Members of Pollard United Methodist Church congratulate Kay Elliott on recieving her grant for classroom enrichment. (Contributed Photo)

To encourage creativity and innovation in the classroom, Kids’ Kaleidoscope Preschool at Pollard United Methodist Church recently awarded nearly $4,500 in grants to six teachers for enrichment projects.

“We wanted to encourage our teachers to dream and get excited about enhancing learning opportunities,” said Kimberly Brasher, director of Kids’ Kaleidoscope. “When our teachers are excited about learning, it’s contagious.”

The in-house grant program was suggested by board member Jessie Batson to help teachers implement creative ideas. Educators submitted proposals detailing their plans and expected impact. The board reviewed all submissions and funded every request, covering costs within the school’s budget, ensuring no additional funds were collected from parents or outside agencies.

“We were absolutely thrilled to award every single grant,” Batson said. “The proposals focused on fine motor skills, scientific exploration, art, sensory stimulation, and early literacy. It reminded me why (Kids’ Kaleidoscope) is such an incredible place.”

On Feb. 3 and 4, teachers were surprised with balloons and oversized checks.

“It was so special to see the excitement from both teachers and students as we awarded grants in classrooms,” Batson said. “I loved seeing the support and excitement of parents as we celebrated on social media. I even saw teachers from other schools supporting the idea and this opportunity for appreciating teachers.”

One recipient, Kay Elliott, received funding for “STEM: Paradise for 3-Year-Olds” to introduce hands-on science experiences.

“Children love learning about their world. Some love experiments, some love to build,” Elliott said. “Exploration is a natural way for young children to learn. Science can challenge their brains to think about things in a different way.”

Another teacher, Taylor Rath, is expanding her classroom’s sensory center.

“Things like shredded paper or pinto beans become investigatory tools for a 3-year-old,” she said. “They build knowledge in science and math while developing fine motor skills and problem-solving.”

A kindergarten teacher received a grant for Raising Real Readers, a project designed to strengthen early literacy skills. The funding will provide multiple copies of 15 different books, allowing small groups of students to read together while discussing comprehension questions and engaging in writing prompts.

According to Kids’ Kaleidoscope, the goal of the grant is to help students build confidence in reading by focusing on decoding and understanding text rather than memorizing predictive patterns.

“It has been fun explaining to the children the items they will be purchasing,” Brasher said. “We cannot wait to see these grants in action.”

Kids’ Kaleidoscope, located at 3030 Copeland Road in Tyler, is a ministry of Pollard United Methodist Church that has provided a play-based learning model for children ages 18 months through kindergarten for 47 years.

“Kids’ Kaleidoscope truly is a family,” Rath said. “We support each other and believe in letting kids learn through experiences.”

Brasher hopes to make the grant program an annual tradition.

“We want our teachers to have what they need to foster a love of learning,” she said. “We are thankful for the amazing staff that we have at Kids’ Kaleidoscope. We hope that this is one more way they feel supported and valued at our preschool.”