It is hard to believe, but it’s already that time of year again. More than 20 grant applications were submitted to the AEF this spring. Grant requests ranged from funding for boxing equipment to interactive math materials and everything in between.

Grant checks were hand delivered by AEF board members over the last several days. Below is a list of all of the spring awards – totaling more than $15,000.

Appleton Area School District –

  • $1,800 to host medical continuing education programming for physical therapists over the summer. Physical therapists from surrounding districts also will be invited.
  • $1,250 to purchase books and materials for use by the district’s early intervention speech and language pathologists to model and coach area childcare providers and 4K teachers to expand children’s early literacy skills.
  • $848 to purchase oral motor and sensory fidgets to benefit students with sensory needs. Fidgets will be used for calming and alerting, to promote focusing and concentration, decrease stress, and more.
  • $502 from the Co-Curricular Endowment for the Talented and Gifted department to grow the district’s elementary level Math League.

 

Board member Gary Jahnke delivers a grant check to Stacy Sweetalla at Johnston Elementary.
Board member Gary Jahnke delivers a grant check to Stacy Sweetalla at Johnston Elementary.

East High School – $500 from the Co-Curricular Endowment to purchase new equipment for the growing student boxing club.

$1,500 to support interactive Shakespeare workshops led by American Players Theater. All students in language arts classes will be involved.

East High School and Tesla Engineering Charter School – $1,500 toward the purchase of two Haas CNC Simulators. These simulators will allow for more students to gain valuable CNC programming experience.

Edison Elementary School – $358 to purchase tools and appliances for cooking activities in an early childhood classroom. These hands-on activities help children explore and develop language, literacy, math, social, and fine motor skills.

Einstein Middle School – $1,500 for a collection of high-quality interactive materials to help students practice math skills during RTI (Response to Intervention) class.

Franklin Elementary School – $500 to support Girls on the Run, a program that combines training for a 5K run/walk with a curriculum to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles in pre-teen girls.

Huntley Elementary School – $1,381 from the Ellen Kort Endowment Fund to engage first-grade students in creative collaboration around art, music, and poetry. Activities will support and increase student understanding of voice, emotion, reading, writing, and listening.

 Jefferson and Lincoln Elementary Schools – $550 from the AEF Diversity Fund to create a Hmong culture kit with story cloths, art work, musical instruments, clothing, Hmong folktales and other materials. This kit will include practical applications for students K-6.

Johnston Elementary School – $1,500 to purchase Speed Stacks to increase brain activity during indoor recess, physical education class, brain breaks, and during afterschool programming. Speed Stacks are used in sport stacking, an activity in which participants stack and unstack plastic cups in pre-determined sequences. Sport stacking improves hand-eye coordination, bilateral proficiency, and development of the right side of the brain – where awareness, focus, creativity, and rhythm is housed.

$425 to purchase an On Cloud Nine kit, which will provide materials to assist special education students working to improve their math skills and meet their Individualized Education Program goals.

 Madison Middle School – $500 for start-up expenses of a student-run café involving students from classes in the Financial Literacy, Employability Skills and Entrepreneurial curriculum. Income will be reinvested in the business and help fund other creative learning opportunities at Madison.

North High School – $270 to support healthy breakfast options as part of the Jump Start program. Students who are truant are enrolled in the Jump Start program to help them develop relationships with peers and school staff and get each day started right.

West High School – $1,500 to support a new program designed to help get freshmen students on the path to success in high school.

Wilson Middle School – $500 to support Girls on Track, a program that combines training for a 5K run/walk with a curriculum to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles in girls.