The votes are in and the checks are ready for the 20 winners of Dolan Automotive Group’s second annual $50,000 Class Project. The annual contest encourages area public school teachers to submit a classroom project concept on behalf of students during the month of September. Teacher proposals are then voted on by fans of the Dolan Automotive Group Facebook page in October and the top 20 vote-earners receive $2,500 to help bring the idea to life. Sixty-two entries were received and more than 25,000 votes were cast by northern Nevada community members.
“We would like to extend special congratulations to the 20 teachers and classrooms with the most votes in this year’s Class Project,” said Ryan Dolan, CEO of Dolan Automotive Group. “We would also like to thank all of those schools that participated. The dedication of the teachers, students, families and community members from across northern Nevada made this a successful and exciting project for a second straight year and we look forward to seeing the Project grow year after year.”
The winners of the second annual $50,000 Class Project and the corresponding vote count are:
| Votes | Project Name | Teacher | School |
| 1683 | The Discovery of Science | Mr. Lindquist | Lenz Elementary |
| 1653 | Project Sound | Mr. Wood | Reno High School |
| 1236 | VC Shutterbugs | Mrs. Staffen | Hugh Gallagher Elementary School |
| 1177 | Library for Upper Elementary and Middle School | Mrs. Frost | High Desert Montessori School |
| 988 | Reaching Multimedia Learners | Mrs. Robinson | Coral Academy of Science |
| 974 | Alyce Taylor Gators Need Non-Fiction | Mr. Doetch | Alyce Taylor Elementary School |
| 916 | Physical Education Revitalization | Mr. Watson | Carson Montessori School |
| 893 | Speaking Hands | Mrs. Weaver | Carson High School |
| 888 | Going Green at McQueen! | Mrs. Beckam | McQueen High School |
| 867 | Cougar Cadets Care for the Coyotes | Mr. Colonel Coger | Spanish Springs HS |
| 861 | “Getting Connected” | Ms. Calhoun | Pine Middle School Gifted and Talented |
| 845 | Orchestra Video Education Upgrade | Mrs. Neidhold | Billinghurst Middle School |
| 837 | Published Writers | Miss Kuhn | Silver Stage Elementary |
| 791 | Helping our Music Program sound GREAT! | Mr. Schifferdecker | Damonte Ranch High School |
| 765 | Just for Clicks and Giggles | Mr. Shafer | Fernley High School |
| 749 | STEM Projects in the Physical Sciences | Mr. English | Wooster High School |
| 702 | Learning By Leaps With Laptops- Team Dibble and Schlatter | Mrs. Schlatter*and*Dibble | Hunsberger |
| 686 | iPads for 1st grade | Mrs. Czerwinsky | Kate Smith Elementary School |
| 664 | Outdoor Classroom | Mrs. Leahey/Killingsworth | Silver Lake Elementary School |
| 661 | “Active” Learning | Mrs. Dreelan | Spanish Springs High School |
Each classroom is to be presented with a $2,500 check during the weeks of October 29 and November 5, 2012.
In 2011, the inaugural $50,000 Class Project awarded 20 classrooms with $2,500 each, resulting in 101 teacher proposals and more than 27,000 votes. It was followed by Dolan’s “Giving Thanks” promotion, which awarded a total of $6,000 to individuals for community service projects, and the $30,000 School Upgrade Project that gave $10,000 each to three different schools to be used for major improvements that benefit the entire student body. In August 2012, Dolan Automotive Group held its second annual FanFest Free Car Giveaway, rewarding one lucky fan with a brand new Toyota Tacoma.
For more information on Dolan Automotive Group, visit www.DolanAutoGroup.com.
