The Wyoming Catholic Ministries Foundation (WCMF) recently awarded $141,768 through “Catholic Schools Technology Grants.” Four of Wyoming’s six Catholic schools applied for the 2020 technology grants for hardware and software upgrades. Funding for this program comes from three-permanently restricted endowments established by donors to advance Catholic education in Wyoming. Each year WCMF awards up to 5 percent of these invested funds to Catholic schools through a competitive grants process.

Catholic schools receiving funds through the 2020 grant cycle include:

St. Anthony’s Tri-Parish School, Casper                         $30,000

St. Joseph’s Children’s Home, Torrington                     $30,000

St. Mary’s School, Cheyenne                                             $21,768

Holy Name School, Sheridan                                           $30,000

St. Margaret’s School, Riverton                                       $30,000

Funding will assist with the purchase and activation of new wireless routers, installation of a new security firewall and the purchase of notebooks/tablets for students and classroom smartboards. School administrators, teachers and WCMF have united in an effort to advance the use of technology in the classroom and to provide students with advanced skills.

For several years, WCMF has partnered with St. Anthony’s Tri-Parish School in Casper and enabled the school to expand the use of technology and learning for students and faculty. The school was quickly able to activate its on-line system for students to complete and turn in assignments and allowed teachers to livestream classes to their students just three-days after Covid-19 reached Wyoming and schools were shuttered throughout the state.