This month, the Appleton Education Foundation board of directors approved 27 grants totaling more than $29,000 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
- $1,754 to pilot a multisensory resource for deaf and hard-of-hearing students to strengthen foundational phonics skills and early literacy. (Partial funding provided by the John Mielke and Sally Morey Mielke Education Fund.)
- $1,400 to provide secondary educators with additional strategies for building stronger student relationships, increasing engagement, and fostering meaningful classroom connections.
- $500 to help preschool students build communication skills through stories and hands-on activities. (Funding provided by the John Mielke and Sally Morey Mielke Education Fund.)
Appleton East High School
- $2,457 to give construction students hands-on trade experience to construct a durable, weather-resistant storage shed. (Funding provided by the Vira and Alan Stoner Education Fund.)
- $500 to provide Native students with beading materials and guidance to design graduation caps that celebrate their cultural heritage.
- $500 to support special education students with hands-on cooking experiences that build essential life skills, including meal planning, food preparation, kitchen safety, nutrition, and independence. (Partial funding provided by the the Betsy Melzer Endowment Fund.)
- $450 to establish a classroom game library that encourages students to “unplug” during flex period and build meaningful relationships with their peers.
- $300 to provide choir students with a collaborative workshop led by internationally recognized composer and conductor Z. Randall Stroope.
Appleton North High School
- $250 to fund materials for a hands-on corn husk doll-making activity that complements a presentation on Oneida oral storytelling and culture in American Literature classes.
Valley New School
- $480 for a hands-on residency with a local artist. Students will collaborate to design meaningful artwork that reflects their voices, values, and school community. (Funding provided by the Scheuerman Family Fund.)
Classical School
- $950 to bring Ancient Greece to life for second graders through an immersive, Olympic-style event that builds on classroom learning.
James Madison Middle School
- $500 to enhance sixth-grade literature lessons with activites designed to build descriptive writing and comparison skills. (Funding provided by the Brad Wiese Family Fund for Literary Arts.)
Kaleidoscope Academy
- $475 to launch a student-run plant care and sales program that builds social, executive functioning, and entrepreneurial skills for students in special education classes. (Funding provided by the the Betsy Melzer Endowment Fund.)
Appleton Bilingual School
- $500 to enrich the new bilingual 4K classroom with hands-on math, STEM, literacy, and social-emotional learning materials to foster curiosity, early academic skills, and whole-child development.
Edison Elementary School
- $2,933 to bring in bestselling author, Aaron Reynolds, for an interactive schoolwide engagement that promotes literacy, storytelling, and a love of reading.
Fox River Academy
- $1,189 to engage students in hands-on learning about composting, sustainability, and responsible waste management. (Funding provided by the Stan and Phyllis Thatcher Family Fund for STEM.)
Franklin Elementary School
- $2,500 to bring an immersive, full-day marine biology experience to students, featuring a 56-foot inflatable whale for hands-on science learning. (Funding provided by the Stan and Phyllis Thatcher Family Fund for STEM.)
- $500 to fund a new run/walk club designed to motivate students to stay active during recess for the physical and social-emotional benefits.
Houdini Elementary School
- $2,249 to provide LEGO Computer Science and AI kits, giving K-2 students in STEM club an engaging way to build coding, debugging, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. (Funding provided by the Dianne Catlin Lang STEM Innovators & Girls Leadership Fund and Stan and Phyllis Thatcher Family Fund for STEM.)
- $800 to support an after-school dance program for students with disabilities, to foster teamwork, strength, and confidence through movement and creative self-expression. (Funding provided by the Bob and Gerri Heffron Family Endowment Fund.)
- $450 to give third-grade students a hands-on experience dissecting squid to enhance their study of ocean life and how scientists learn about marine animals. (Funding provided by the Dianne Catlin Lang STEM Innovators & Girls Leadership Fund.)
Jefferson Elementary School
- $500 to integrate visual art and music into academic instruction as a way to strengthen communication, literacy, sequencing, and problem-solving skills for students with autism and other disabilities. (Funding provided by the the Betsy Melzer Endowment Fund.)
McKinley Elementary School
- $1,200 to host a family literacy night to equip families with practical strategies and take-home learning kits that will reinforce skills beyond the classroom.
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter School
- $2,000 to bring the Forest Whales hands-on STEM program to Foster. The Forest Whales features a 56-foot inflatable whale and interactive exhibits that bring marine science to life. (Funding provided by the Stan and Phyllis Thatcher Family Fund for STEM.)
- $500 to provide families with at-home math games to strengthen students’ number confidence and progress toward grade-level math proficiency.
- $375 to launch a book club for third-fifth grade students. (Funding provided by the Paul E. Hoffman Fund for Foster Elementary School.)
Appleton Community 4K
- $2,982 to equip AASD 4K classrooms with social-emotional learning toolkits, and help young learners develop emotional awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and positive relationships through hands-on activities and play.
