Nazareth Guild Awards $194,234 in Grants to Catholic Schools

Nazareth Guild provided four grant opportunities to our 16 Catholic schools again this year! Principals were invited to apply for School Partnership and Bishop Brigade Grants, whilte teachers were given the opportunity to apply for Continuing Education and Teacher Initiative Grants.

We accepted 16 applications for School Partnership Grants, which are designed to support school success. The guild granted 10 requests, totaling $99,967. The funding source for these grants comes from the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Washington.

Catholic schools in Eastern Washington facing an immediate need for capital repair and improvement projects were invited to apply for Bishop Brigade Grants. We granted six of the 10 requests, awarding $54,438. The funding source for Bishop Brigade Grants is revenue generated at our Celebration of Light Gala. Examples of successful applications are: Assumption will create a dedicated space for music class; Guardian Angel/St. Boniface will replace ceiling tiles in the gym; St. Patrick in Pasco will add a locking device for the playground gate; and All Saints will install three new filtered water fountains. These building improvements will benefit all students attending these schools!

This year, we offered Continuing Education Grants to our teachers, in partnership with Gonzaga University. All teachers, K-12, were invited to apply for a three-unit course “Understanding and Supporting Students in Trauma.” Our first group of 26 teachers will be on the other side of the desk as students this spring at no personal cost to them, thanks to Gonzaga University and a private donation. Through this course, they will be working together and collaborating, gaining knowledge to bring back to their classroom and Catholic school. Teachers in the course are from Assumption, Cataldo, Guardian Angel/St. Boniface, Holy Family, St. Aloysius, St. Charles, St. John Vianney, St. Mary and Trinity.

We received applications from 114 teachers, K-12, seeking funding for their Teacher Initiatives Grants. Through private gifts, we were able to fund 84 of these grants. Among the requests were funding for Catholic Youth Bibles, audio books, a classroom set of rosaries, pickleball equipment, STEM ma- terials for science, grammar textbooks, classroom document cameras to project student work, wiggle seats, foot bands, art supplies and math games.

These grants are only able to be funded as a result of our generous donor base and engaged Catholic community. We are grateful to provide professional development and direct funding to our teachers who work so hard for our 4,261 students. Nazareth Guild’s application for Tuition Assistance Grants is now open! Please visit our website, www.naza- rethguild.org, or call us at 509.744.3257 to learn more about Nazareth Guild.