gabriela Elementary School)
• Cheryl Schubmehl (Mountain View School)
• Crystal Borges (Rancho Gabriela Elementary School)
• Douglas Middlebrooks (West Point Elementary School)
• Earl Simmons (Countryside Elementary School)
• Elena Gonzales (Dysart High School)
• Hannah Bridgeo (Dysart High School)
• Huda Clemens (Western Peaks Elementary School)
• Jack Broughton (Thompson Ranch Elementary School)
• Kathryn Berger (Riverview School)
• Kathryn Voss (Marley Park Elementary School)
• Lucy Blanco (El Mirage Elementary School)
• Lynne Gibson (Asante Preparatory Academy School)
• Sara Rivera (Kingswood Elementary School)

“Winning the Laird Grant means that I can purchase tools and materials for my students to use that will ignite their passion for storytelling and creativity,” Marley Park Elementary School iExplore teacher Kathryn Voss said of the honor “By providing this grant, DEF encourages teachers to not only teach the standards, but to show how those standards can be applied in innovative ways.”

Voss also had a message for her fellow educators. “I would definitely encourage teachers to apply for this grant, especially if they have an idea for a project or activity that promotes a students’ love of learning, but would otherwise have been shelved due to cost,” she said.

Dysart Education Foundation is a non-profit organization whose volunteers are committed to enriching the education of students in the Dysart Unified School District by providing scholarships to students and mini grants to teachers.  For more information about the Dysart Education Foundation, visit dysarteducationfoundation.org.