GRANTS
This grant year has been amazing thanks to our community of donors, educators, and students!
Your Support is Making an Impact
Scroll down to see how our educators are getting creative this school year, meeting students’ needs, and expanding opportunities for all.
Past Years’ Grants
2023-2024 Classroom Impact Grants
| Award | Grant Project |
|---|---|
| $540 | To bring weekly school-wide music instruction and singalong sessions to the students of Willow Wind, as proposed by Mira Peterson Adams. |
| $2,795 | For the purchase of a freeze dryer for TRAILS to enable students to plan, prepare and freeze dry their own nutritious meals for overnight backpacking trips while learning the science of deep freezing. This acquisition also aims to reduce costs for the TRAILS community when purchasing food for student overnight trips. |
| $385 | For Mrs. Cusenza’s AMS class to purchase copies of a young readers edition of a book by Abby Wambach for middle school leadership classes, promoting empowerment, teamwork, inclusivity, and resilience. |
| $350 | For Miss Grant to start an after-school club at AMS teaching students how to spin poi, a form of flow arts/dance, to meet 2-3 times a week. |
| $270 | To elevate the experiences and perspectives of marginalized students in public schools through the exploration of issues in literature by reading “Harbor Me” in Miss Wendy’s 6th grade class at AMS. |
| $237 | To purchase subscriptions to educational technology tools like Gimkit, Pixton, Formative, and Brainpop to support diverse learners in Ms. McMillan’s AMS social studies classes. |
| $480 | To acquire 3-D models of the Earth (globes) to teach students about map projections, geography, and Earth’s natural cycles in Ms. Hannah’s science classes at AMS. |
| $300 | To build a diverse and full repository of materials in William Beckett’s science classroom at AMS for various engineering challenges such as bridge building, solar cars, earthquake-resistant houses, egg drops and more. |
| $179 | To introduce a streaming service offering leveled Spanish readers read by native speakers to support differentiation and language learning in Señora González’ World Languages classes at AMS. |
| $450 | For Pear Deck, a tech tool that increases engagement and offers formative data collection for better student feedback during lessons in Mr. Hampton’s AMS classroom. |
| $300 | To enhance classroom environments in line with the school district’s goals for creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive atmosphere in Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Joranco’s AHS math classrooms. |
| $500 | For Ms. Barber to acquire a color laser printer to support yearbook programs, humanities classes, and AP Art History courses at AHS. |
| $433 | For copies of the book “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson for Lindsay McNeill’s AHS humanities classes for an exploration of suspense and fear from different viewpoints in literature. |
| $953 | For Mr. Dunphy to take AHS students to an OSF production of “Where We Belong” to study the relationship between Native Stories and European literature. |
| $160 | For MP3 players to help Julie Bleicker’s AMS students regulate emotions and cope with intense emotions through music. |
| $605 | To purchase 40 Texas Instrument Scientific Calculators for math and science classes, clubs, and competition use for Mr. Lambert’s AMS students. |
| $350 | As requested by Paul Kitzman for kitchen equipment and appliances, including a color printer, blender, and stove pipe, to support the AHS Inspire House program’s cooking curriculum and future student-run businesses while enhancing the learning environment and collaborations. |
| $144 | For a yearlong subscription to an app to help Ms. Steiner’s ELD students strengthen and monitor their vocabulary progress at AHS. |
| $300 | To purchase games for a ‘Fiesta Friday’ activity aimed at building connections among students in Greg Hanzel’s special education class at AMS. |
| $250 | To create a welcoming and inclusive environment in Ms. VanKuiken’s AMS classroom with diverse posters, storage solutions, and organizational materials. |
| $500 | To support a unit on “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho in Ms. Street’s AMS class, helping students explore literary concepts, the hero’s journey, and identify their personal legends. |
| $364 | For Mr. Stroud’s WAMS students at AMS to create a greenscreen floor for video production, enhancing filmmaking possibilities for students. |
| $225 | To purchase cribbage boards to teach math skills and encourage mathematical discourse among Mr. McBaine’s AMS students. |
| $350 | For Mindy Lindgren’s world languages students at AMS to prepare traditional foods from Mexico, Columbia and Venezuela as well as to carry out an experiential restaurant project to practice Spanish. |
| $500 | To create props and rent performance space from the Bellview Grange for Mr. Schmeling’s Bellview Elementary 5th graders’ production of Alien: The Play. |
