Stilwell Public Schools is in the sovereign territory of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. This territory is embedded within Adair County and has the highest poverty rates in the state. It also has the unenviable distinction of “the place where they cried” in what became known as The Trail of Tears.
The harsh reality of a 27% budget cut motivated former Superintendent, Geri Gilstrap, to pursue grants. “I knew I couldn’t just rely on funding from the state to serve the needs of our students,” said Ms. Gilstrap. She called GrantWriters and began pursuing grant funding. Although she admitted feeling a little skeptical about using people outside of the district to write grants, she gave GrantWriters a call anyway. “I was immediately impressed with their knowledge and professionalism.”
Collaborating with Professional GrantWriters Leads to Millions of Dollars
Over the past several years the Stilwell administration and GrantWriters have worked together to win millions of dollars. Funds have been used to train teachers, hire critical staff, grow healthy food, and empower students.
Stilwell Public Schools grew the English Language Learners (ELL) department by adding multiple qualified instructors and implementing Cherokee language and culture classes for students as nearly 70% identify as Native American. Students are better prepared for jobs and college following high school graduation due to grant funding to integrate technology and obtaining college credits through a partnership with Northeastern State University. Stilwell Elementary was rated an F in literacy by the state but after the implementation of literacy grant-funded programs, the school moved up to a C and has been named a High Progress School for its rapid improvements. Ms. Gilstrap noted emphatically, “When you have grant money, you can run specialized programs, targeting the specific problems students experience so measurable progress can be made.”
The former Superintendent summed up her experience with GrantWriters, “They care about our students as much as I do and celebrate our success right alongside us. I recommend GrantWriters to any school district. You have nothing to lose and millions of dollars to gain for your students.”.
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“They care about our students as much as I do and celebrate our success right alongside us. I recommend the GrantWriters to any school district. You have nothing to lose and millions of dollars to gain for your students.”