Have you seen the face of John Ridout in posters around Friendswood? He is the face of Friendswood in a campaign regarding the Adopt a Grant program for the Friendswood ISD Education Foundation.
            Ridout is a third grade student at Westwood-Bales campus in Friendswood ISD. He is in Anne Defibaugh’s class and is 9 years old. He is the son of Paige and Steve Ridout of Friendswood.
            It is his face that represents more than 2000 student faces in FISD, asking the community, families, businesses and individuals to “adopt a grant.” Teachers in the district post grant requests for programs, projects, and equipment that the budget cannot afford to give them.
            Ridout can be seen on posters, track cards and flyers all over town. A banner with his face will be placed high across South Friendswood Drive Feb. 5-11 advertising and inviting people to “adopt a grant.”
            At the upcoming Friendswood ISD Education Foundation Fundraiser, Bluebonnet Ball, From Boots to Ballgowns Feb.11 at The Houstonian off Post Oak in Houston, one live auction item will be to be the NEXT face of Friendswood. Ridout’s reign will end and a new face for 2012-2013 will be named.
            During the next school year, the new child’s face will encourage the adoption of teacher/campus grants.
            The Education Foundation is hosting its third year of their Adopt a Grant program in FISD. Grants were posted in December and as of January 30, 2012, 65 grants have been purchased by people, businesses and groups.
            Texas First Bank of Friendswood is supplying the funding for 25 grants. Last year the bank was the first business to adopt and several of its teachers were also bank clients. The bank appreciated their business and did them a favor also.
            Texas New Mexico Power joined the group of businesses who adopt and they are providing 14 digital handheld microscopes for seven classrooms. This will provide and expand science opportunities in labs with the new microscopes.
            From greener schools, extreme room makeovers, and saving the world one crayon at a time to curriculum based manipulatives for pre-k, printmaking, and iPods, iPads, Nooks and triple beam balances, the grants come in all sizes and prices.
            “Many adopt to thank a teacher for making  a difference in their children’s lives. One family last year had their two grown children adopt a grant for the kindergarten teacher at Cline that both had had. She was thrilled by the grant and the grant givers,” Adopt a Grant co-chairwoman Elaine Manning said. “It is a great program and a great way to give a tax deductible gift to FISD and provide classroom teachers with items they will order right away and children will use.”
            To see the available grants as well as those adopted, go to
http://www.fisdk12.net/community/foundation/adoptagrant.html
            For more information, contact Karolyn Gephart at 281-482-1267 or kgephart@fisdk12.net.