From left, Willis Center students Amayah Juul, Chloe Peters and Nora Beaster use lacing boards to improve their motor skills.

KINGSFORD – The Dickinson County chapter of Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel has awarded a mini-grant of $125 to Sadie Wales, certified occupational therapy assistant at the Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District’s Willis Center.

Wales used the mini-grant to purchase updated tools for her therapy rooms at the Willis Center, including updated lacing boards.

The students that Wales sees for occupational therapy are working to improve their fine motor skills and coordination.One of the goals that some of the students have is to be able to lace a lacing board. With the new boards, students can work toward these goals and have fun while doing so. Other items purchased included scissors, adaptive scissors, white boards and a bead-stringing kit.

MARSP, which is an organization comprised of retired school personnel, is proud to provide these grants to area teachers to help them purchase materials which, due to budgetary restraints, might not otherwise be available to their students.

For further information concerning MARSP, go to www.dcmarsp.webs.com.