WINSTON-SALEM — The Zach Smith Fund Advisory Committee of the Winston-Salem foundation recently recommended seven grants totaling $17,523 to educators and administrators for projects to improve the quality of education in Mount Airy.

According to information supplied by foundation spokesperson Cici Fulton, the selection committee reviewed a variety of applications and emphasis was placed on initiative, creativity and imagination were demonstrated in projects, potential impact on students and the strategic relationship between the proposed project and individual professional growth.

The Winston-Salem foundation fund was created in 2009 with gifts made in memory of Zach Smith from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation and Smith’s family and friends.

Mount Airy High School teacher Phillip Lewis received a grant in the amount of $2,356 to purchase a SMART podium. Mount Airy Middle School teacher Abby Galimore received a $2,000 grant to purchase age-appropriate books.

Tharrington’s Primary School’s Dawn Wilson received a $2,500 grant to buy iPads to increase student interest in reading. Teacher Melissa Martin of Jones Intermediate School received $6,775 to purchase iPads.

Three Jones Intermediate School teachers, Pamela Mitchell, Cindy Wilson and Melissa Phillips also received grants. Mitchell’s grant was for headsets to increase and practice reading skills and amounted to $1,020. Wilson grant totaled $1,160 and was for cameras and printing costs to create the Bear Grown, Jr. newspaper. Phillips was awarded a $1,712 grant for headphones and read-along books t allow students to read more advanced text.

The Winston-Salem Foundation is a community foundation that supports charitable programs in the greater Forsyth County area. It was founded in 1919 by Colonel Francis Fries with a thousand dollar gift. It currently administers more than 1,300 funds and had custodial assets over $276 million at the end of 2011. The foundation granted $20.8 million to charitable causes in 2011 with over $2.1 million through the community grants program that year.