This grant opportunity is provided by the North Central Education Foundation and is available to all teachers in the North Central Washington region. These needs-based grants are to be used directly in the classroom to equip teachers with the tools and resources they need to meet the needs of their students. Please be aware that these grants are very competitive. Grant requests should be detailed and innovative to be considered.

How to apply for a Teacher Classroom Grant

Teachers submit an application via the online form that demonstrates how the funds would be used to encourage learning in the classroom. Foundation board members and community members review all applications and select the winning grants in early October. All grant recipients are honored during an annual event in early November.

There are two grant options for teachers:

• The Individual Classroom Grant is available for individual teachers to request funds to support a project that they are doing within their own classroom. The Individual Classroom Grants will fund projects up to $300.
• The Collaborative Classroom Grant is designed to provide funding for a project where multiple teachers will be working on a collaborative project that will impact more than one classroom. The Collaborative Classroom Grants will fund projects up to $300 per teacher (maximum of 5 teachers for a total of up to $1,500 per project) involved with the project. For example, two teachers working on the same project can request up to $600, whereas, four teachers working on the same project can request up to $1,200.

Why would I choose a Collaborative Grant instead of an Individual Grant? The Collaborative Grant is designed to enable more collaboration between teachers. A lead teacher can complete one grant application (naming all team members) instead of each teacher filling out a separate application for the same project. While it is the same amount of funding per teacher between the two application options, teachers can utilize the Collaborative Grant to lump funds together to allow for a larger project, and potentially impact more students.

The application for Teacher Classroom Grants will open September 2025.

This grant opportunity provided by the Friends of Lower Grand Coulee is available to all districts in the North Central ESD region. Teachers are invited to apply for FLGC grants in areas of social Social Studies, Literacy, Music and Arts, STEM and STEAM that will further the knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of the geology, culture, history and natural beauty of the Lower Grand Coulee, occurring inside and outside of the classroom.

This grant opportunity provided by the 9/11 Spirit of America Memorial Foundation awards grants to projects and activities that allow students to reflect upon the significance of 09/11/2001 to our history and the impact on our society.

This opportunity was created in response to Washington State’s adoption of Financial Education K-12 Learning Standards. YACET funds grants supporting learning experiences that promote wise spending habits, financial discipline, and fiscal knowledge.

In addition to grants for teachers, the Foundation offers a variety of scholarships for students. Learn more about the scholarship opportunities and how to apply below.

Teachers Make a Difference, sponsored by the North Central Education Foundation, offers a $1,000 scholarship for high school seniors and college students in the North Central ESD area who are interested in pursuing a career in education.

Students are invited to apply for the scholarship by writing a 1,000 word essay describing the following:

• “A teacher who has made a difference in my life.”
• “Why I want to become a teacher.”

The essay needs to be submitted, along with a completed 2024 application form, to the Teachers Make a Difference committee by April 15, 2024. Consideration will also be given to grades, activities and financial need. A finalist and alternate will be selected from the applications. The top essays will be included in the next edition of Teachers Make a Difference, which will be published to help fund a scholarship the following year. Please note that you may attach letters of recommendation rather than using the recommendation form.

Please call Eldene Wall at 509.669.6838 or e-mail eldenew@ncesd.org if you have questions about the application or process.

This grant opportunity provided by the Friends of Lower Grand Coulee is available to all districts in the North Central ESD region. Teachers are invited to apply for FLGC grants in areas of social Social Studies, Literacy, Music and Arts, STEM and STEAM that will further the knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of the geology, culture, history and natural beauty of the Lower Grand Coulee, occurring inside and outside of the classroom.

More information coming soon.

More information coming soon.

Support regional teachers and students today by donating to a variety of programs through the Foundation. Read about our programs below to learn more about these great opportunities to make a difference in the lives of local students and teachers!

Teachers do not have what they need to meet the unique needs of their students and provide innovative instruction. By making a donation to the Foundation, you’re directly supporting these teachers and students.

Benefits of Teacher Grants

• Needs-based funds that go directly into the classroom, equipping teachers to meet the dynamic needs of the children in our region
• Improves classroom opportunities for all children in our schools
• Removes hurdles and barriers, and transforms them into opportunities for students which will have long-term impact on our community.

The Teachers Make A Difference Scholarship provides scholarships for high school seniors and college students who wish to earn a teaching degree. Every year, the Foundation publishes a book featuring local stories to fund the scholarships.

