Foundation for Education Awards $14,093 for Local School Projects

The Grand Forks Foundation for Education, Inc. is awarding $14,093 through 17 grants this fall to help fund a variety of enrichment projects in Grand Forks Public Schools.

The Mini-Grants have been funded through the Foundation for Education since 1992. Awards are usually for classroom-level or grade-level projects. All areas of curriculum and all grade levels are eligible for Mini-Grants.

Elementary School

• $314 - Susie Lancaster, Viking Elementary: “A Soft Way to Begin the Day” project, providing multiple STEM tools to help students to make connections, communicate, and be creative as they start the day. Examples include Legos, magnetic strips, and snap circuits.
• $386 - Katie Wood, Century Elementary: “The Spot (SEL Curriculum for Primary Grades)” grant, to purchase “On the Spot” social-emotional learning books for K-2. Themes include courage, perseverance, teamwork, kindness, responsibility, patience, and more.
• $579 - Jessie Pieper, Ben Franklin Elementary: “Sensory Learning in Early Childhood Special Education” project. These funds will be used to purchase a number of sensory and tactile tools to be used in her early special education classroom.
• $655 - Amy DeWitt, Century Elementary: “Equitable Instruments” grant to purchase an additional xylophone, to help provide students the most engaging experience possible during music class. 
• $773 - Cassie Riewer, Wilder Elementary: “Making the Most of Mentor Texts” grant, to help purchase additional mentor texts at all grade levels across the school. These texts are not included in the district curriculum but are referenced in teacher lesson guides.

Middle School

• $241 - Brooke VanLooy, South Middle: “Hands-On Foreign Language Materials” grant to purchase multiple games in Spanish, German, French, and Latin. Games touch on the social, cognitive, physical, and emotional domains of development.
• $285 - Josey Chow, Valley Middle: “8th Grade Math Algebra Tiles” project, a set of Algebra Tiles that will help students visualize the concepts and grow their understanding of more abstract equations and formulas.
• $700 - Kat Puhl, Valley Middle: “Higher-Level Texts for Advanced Readers” grant to purchase higher leveled titles to be used in 8th grade literature circles. 
• $721 - Justin Johnson, Elroy Schroeder Middle: “Getting Flexible with Classroom Seating” grant to purchase standing desks and wobble chairs for his social studies classroom. These will help students that have strong urges to move to increase their focus.
• $1,000 - Nick Pederson, Valley Middle: “School-Wide Travelling Manga Resources” project to purchase a number of popular “Manga” titles that can be shared across the school.
• $1,095 - Ann Herbeck, South Middle: “Connecting Creativity Using Strawbees” grant to purchase a Strawbees construction set, to be used in tandem with her Micro Bits, to provide her science classes an opportunity to explore the engineering process.

High School

• $737 - Emily Kulas, Red River High: “Let’s Get Graphic! Tackling Complex Issues with Graphic Novels” grant. These funds will be used to purchase a variety of graphic novel titles for the Library Media Center.
• $1,300 - Maren Dewar, Grand Forks Central High: For her “Purple Rhymes with Orange Student Workshop” project to provide her theater students with an opportunity to perform an original, multi-cultural production with North Dakota artist Patrick Kasper.
• $1,420 - Sheri Sletten, Red River High: “TI-84 Python Graphing Calculator” project to purchase 10 Python Graphing Calculators for her enriched algebra classroom. These calculators will introduce students to more STEM opportunities, including programming.
• $2,305 - Lindsay Fugleberg, Red River High: “Biology Microscopes” grant to purchase six microscopes to be used by all science classes for a variety of experiences, including analyzing various types of cells and tissues in living organisms. 

Middle/High School

• $782 - Marilyn Iverson, STEP Program (Student Transitional Education Program): “Alternative and Equitable Literacy” grant. These funds will be used to purchase books to fill a mini library onsite, providing students with access to various-leveled pieces of literature.
• $800 - LoRia Novak, Valley Middle, and Eileen Zygarlicke, Community High: “Literacy Beyond the Classroom” project. These funds will be used to purchase copies of Jason Reynold’s book, Long Way Down. Students at both schools will engage in a book study, meeting via Google Hangouts for discussion. It will provide them with the opportunity to interact, listen, and learn from one another.

For further information on the projects that were funded this fall, please contact Foundation Executive Director Emilia Hodgson at 701.787.4866 or ehodgson290@mygfschools.org.