Special To The Citizen

Varsity Lakes Middle School in Lehigh Acres is one of the winners of the “Bealls and Whistles” grants awarded by the department store Bealls. The other was Meadow Park Elementary School in Fort Myers.

Varsity Lakes Middle School Principal Scott Cook said the money will be used at his school to expand an active, hand-on curriculum called Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies.

More specifically, Scott Cook, the school’s principal, said the money will be used to pay for teachers to attend training workshops, to purchase resource books and for Kagan coaches to assist in classrooms and provide feedback to teachers.

Varsity Lakes was awarded the grant through the Bealls and Whistles for Schools program. More than 350 schools across Florida applied for funding of which 76 were chosen as finalists. The finalists were narrowed down to 10 winners based on compelling need, the ability to execute the proposal and the overall creative presentation of the supportive materials.

Mary Beth Fox, vice president of marketing for Bealls, said they were excited and impressed with the sincerity and creativity shown by all the applicants.

“We are also concerned by the overwhelming need that we see across Florida and we hope to lead by example in showing that corporate Florida can and should play a vital role in helping Florida’s kids.”