Teachers Make A Difference Book Series

We know how hard teachers work, many times putting in extra time, spending their own money to purchase enhancements for their classrooms, and at the same time impacting many, many lives. Often they have no idea how much they touch the lives of the students with whom they spend time every day.

For the past 20 years, the Foundation has published a book every year featuring local stories about teachers written by their students. This year’s book, “It Goes On,” highlights the dedicated work of our inspiring teachers who have adapted their teaching to serve their students during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

To order a book ($12), please email Eldene Wall or call (509) 669-6838. Or, make a donation to the Foundation in any amount and we will send you a copy of the book!

Details coming soon.

Details coming soon.

Details coming soon.

The Foundation fosters partnerships with businesses and nonprofits that allow them to target dollars to causes they believe are important. Every year these donations provide for our grant and scholarship opportunities to be funded.

For organizations that want to make an impact in classrooms, the North Central Education Foundation program has proven to be an invaluable tool. The grants go to the most innovative and creative teachers who figure out how to impact student learning with a relatively small amount of money, about $300 on average.

Please join us in helping support great teaching and hands-on learning in the classrooms by becoming a major sponsor of the North Central Education Foundation. You can make a significant difference in classrooms in your community and around the region.

To learn more about how you can make a major donation, please email Eldene Wall or call (509) 665-2629.

Past Partners & Sponsors

Olive Garden/Darden Foundation, Clear Risk Solutions, Stemily, LASER, Financial Alternatives/PlanMember Services, Okanogan Soroptomist, Sodexo, and many individual donations from our community.

We accept donations at anytime via our online donation form. We also offer three levels of major support:

• Support 33+ teachers ($10,000+)
• Support 16 teachers ($5,000 – $9,999)
• Support 8 teachers ($2,500 – $4,999)

You can fund the Foundation’s general fund or you may choose to target dollars to specific subjects like Literacy, Music and Arts, College Prep, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), STEAM (STEM plus Arts), Health/Social Emotional, and more!

“It is such a thrill to be able to get dollars into the hands of teachers and support music and arts education at the classroom level,” said Rufus Woods, on behalf of the Woods Family Music and Arts Fund. “Every year, we hear back from teachers who have added music or art activities to their classrooms and they appreciate the support.”

Lois Davies
President, Foundation Board
Douglas County Representative

Lois Davies from Orondo joined the NCEF Board of Directors in the fall of 2018 and is the current Vice President. Lois retired from her position as superintendent of Pateros School District for the past ten years. Lois earned her doctorate in education leadership from Washington State University and comes to the Foundation with a rich educational background. She served as president of the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) in 2015.

Tyler Russell
Chelan County Representative

Tyler Russell grew up in Issaquah, Washington. He attended Central Washington University graduating with a degree in Geography and Environmental Science. He also studied art and met his wife, Jessica who was a jewelry major at Central.

Upon graduating in 1999 he and Jessica moved to Bend, Oregon, for 10 years where Tyler sold residential and commercial real estate and Jessica started a jewelry business. After the birth of their twin girls, Tyler and Jessica made the move back to the Wenatchee Valley where Jessica grew up.

Upon moving to Wenatchee, Jessica and Tyler joined forces at her wholesale jewelry business, Tumbleweed. In its infancy Tumbleweed was solely a wholesale jewelry business selling first locally, then regionally and now globally. After needing more space for their jewelry studio they rented a suite in the Fuller-Quigg building on Palouse Street. In addition to the studio space, Tyler and Jessica decided to add retail to their business specializing in the sale of locally produced goods and curated gifts for all. Tumbleweed once again outgrew its space in 2019 and has moved to the Doneen building on the corner of Wenatchee Ave. and Palouse St.

Tyler and his family enjoy many aspects of the Wenatchee Valley’s outdoor activities and Tyler enjoys volunteering at his daughters’ schools and at the district level.

Ray Dobbs
Douglas County Representative

Ray Dobbs and his wife, Kathryn (Kelly), moved their family to Chelan in 1976 when he started a 20-year career as broadcaster, sales manager, and station manager at KOZI Radio. When owner Jerry Isenhart sold KOZI Radio in 1999, Dobbs purchased the Computer and Verizon cell phone businesses from Isenhart and started his own business, Raycom RadioShack. After twelve years, Dobbs sold the business in 2011 and took a position at North Cascades Bank where he recently retired and moved to East Wenatchee. Dobbs and his wife have been married 50 years. They have five adult children who all graduated from Chelan Valley schools. Kathryn, grew up at Kelly’s Resort in Chelan and graduated from Chelan High School. Dobbs grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and has an Advertising/Marketing degree from San Jose State University. They have 9 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. Dobbs was a Planning Commissioner and Councilmember for City of Chelan for 15 years and Treasurer for Historic Downtown Chelan Assn for 5 years. He also served on the Wenatchee and Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce boards. He has been a Rotarian since 1982 and served two terms as president of Chelan Rotary.

