For the past three years, our school has received the esteemed honor of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Pat Knighter Grant. This year, the grant was worth $3,200, which will go to the improvement of the school’s outdoor classroom.
To be considered for the grant, Mrs. Lael Lynch had to fill out the application forms by Oct. 31, 2010. The recipients of the grant were announced in February. Other schools in Springdale that received the grant were various middle and elementary schools. Our school is the only one to apply and receive the grant annually.
“I was so excited that we continued to get it,” exclaimed Mrs. Lynch. There is no ceremony for the recipients of the grant this year; however, there has been one in past years. However, Pat Knighter, whom the grant is named for, personally delivers the grant and inspects the area to be improved.
The school will be using the money to improve “Culp’s Corner,” the outdoor classroom, by adding plants, trees, a sidewalk to the pavilion, and other low impact development/native plants. The grant’s specific purpose is to help schools fund outdoor education.
“It’s really great that Pat Knighter delivers the grant herself and surveys the area. It’s nice to know her face-to-face,” said Mrs. Lynch.