These early-career teachers, recipients of the 2014 Lola B. Newcomb Beginning Teacher
Support Grant, returned to the University of Wyoming in September to share their classroom
experiences with College of Education students and faculty members. They visited classes,
met with administrators and presented public overviews of how they used their grants
during their first year of teaching. From left (front row) are Kelsey Redland Tobin,
Powell; Sadie Wilson, Gillette; Kelly Horn, Saratoga; and Kelsey English, Rock Springs.
From left (back row) are Stephanie McKinney, Rock River; Katie Mitchell, Cheyenne;
Trista Ostrom, Encampment; and Robert Gilmore, Casper.
Eight recent University of Wyoming graduates returned to campus this fall to share
their experiences as first-year teachers and to discuss the ways in which a College
of Education grant supported their transition into the profession.
The Lola B. Newcomb Beginning Teacher Support Grant was made possible by a gift from
the estate of Mrs. Newcomb, who attended summer school at the UW College of Education
in the 1930s.
The Newcomb Grant provides $1,000 in professional development funds to first-year
teachers in Wyoming school districts who are graduates of UW. Grants may be used for
a range of activities, including mentoring, conferences and workshops travel, classroom
material purchases and professional development opportunities.
Grant recipients must return to campus on “Newcomb Day” to share what they have learned
with UW students, faculty and staff. Applications for the Newcomb Grant are available
each fall, through the Education Dean’s Office.
Recipients are:
Casper -- Robert Gilmore, a fifth-grade teacher at Crest Hill Elementary. He used his grant
to purchase an iPad, apps and classroom supplies to both enhance his teaching capacity
and the accessibility of essential tools for all of his students
Cheyenne -- Katie Mitchell, a second-grade teacher at Anderson Elementary. The Newcomb Grant
supported her attendance at the Love and Logic Educator and Parent Retreat this summer.
She also used the grant to purchase books and supplies to enhance her classroom library.
Encampment -- Trista Ostrom, a kindergarten teacher at Encampment School. She used funds from
the grant to attend the Love and Logic Educator and Parent Retreat in Copper Mountain,
Colo., this summer. She also purchased tools to support her mathematics instruction
from her grant.
Gillette -- Sadie Wilson, a fifth-grade teacher at Conestoga Elementary School, taught kindergarten
last year. She used her grant to attend “2 Sisters” workshops in Minneapolis this
summer. The event introduced the Daily 5 and the CAFÉ programs, and was an opportunity
to explore how each might be used to enhance her teaching and support student learning.
Powell -- Kelsey Redland Tobin, a first-grade teacher at Westside Elementary School, who
moved to a fifth-grade classroom this year. Her grant supports implementation of Project
Citizen, a civic education program sponsored by the Wyoming Partnership for Civic
Education, in her classroom; building a classroom library for Daily Five implementation;
and assessment resources from Teachers Pay Teachers.
Rock River -- Stephanie McKinney, a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Rock River Elementary
School. The Newcomb Grant allowed her to purchase three iPads, accessories and apps
to support learning and engagement in her classroom and after-school tutoring for
her students.
Rock Springs -- Kelsey English, a general education second grade teacher at Northpark Elementary.
She used her grant to purchase four iPads to increase student engagement in her classroom.
The iPads allow her and her students to access free and low-cost educational apps
that capture student interest and enhance student learning. She also planned to use
the tool for a range of classroom management functions.
Saratoga -- Kelly Horn, a kindergarten teacher at Saratoga Elementary School. She used her
grant to support attendance at two conferences, the Wyoming Stream Team workshop and
the Common Core Institute. She also used funds to expand her classroom library and
to purchase supplies to enhance her instruction.
