Despite having to postpone its annual La Fiesta De Las Seis Banderas to the fall, 2020 Co-Chairs Mary Deaver and Fran Matise and their committee have moved ahead to support the Highland Park Education Foundation (HPEF). They have provided $14,802 in grants for Highland Park Independent School District’s (HPISD) Teacher Innovation Program. HPEF Executive Director Lauren Holloway described the Innovation program as a cornerstone of teachers’ efforts to encourage creativity and student engagement in the classroom. This year, 15 teachers will receive grants enabling them to provide amazing learning opportunities for their students heading into the 2020-2021 school year. According to Mary, “These grants ensure students a fun, exciting classroom experience that otherwise would not be the same, and these lessons transform learning environments and enable teachers in the District to offer a meaningful experience to all students who are able to participate.” The grants were considered invaluable by HPEF and HPISD because they will range from “specialized STEAM activities to important professional development opportunities that equip teachers with tools for social emotion learning” in the 2020-2021 school year. Fran added, “We were excited to see the caliber of ideas submitted for this year’s grants, and we knew from the start that we had an impressive slate of applicants in front of us. Mary and I enjoyed our role in selecting the recipients, and we appreciated our partnership with the Highland Park Education Foundation, who we’ve been working with for over 25 years.”