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WCSD Teachers Awarded Qwest Technology Grants
By Dixie Weekly News
Five Washington County School District teachers were awarded with grants for classroom technology projects, Thursday, Feb. 21, as part of the Qwest Teachers and Technology grant program.
Qwest Foundation for Education allocated $50,000 for Utah schoolteachers, this year, and 22 grants were awarded statewide, each worth up to $2,500. The grants are for teachers to purchase technology for their classrooms.
The five WCSD teachers who submitted winning grant applications represent nearly 25 percent of the awards given throughout the state of Utah.
Jerry Fenn, regional Qwest president, and Gary Younger, of Qwest Public Relations, presented the technology grants to the five teachers at the school district office.
Teacher Katie Salter, of Arrowhead Elementary, said she will use her grant money to purchase computer and video equipment to produce a live news show, called “Arrowhead Point,” at the school. Salter will work with students who will produce and anchor the in-school broadcasts.
Angela Fishel, of Santa Clara Elementary, plans on using her grant to purchase digital equipment for student-made video productions. Fishel’s project is titled, “From Wagon Wheels to the Digital Highway.”
At Washington Elementary, teacher Elizabeth (Betty) Quann plans to produce a student film about rocks and minerals. Students will direct and act in the film. Quann currently is using her own camera equipment, and the grant money will allow her to purchase a camera for the school.
Jennifer LaBaron, a teacher at Coral Canyon, plans to use “Spy Hop” training to increase literacy skills in her students. Her students will write, produce and direct educational films. The grant money will allow LaBaron to purchase technology for the film project.
Murry Hansen, a counselor at Enterprise High, was awarded a grant for a program he is developing to support career, college and distance education. He will combine the Qwest grant with other funds to purchase eight student workstations for the school’s counseling center.
According to information provided by Qwest, the Qwest Foundation is dedicated to helping improve education in the communities where Qwest customers live and work. The Qwest Teachers and Technology grant program is a unique opportunity for teachers to find creative ways to bring technology into the classroom and better prepare students to succeed in a world where technology is increasingly a part of daily life.

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