Issue link: https://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/1265564
14 When n Albm Power Foundton clssroom rnt pplcton lnded on her des lst fll, Trc Stewrt sd t ws n unexpected blessn "I've tuht school for 30 ers But ths ws m frst tme n nderrten, nd I wsn't sure wht I needed," sd Stewrt "When the rnt pplcton crossed m des, I ws so excted becuse b tht tme, I hd fured out exctl wht I needed nd wnted for m clssroom" Flln out the pplcton pd off for Stewrt, who receved rnt from the foundton n Jnur The nderrten techer t Westsde Elementr School n Demopols used the funds to bu severl lre tems, ncludn stnd for dspln the 2-b-2-foot boos tht she reds to her students, nd severl three- drwer ornztonl sstems for storn constructon pper, crons nd other supples tht 5-er-olds use n crft- mn But her students' fvorte purchse, Stewrt sd, ws dr-erse tble where the prctced penmnshp b wrtn on the surfce over nd over n before school ended erl becuse of pndemc precutons Stewrt sd the rnt s "me chner" for her clssroom "nderrten s ver bus plce t Westsde," she sd "We re constntl movn Just the thouht of hvn supples for m ds t ther dsposl s ver exctn for me I now we wll sve so much tme b hvn the wpe-off tble for ther constnt use, b boos ll locted n plce the cn rech nd eno, nd pper redl vlble n the ornztonl sstem" The foundton wrded ts frst-ever clssroom rnts, totln $119,574, to 130 techers t 104 schools cross Albm The prorm provdes techers wth rnts up to $1,000 to p for mterls nd supples tht cn be used to mprove the clssroom envronment nd enhnce students' blt to lern Onl schools tht hve 50% or more students recevn free or reduced-prce lunches re elble for the rnt prorm Techers cn use the rnts to p for wde rne of eductonl mterls Exmples nclude bsc supples le crons, pencls, pens, scssors nd pper clssroom nd school lbrr mterls rus, bns nd clssroom décor nd mterls for chor, bnd nd phscl educton rooms "Techers hve the power to trnsform the lves of students nd communtes, nd we re proud to support them throuh the clssroom rnt prorm," sd Ml Clhoun, presdent of the Albm Power Foundton "These rnts provde the resources needed to crete n enrchn eductonl envronment nd nnovtve clssroom nttves tht help students succeed" Stewrt s one of the techers chnn chldren's lves ever d An ssstnt prncpl t Demopols Ct Schools for the pst three ers, she returned to her "true clln" lst fll – techn the lttle ones "I relzed I could not hve one-to-one reltonshp wth 525 ds le I cn wth 19 chldren n clssroom," Stewrt sd "I beleve God puts us where we cn me the best dfference I now tht he hs plced the students n m room for reson Ther fmles now how much I love nd cre bout ther chldren Therefore, the cre bout our clss – ll 19 chldren" The clssroom rnt prorm opened lst fll Grnts were wrded to techers t schools n ll sx Albm Power dvsons erler ths er B Crl Dvs Classroom grants help teachers, students in schools across state EDUCATION