All districts — Kent County teachers seeking funds for creative projects or needed classroom materials may be able to find them, thanks to the Kent Association of Retired School Personnel.
A county affiliate of the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel, KARSP awards a total of $2,000 in grants each year to Kent County teachers, usually in amounts between $200 and $400. KARSP has about 700 dues-paying Michigan members.
Applications can be submitted through DonorsChoose, a national website that connects public-school teachers with donors willing to support their projects. Kent County teachers can post their projects on the Donors Choose website, then KARSP decides which projects to fund.
KARSP executive board members review proposed projects and consider grade level, subject matter and costs. In the past, Head Start, preschool, elementary, secondary and special education projects have been funded.
In 2023, the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel funded 43 Michigan projects such as musical instrument accessories, picture books, camera equipment, insect habitats and graphing calculators.
Teachers can submit proposals year round, and KARSP awards its grants in the fall.
Founded by a teacher in the Bronx in 2000 who was looking for a way to pay for books for his students, Donors Choose has funded more than three million classroom projects nationwide. This is the third year KARSP has awarded a Donors Choose grant.
