This week, the Appleton Education Foundation board of directors approved 8 grants totaling more than $12,000 to strengthen and enhance education for students in the Appleton Area School District.
All funding is from the Appleton Education Foundation Fund, unless otherwise noted.
Appleton Area School District
- $500 to purchase weighted plush animals that support emotional regulation, focus, and engagement for students in an alternative education setting. (Funding provided by the Gruner Family Community Mental Wellness Fund and the Betsy Melzer Endowment Fund.)
Appleton East High School
- $350 to expand the Tabletop Prototyping Lab with professional-grade materials, enabling students to design and create original board games while building skills in systems thinking and design. (Funding provided by the Vira and Alan Stoner Education Fund.)
- $501 to provide books for a deep-dive book club centered on the newest Hunger Games prequel. The club will explore themes of equity and resilience.
- $1,267 to purchase Spanish-language magazines that support a “tertulia” style classroom, fostering collaborative discussion, cultural awareness, and high-level literacy.
Einstein Middle School
- $1,203 for a brass mute library that will expand opportunities for students to learn and practice different musical techniques. (Partial funding provided by the Mile of Music Fund.)
Franklin Elementary School
- $2,360 to enhance an existing playground feature with resources that support early childhood special education students in developing social-emotional, gross motor, language, and cognitive skills through active play. (Funding provided by the John Mielke and Sally Morey Mielke Education Fund and the Betsy Melzer Endowment Fund.)
- $2,848 to bring in bestselling author, Aaron Reynolds, for an interactive schoolwide engagement that promotes literacy, storytelling, and a love of reading.
Janet Berry Elementary School
- $2,513 to support a peer mentoring program where fifth grade students lead Kindergarten and first grade students in game-based learning in order to develop builds teamwork and problem-solving skills, and build positive relationships. (Partial funding provided by the Gruner Family Community Mental Wellness Fund.)
