Members of the Sealy Education Foundation spent its Thursday morning handing out $50,000 worth of grants to teachers and students across Sealy ISD.

Out of the 45 grants that were handed out, SEF board member Ryan Reichardt said estimates showed it would impact around 1,700 students, more than 50% of the district’s enrollment.

After all the awards were distributed, SEF Vice President Bryan Hallmark reflected on the day of smiles and appreciation.

“It's my favorite day of the year, that’s why I go to work every day is to see our teachers and students being successful and getting awarded,” he said.

Teachers at all four campuses could apply for either classroom, collaborative or future ready investment grants. Thirty-eight grants were handed out to individual teachers and seven went to groups; ten grants surpassed $1,000.

The largest grants were awarded at Sealy Junior High ($5,000 for The Tiger Eye – a student-produced multimedia studio), Maggie B. Selman Elementary ($4,000 for Pre-K learning centers) and Sealy High School ($3,800 for high tech strength and conditioning; $3,600 for a welding machine; $3,000 for drawing tablets for animation).

All of the grants awarded were only made possible by donors who gave to the Education Foundation, Reichardt said.

“We’re basically a passthrough, we’re not holding money. As much money we can raise, we’re going to try to distribute that to the most worthwhile causes throughout the district that fit the criteria of enhancing the education we provide at Sealy ISD,” Reichardt said.

Although not all applicants received awards, Reichardt said the process of determining grants opened communication between campuses.

“There were a few things that the district was able to provide. Folks may be asking for things that we have resources for, they just hadn’t been found that way,” Reichardt said. “Say they wanted a certain type of microscope, maybe it exists in the high school and they were able to spare some that can go to the junior high.”

It was at Sealy Junior High where the largest grant was awarded to help construct a multimedia studio that will provide opportunities to produce an online newspaper, podcasts and video content, all of which will be student-led.

“It’s an opportunity for those kids that are motivated and want to get into that but that’s not something that we can fund with tax dollars out of a regular budget because there’s classroom needs,” Reichardt said. “When we have instructors that are willing to lead that, and they know they have kids that are passionate about it, that’s an experience they’ll be able to use that might lead them to something else they didn’t even know they’re headed for.”

Going forward, Reichardt noted that if there is something specific a donor would like to see come to life in SISD, a gift to the Sealy Education Foundation could get the wheels in motion.

“If someone has a certain program they would like to see us do, if they could help us fund that, we can definitely explore those possibilities,” he said.