Bowling is back. Thanks to a grant awarded by the Wauwatosa Education Foundation (EFW), every student in the district’s 11 elementary schools will have a 3-week bowling unit in gym class next year. Funding $7,800 of bowling equipment is one of nine grant amounts awarded for a total 2023 package of just over $73,000.
Focusing on student growth opportunities, the EFW also approved grants for communication technology for students with disabilities and sensory materials to help students physically and mentally regulate.
According to her proposal titled Fitness, Learning and Inclusion through Bowling, district physical therapist Tanya Jahr will use her grant money for bowling sets that will rotate throughout the elementary schools. Bowling is a lifetime sport that offers educational, health and social emotional benefits, she wrote. Her request cited several benefits including that bowling meets the five standards for physical education.
“This year’s grant requests reflect a high level of caring for the minds and bodies of students,” says Jackie Costa, EFW board president. “The 2023 recipients have shown up for our students by advocating for and responding to the need for inclusive, equitable opportunities across the board. They were thoughtful, creative and collaborative in their asks for tools that will help narrow existing gaps. This is exactly where the EFW likes step in to enrich the learning experience,” she says.
