The North Platte Public Schools Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for graduating seniors while continuing to support classroom projects and student opportunities throughout the district.
Scholarship applications opened Nov. 2 and will remain available through March 1. Burchell said the foundation offers 28 scholarships totaling $23,000, with an additional $10,000 available through outside scholarships from local organizations.
Applications are completed electronically through Epsentria, a platform available to North Platte Public Schools students. Students can invite parents to help with the process, and school counselors can monitor their progress. The foundation also uploads student transcripts to make applying easier.
āI'm glad we're electronic,ā Burchell said, noting that the online system has made the process easier for students and scholarship reviewers.
Some scholarships have also expanded in size or become renewable, allowing students to continue receiving support beyond their freshman year. Burchell said students who have already earned an associate degree through dual-credit coursework may also qualify for certain scholarships.
The foundation is also continuing its Reaching One Classroom at a Time program, which supports teachers and classroom projects throughout the school year. Recent projects include family and consumer science classes at North Platte High School learning different grilling methods using Blackstone and Traeger grills.
At Cody Elementary, a third-grade class received an electronic buzzer system to help students participate in classroom activities.
Burchell said the program typically runs for about 20 weeks, beginning in October and continuing into February.
The foundation is also helping support the second annual Nebraska Film Festival, which will take place in April. The event will feature high school students from across the state, with opportunities for the public to view student films during the festival.
Burchell said the festival is growing and could bring hundreds of students to North Platte to showcase their creative work.
The foundation also announced that its planned movie night on the field, originally scheduled for October, has been postponed until spring. The event is organized by Nebraska Land Bank and is open to the entire community, with free will donations supporting Kids Club.