The holidays have arrived early for some Canyons District teachers.

The Canyons Education Foundation spent two days last week criss-crossing the District to surprise teachers in their classrooms with the news that they had been chosen to receive a 2014 Foundation Innovation Grant.

The Foundation distributed 17 grants – made possible by generous community donations – to teachers who submitted creative and exciting ideas for ways to use technology in the classroom.

In all, the Foundation gave away $90,000. The grant winners were picked by a selection committee, which was made up of Foundation board members, administrators and educators in Canyons’ Education Technology, Evidence-Based Learning and Special Education departments. This year, the Foundation received 32 applications totaling $196,576.22 in funding requests.

Teachers who received grants, and the names of their projects, are the following:

• Grace Libby McShinsky, Alta View Elementary, $4,325.62, “Illustrating Math Story Problems Using iPads”
• Tami Malan, Teresa Gilpin, Karen Trevino, Becki Little, Alta View Elementary, $10,000, “Chromebook Technology”
• Todd Butler, Canyons Technical Education Center, $4,591.97, “Medical Assisting Interactive Smart Board”
• Fourth Grade Team, Draper Elementary, $7,480, “Weatherbug:  Enhancing Science, Math, and Technology Learning and Community Service”
• Tammy Goodwater, East Sandy Elementary, $5,727.75, “Little Hands Touch Learning”
• Jaydene Rusel, Granite Elementary, $2,727.78, “Beating Benchmark and Beyond”
• Clief Castleton, Hillcrest High, $3,230.35, “Innovating STEM Communication”
• Ed Mondragon, Hillcrest High, $1,500, “STEM Introduction Through Game Development with GAME:IT Software”
• Michael Brzozowski, Hillcrest, $9,499, “Getting Students Acquainted with Visual Art Communication Through Electronic Media”
• Peiru Hsieh, Lone Peak Elementary, $4,187.80, “I Love to Write Chinese”
• Heather Krall, Lone Peak Elementary, $7,821.95, “Engaging Students Through iPads”
• Pamela Tafili, Midvale Middle, $3,000, “Genetics: Me, My Family Tree, and Human History”
• Linda Tognoni, Park Lane Elementary, $2,454.66, Autism Cluster Classroom
• Stephanie Campo, Ridgecrest Elementary, $4,289.41, “Through the Eyes of a Child:  Making Mini-Movies with Meaning”
• Cindy Bronson, Sprucewood Elementary, $9,566.78, “iPads”
• Michele Law, Sprucewood Elementary, $2,744, “Capture the World!”
• Jolene Brown, Willow Canyon Elementary, $3,606, “Exercising our Ears”

See Canyons District’s Facebook page and the Foundation’s Facebook page for photographs of the surprise classroom announcements.