The D51 Foundation announced it awarded its 18th round of Professional Learning Grants, totaling $10,841, to School District 51 staff members.

The foundation said in a news release that it received $39,050 in requests during the most recent grant cycle, reflecting strong interest among the school district’s educators and staff in pursuing professional-learning opportunities that enhance their work with students.

Since 2018, the D51 Foundation has awarded more than $180,000 in Professional Learning Grants to 638 District 51 staff members, helping educators and staff members bring new knowledge, skills and ideas back to their schools and classrooms.

Each year, the D51 Foundation uses proceeds from its White Iced Celebration and other fundraising efforts to address specific needs across District 51. This year, foundation funding is focused on technology and innovation for students, professional learning for D51 staff, and student and staff wellness.

The 15th Annual White Iced Celebration will take place Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027, at the CMU Ballroom. More information is available at d51foundation.org.

The D51 Foundation’s 18th round of Professional Learning Grant recipients are:

• Courtney Melgares, Central High School, $2,750 for National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference.
• Emerald Vaca, BTK, $900 for Speech Language Pathologists training in new evidence-based strategies at the Colorado Speech Language-Hearing Association Conference.
• Jenna Fairfield, Orchard Avenue Elementary School, $280 for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Maintenance of Certification.
• Kimberlee Castleton, Special Programs at Summitt School, $2,175 for Teacher Educators for Children with Behavior Disorders Training.
• Krystyna Dillard, Bookcliff Middle School, $3,050 for Building Thinking Classrooms & Expanding Student Engagement in Mathematics.
• Maribeth Flanagan, Redlands Middle School and multiple other schools where she works, $299 for Immersive Family Systems Therapy Immersion Program online training.
• Megan Henry, Orchard Avenue Elementary School, $350 for Colorado Art Education Association Conference.
• Scott Finholm, Central High School, $687 for National Council for Social Studies.
• Sean Henry, Grand Junction High School, $350 for Colorado Art Education Association Conference.