Judi Jensen
Grant County Representative

Judi has been employed at North Central ESD 171 since 2009 (recently retiring in 2021) providing Title I/LAP and Director Services to districts in the North Central Washington region, working with administrators, teachers and paraeducators. Prior to that, she was employed 20 years in Soap Lake School district in various positions, including teacher, state and federal programs director, special education director, dean of students and principal.  Judi received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Central WA University and advanced degrees from City University and Washington State University.

Judi was honored as 2009 Regional Distinguished Principal by the Elementary School Principal Association of Washington.  She was also given recognition as 2019 Wenatchee Valley Education Office Professionals Administrator of the Year

Jeff Kimbell
Chelan County Representative

Jeff Kimbell is a native of Everett, where both of his parents were educators. He then raised his family in Woodinville, before moving to Wenatchee with his wife, Kim. He is proud to come from a three-generation family of teachers and has enjoyed being a life-long learner.

Jeff recently retired from a career in operations and engineering management and consulting, to devote more time to volunteering, family and the outdoors. He has previously volunteered in a variety of public and private schools, and homeschool organizations, as well as 15 years on an Executive Advisory Board at the University of Washington.

Jeff currently volunteers to support youth and education through Chelan PUD’s Rocky Reach Discovery Center, Youth Dynamics’ Stonewater Adventure Center, Columbia Break Fire Interpretive Center, Serve Wenatchee Valley and Westside High School. He also enjoys volunteer work on a variety of trails and other outdoor recreation and education projects.

Bev Reim
Grant County Representative

Beverly was in the public school system for 34 years. She began her career teaching in the elementary resource room in Othello, followed by four years in the junior high resource room in Moses Lake, and the rest of her career with the Ephrata School District. She taught grades 4th through 8th and ended her career teaching 6th grade science and math. She currently lives in Ephrata with her husband, Bruce, and they have one son, three grandsons, and one great-granddaughter.

Becca Freimuth
Douglas County Representative

As the Communication Specialist for the North Central Educational Service District, Becca manages the NCESD’s communications and marketing efforts by leading and supporting the agency and the districts it serves. A Wenatchee-native, Becca returned to the Valley in 2015 after graduating from Western Washington University and has worked with many organizations who support the region’s people, including the NCW Tech Alliance, NCWLIFE, Numerica Performing Arts Center, Alatheia Riding Center, Young Professionals of NCW, and Our Valley Our Future.

Cathi Nelson
NCESD Board of Directors Representative

Cathi Nelson comes to the NCESD board of directors from a longtime career in education, including serving 26 years at the Waterville School District as an elementary teacher, principal, and then Superintendent until her retirement in 2018.

Dr. Michelle Price
Foundation Advisor

Dr. Michelle Price, superintendent of North Central ESD, serves as advisor to the North Central Education Foundation. She has served North Central ESD as superintendent for the past three years. Prior to her current position, Dr. Price served as a classroom teacher, and principal for Tacoma, Soap Lake and Moses Lake School District, and later as superintendent for Moses Lake School District.

Dr. Price served as State President of the Washington Association of School Administrators and is currently a member of the National Executive Committee of the American Association of School Administrators. Dr. Price holds advanced degrees from Central Washington University and a Doctoral Degree from Washington State University. She was recently honored as 2018 Administrator of the Year by the National Association of Educational Office Professionals.

Eldene Wall
Foundation Liaison

Eldene Wall serves as Secretary/NCESD Liaison for North Central Education Foundation, after retiring from North Central ESD after 29 years. Her passion for the work of NCEF resulted in continuation of her work there.  Eldene is editor of Teachers Make a Difference, a book that is sold to raise money for scholarships for high school graduates who want to become teachers, and completed the 17^th edition in 2019, Mentors Matter.  Eldene also serves as secretary to the Wenatchee Valley Community Concert Association Board and secretary for the Write on the River Board, a local writing organization.  She was named as 2011 WAEOP Educational Office Professional of the Year, was honored with the Paula Thomas Distinguished Service Award in 2015, and in 2017 received the AESD President’s Award.  She received her Masters Degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership in spring of 2012.  She recently served as N.W. Area Director for the National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP) and as Strategic Planning Chair for the Washington State EOP group (WAEOP).