Grant School Wins Walters Award To Help Purchase 3-D Printer

Grant School teacher Penny Huxtable was awarded the Walters Award Thursday morning from the Montana Retired Teachers Association.

The Walters Award started in 2000 under the leadership of MREA executive directors, Don and Clarice Walters, who proposed and funded the first $500 biennial award. This award seeks to recognize a Montana school and teacher(s) that have accomplished their educational mission by using creative, innovative, and unique ways to educate young people. The award seeks to benefit an idea, need, or program that supplements and enriches the school’s curriculum and could use extra funding.

During a long cold snap, the students in Grant couldn’t go outside and play. The students chose to learn to play chess. The students picked up the game fast and some even chose to play chess for individual choice time. One of the students asked if they could make their own chess pieces using a 3-D printer. The students had known about 3-D printing because Mrs. Huxtable had brought in a couple chess models for them to look at that were made with a 3-D printer.

Because of the use for the printing of chess pieces along with future uses in STEM projects Mrs. Huxtable and the Grant School became the recipients of the Walters Award.