LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Division 35 of the California Retired Teachers Association has awarded its annual mini-grants to local teachers for special projects.

Sara Yurosko, a fourth grade teacher at Kelseyville Elementary, received a $200 mini-grant from the association.

The grant funds were used to purchase a skeleton and a human organ model.

Yurosko was one of four recipients selected from the 14 applicants.

The skeleton and human organ model enable her students to learn the location of bones and organs in relation to each other. The students are able to have a “hands-on” experience by handling and identify parts of the human body.

Another recipient was Cory Cunningham, music teacher at Kelseyville High School. He was awarded a mini-grant for the purchase of new music for the Mariachi Band.

Cunningham offered that the music will, “help to promote the program by providing an authentic experience for all of us. We can then spread the experience to our greater community raising awareness and appreciation for this beautiful music.”

Other recipients this year were:

– Katherine Wiley, Konocti Unified School District, for the repair of band instruments.

– Nathalie Antus, Pomo Elementary School, for a Read Naturally Program with two portable CD players.

Mini-grants are awarded each year to local teachers around the county. The primary requirement is that the project enrich the classroom and can be used over and over again. Yurosko’s and Cunningham’s projects are perfect examples of what CalRTA was looking for.

Elva Hohn, mini grant chairperson, offered congratulations to this year’s winners for their very worthy projects in support of student learning.

Hohn added, “Hopefully, we will continue to be able to help more teachers in the future.”