From left: President East Lansing Educational Foundation Julie Cawood, MacDonald Middle School teacher Matt Christians, Red Cedar Teacher Lorraine Ware, Marble Elementary Principal Ruth Riddle, and ELEF Board Member Rich Mikel.

On February 17, 2009, the East Lansing Educational Foundation (ELEF) surprised East Lansing teachers gathered for a day of professional development with the announcement of the winners of the foundation’s first Collaboration Grant focused on technology.

Red Cedar Elementary, Marble Elementary and MacDonald Middle School will all receive funding for digital projectors and cameras as winners of the ELEF awards. In total, $16,000 will be distributed among the three schools.

“With this new Collaboration Grant,” explains Rich Mikel of the ELEF Board and Grant Committee, “we are moving the foundation forward into the realm of technology, especially technology that brings students and teachers together to collaborate around the curriculum.”