Local elementary schools receive $20,000 grant

LOGA makes endorsement in Louisiana Governor’s Race
September 26, 2019
Nicholls halfback honored for performance on and off the field
September 26, 2019
LOGA makes endorsement in Louisiana Governor’s Race
September 26, 2019
Nicholls halfback honored for performance on and off the field
September 26, 2019

Capital One Bank recently donated $20,000 to two local schools, Montegut Elementary and Bayou Black Elementary, to update their technology.

The grant, secured by Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence (TFAE), will be used to purchase new Active Panels — also known as Smart Boards — for said schools.

“The more a teacher can truly engage a student, the more that student will learn,” TFAE Executive Director Katie Portier said. “These Active Panels will be used to incorporate new and exciting ways to engage and excite students. We are excited to work with Capital One Bank and Terrebonne Parish School District to supply local teachers and students with this much needed technology in their classrooms.”


The amount donated can purchase nearly six Active Panels. The Terrebonne Parish School District (TPSD) is funding the remaining $7,373, however, so each school can receive four new panels, bringing the total to eight.

“It’s a very powerful tool for instructing children,” TPSD Superintendent Philip Martin said. “It allows for so much creativity and the possibility of addressing kids at different levels, which is really difficult to do many times for a teacher. This really enhances that.”

Teachers can use these tools for any subject, Portier explained. She also acknowledged the teachers’ creativity in how they use the panels, as they incorporate them into virtually any lesson plan to increase student engagement.


The check presentation was held on Wednesday afternoon at the TPSD Administration Building, 201 Stadium Drive in Houma, during the TPSD monthly principals’ meeting.

The grant is part of Capital One’s Future Edge initiative — which “provides community grants and associate volunteerism to help more Americans succeed in the digital economy,” reads a press release by TFAE.

“As part of Future Edge, Capital One is pleased to donate technology assets that will be used by students here in Terrebonne Parish,” Capital One Bank’s Tri-Parish Market President Robbie Naquin said. “We’re proud to play a role in helping local teachers improve the classroom experience and introduce young students to technology.”


Since 2012, the local non-profit TFAE has awarded over $1 million grant dollars to Terrebonne Parish public school teachers.

“TFAE has been a partner of the school system for a long, long time. We’re really very fortunate to have such an effective organization focused on our schools. This is one example of many things they’ve done,” Martin said. “We appreciate everything TFAE does for our school system, for our kids.”