The Dean Provence Endowment for Excellence in Education Board has announced the allocation of funds totaling more than $22,000.00 to teachers in the New Albany School District (NASD). Endowment funding will be used for equipment and materials in the classroom that are not typically covered by the school budget.

The Endowment for Excellence in Education was begun in 1986 as the vision of School Board member Dean Provence. Provence, a New Albany native, was an active volunteer in both school and community activities. Through his volunteer efforts, he recognized the need for additional funding in the schools for projects and classroom materials, and was instrumental in establishing the endowment fund. Following his death, the locally supported endowment fund was renamed in memory of Provence and has continued to provide needed funding to classrooms in the New Albany Schools for more than thirty years. Since 1986, the Endowment has provided approximately $437,000 in support to the NASD.

The endowment is funded through individual and corporate contributions and fundraising events sponsored by the Endowment Board. Contributions to the Dean Provence Endowment for Excellence in Education are accepted throughout the year and may be mailed to New Albany Schools, Attention: Melanie Anderson, 1112 Wesson Tate Drive, New Albany, MS 38652.

Project – Applicant – School – Amount Awarded

Building the Foundation of Reading through Phonemic Awareness

Kindergarten Teachers, NAES

Amount Funded – $2,817.85

Welcome to the New Age

Robin Willis, NAES

Amount Funded – $1,799.94

Movement in the Classroom

Amber Peters, NAES

Amount Funded – $ 460

Turning Pages, Changing Spaces: Creative Literacy Engagement

Angela Victory, Allie Cissom, Anna Hood, Hillary McBrayer & Mandy Crawley, NAES

Amount Funded – $1,415.60

Read and Ride: Supporting Movement and Literacy in the Library

Shelby Cary, NAES

Amount Funded – $1,419.84

Blast Off into Science

Jessica Nanney, NAES

Amount Funded – $1,233.81

NAES Inclusion Playground

Hope Brown & Audra Chesteen, NAES

Amount Funded – $2,000

New Albany Garden Dogs

Tracy Vainisi, NAMS

Amount Funded – $405

Intonation Tools for Young Musicians

David Hopple, Brandon Lane, & Emily Garrett, NAMS

Amount Funded – $737.99

A Room That Grows All

Maci Anderson, NAMS

Amount Funded – $3,327

3D Printers

Heather Decanter, NAMS

Amount Funded – $4,364.31

Project Clearview

Math Department, NAHS

Amount Funded – $1,271.94

School Store

Alison Moore, CTE

Amount Funded – $843.43