A College of Idaho alumna was among the Arizona educators selected to receive an education grant as part of festivities surrounding the recently-completed Fiesta Bowl college football game.
Kristen Haugen ’12 will receive $2,500 through the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by SRP. Haugen is currently a math teacher at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated from The College of Idaho with a degree in mathematics and was also a four-year member of the College’s softball team.
“I was surprised when I got the email,” said Haugen. “This will help with organization and accessibility for students once put into our Google classroom.”
The grant will be used for iPads and calculators in the classroom. A total of 400 grants were awarded across 72 Arizona communities in over 300 schools and more than 90 different school districts.
“Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers is one of the most impactful teacher support programs in Arizona donating $1 million dollars to benefit thousands of Arizona students. Adding to the excitement this year is the return of our in-person Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by SRP which further enhances the experience for our recipients,” said Randal Norton, Fiesta Bowl Board Chair. “Teachers are truly selfless individuals who help shape the futures of our students here in Arizona and we are proud to play a part in supporting our teachers to do more in the classroom for the leaders of tomorrow.”
The Wishes for Teachers’ seven-year cumulative grant total of $5.7 million has been awarded to 1,600 teachers, impacting more than 700,000 students across Arizona.
Created in 2016, the Fiesta Bowl Wishes for Teachers program grants classroom wishes to Arizona teachers. Public and charter school K-12 teachers across the state are invited to apply each fall with the recipients verified and selected by a random drawing during the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by Salt River Project (SRP).
The College of Idaho has a 131-year-old legacy of excellence. The College is known for its outstanding academic programs, winning athletics tradition, and history of producing successful graduates, including eight Rhodes Scholars, three governors, and countless business leaders and innovators. Its distinctive PEAK Curriculum challenges students to attain competency in the four knowledge peaks of humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and a professional field—empowering them to earn a major and three minors in four years. The College’s close-knit, residential campus is located in Caldwell, where its proximity both to Boise and to the world-class outdoor activities of southwest Idaho’s mountains and rivers offers unique opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. For more information, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.