Students at Wilson Elementary School are reaping the rewards of living in mountain lion country.

Gerry Renner's fourth-grade students started research after becoming interested in what happened to orphaned mountain lion cubs after they were picked up by the state Game, Fish & Parks Department.

"The kids were distraught over these babies," Renner said.

The students discovered that some of them are taken to the Philadelphia Zoo and contacted zoo officials with questions. Renner said they didn't think they would get a response but surprisingly did.

It was the start of an ongoing relationship that will culminate in a visit from zoo officials in the spring. Two or three zoo docents will make the trip in late April or early May, Renner said.

"They said they'd like to come out and see the natural habitat (of the lions)," Renner said.

To work with such a prestigious institution is exciting, she said.

"We have an ambassador at the Philadelphia Zoo," she said.

In the meantime, the ongoing relationship between the zoo and Knollwood students has been named "Puma Pals." Students have created artwork that is currently hanging in the zoo and keep in contact with the docents who are expected to make the trip.

"The (students) are just so intrigued," Renner said.

To prepare students for the visit, Renner applied for a grant from the Rapid City Public School Foundation and was awarded $500 last month.

Renner will use the money to buy materials such as books and maps for the students to learn about the history of the Philadelphia Zoo, which was the nation's first zoo. Students in all grades will be encouraged to research animals they are interested in, not just mountain lions, she said.

"The money will help get the entire school up to speed on the zoo and the animals," she said. "We're going to do a lot of really fun things. … It will be such a neat connection for the kids in many areas of study."

Other teachers in the area have also benefited this year from foundation grants. A total of $8,020 was given to teachers at nine local schools last month.

Kayla Griffis, a girls physical education teacher at West Middle School, received $1,000 to help pay for a climbing wall. She said the wall will cost $10,000, and the money from the foundation is a significant contribution.

"I was so grateful," she said. "I wasn't expecting it. My girls are so excited."

Theresa O'Connell, a kindergarten and reading-recovery teacher at Knollwood Elementary School, received $1,000 to buy disc golf equipment. The target group are students in first through fifth grades, the after-school Discovery Center and an after-school club.

O'Connell said the equipment will not only be used to teach the game, sportsmanship and fitness, but also math and science. The students will learn how to create courses right on school grounds, she said.

"That would be a really neat thing," she said.

The Rapid City Public School Foundation is a nonprofit corporation supporting education in Rapid City. It is governed by a board of parents, business people and educators, and it functions independently from the school board or any other public body. The foundation's grant program consists of small grants that are awarded for innovative and creative educational projects twice a year.

Renner said one of the best aspects of receiving the grant and her students spearheading the Puma Pals project in the first place is that they are learning about something local that they took an interest in all on their own.

"I want them to fall in love with the Black Hills," she said. "For them to realize what a special place they live in, that's the ultimate. … It's amazing when you help these kids make these connections. They'll remember it the rest of their lives."

Grant recipients

Nine schools were awarded 11 grants totaling $8,020 from the Rapid City Public School Foundation:

* South Canyon Elementary School: Teachers Daria McGrath, "Nutcracker Ballet Project," $470; Karen Thorson, "Navigating Non-Fiction," $600; Jan Ernst, "Reader's Theatre for Fluency," $750

* Knollwood Elementary School: Teacher Theresa O'Connell, "Education Through EDGE," $1,000

* Black Hawk Elementary School: Teacher Linda Grace, "Reader's Theatre," $750

* Grandview Elementary School: Teacher Peggy Penning, "Reader's Theatre," $750

* Wilson Elementary School: Teacher Geralynn Renner, "Puma Pals/Philadelphia Zoo," $500

* South Middle School: Teacher Mark Rudebusch, " Reading/Thinking/Analyzing," $500

* West Middle School: Teacher Kayla Griffis, "Traversing Climbing Wall," $1,000

* Central High School: Teacher Michael Conley, "Little Big Horn Seminar/Tour," $800

* Stevens High School: Teacher Deb Reynolds, "UBS Audio Interface/Computers," $900

Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com