From left are Mrs. Heather Ruseskus, Wyoming Valley Chapter, DAR Regent and grant awardee Mrs. Charbi Webby-Sokola.
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Mrs. Charbi Webby-Sokola, a fourth-grade teacher at Rice Elementary School, Crestwood School District, was awarded a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Helen Pouch Memorial Fund Junior Membership Classroom Grant.
The DAR Helen Pouch Memorial Fund Classroom Grant is a program that grants up to $51,000 to teachers across the country. Mrs. Webby-Sokola is one of 102 teachers to receive the $500 award this year and one of two chosen from Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Webby-Sokola’s project was to purchase several Chromebooks to increase the number of students who can access research information online and increase the number of digital projects that can be completed in Social Studies and History classes. Mrs. Webby-Sokola said “I want to say thank you to all the members of DAR who are dedicated to education and especially during this time.”
One of DAR’s three missions is Education along with Historic Preservation and Patriotism. “Our chapter is privileged to support Mrs. Webby-Sokola’s project, and we are pleased that the students of Rice Elementary will benefit. We recognize that these children are the future,” states Mrs. Heather Ruseskas, Chapter Regent for the Wyoming Valley Chapter who sponsored Mrs. Webby-Sokola for the grant.
Pennsylvania State Society DAR Junior Membership Chair Courtney Cunningham said that, “as PSSDAR State Chair and the child of two high school educators, it is such an honor to present one of these grants close to home and during a time when there is such overwhelming need.”
The Junior Membership Classroom Grant program was opened to all states in 2017. Applications for the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund Classroom Grants are for teachers who teach Kindergarten to 12th grade, and it must directly benefit the classroom students.