| $675 | For access to a special interactive listening program to enhance the physical education experience in Mrs. Gates’ Bellview Elementary classroom. |
| $479 | To purchase headsets for Miss Kerri’s MAPS students to access a multi-sensory approach to learning at Bellview Elementary. |
| $513 | To equip Ms. Anderson’s AHS physical education classes with lawn games to promote socialization and enjoyment of learning. |
| $300 | As requested by Ms. McMillan to purchase a class set of middle school-level graphic novels to enrich the classroom library and complement social studies units at AMS. |
| $250 | For Laurie Green to acquire two sets of 25 books by BIPOC authors for her TRAILS classroom read-alouds to increase diversity in literature, promote cross-curricular learning, and provide opportunities for discussions and deeper understanding of underrepresented cultures and histories. |
| $500 | To provide cooking projects and at-home cooking kits for Ms. Ferguson’s 4th-grade Walker Elementary students to promote healthy eating and life-long cooking skills. |
| $200 | For Tara Elder-Hammond to acquire sound cards for K3 for reading intervention to support phonological processing at Willow Wind. |
| $1,200 | For additional binoculars for André Carvalhaes’ birdwatching students at AMS, as well as other tools to study birds on campus. |
| $225 | To purchase cribbage boards to teach math skills and encourage mathematical discourse among Mr. McBaine’s AMS students. |
| $350 | For Mindy Lindgren’s world languages students at AMS to prepare traditional foods from Mexico, Columbia and Venezuela as well as to carry out an experiential restaurant project to practice Spanish. |
| $300 | As requested by Ms. McMillan to purchase a class set of middle school-level graphic novels to enrich the classroom library and complement social studies units at AMS. |
| $1,200 | For additional binoculars for André Carvalhaes’ birdwatching students at AMS, as well as other tools to study birds on campus. |
| $60 | To meet diverse learning styles with the use of special software in Ms. McMillan’s social studies classroom at AMS. |
| $125 | To properly equip Mrs. Hardy’s AMS class with a full set of calculators. |
| $129 | For supplies and materials needed for Ms. McMillan’s social studies class to design their own board games at AMS. |
| $165 | For games like Monopoly and Payday to help develop number sense in an engaging way in Mr. Lambert’s AMS math intervention class. |
| $179 | For a variety of outdoor game equipment for Dr. Dre’s Aspen team students to use at AMS. |
| $200 | To purchase supplemental classroom supplies for Señora Gonzalez’ Spanish class at AMS to support timed assessments. |
| $200 | For Ms. VanKuiken’s AMS students to make and glaze their own ceramic pots to plant the sprouts they have been growing throughout the school year. |
| $200 | To purchase a diverse collection of games for William Beckett’s AMS students to use as they study game design. |
| $202 | For multimedia tools in Mr. Hampton’s AMS class to engage students and gamify learning. |
| $275 | For supplies and materials for Ms. VanKuiken’s AMS students to create art pieces that reflect themes in the stories they write in class. |
| $280 | For a subscription to Junior Scholastic magazine for Ms. McMillan’s AMS social studies students to engage with age appropriate media content about current events. |
| $300 | For a variety of games and activites to engage learners of all levels in Señora Atanes’ AMS Spanish class. |
| Award | Grant Project |
|---|---|
| $330 | To purchase a variety of science-based nature board games for a fun way to enhance learning for students in Dr. Dre’s AMS classes. |
| $354 | To purchase tools and accessories needed for Dr. Dre’s AMS students to practice bird taxidermy. |
| $359 | To equip the AMS student library with a greater selection of non-fiction reading materials, as requested by Mr. Wallace. |
| $400 | For the supplies and materials needed to incorporate an art project and a cooking project with each of the four countries studies in Señora Gonzalez’ Spanish class at AMS. |
| $415 | For alternative seating options like balance cushions and wobble stools to help students of all learning styles stay focused in Ms. Wendy’s AMS classrooms. |
| $825 | To purchase whiteboard kidney tables that can be written on and are compatible with magnatiles, as well as wobble stools to increase focus in Erika Williford’s Special Education classroom at AMS. |
| $1,365 | For a classroom set of the graphic novel version of “The Odyssey” to engage learners of all learning styles in Ms. VanKuiken’s AMS classes. |
| $675 | For access to a special interactive listening program to enhance the physical education experience in Mrs. Gates’ Bellview Elementary classroom. |
| $479 | To purchase headsets for Miss Kerri’s MAPS students to access a multi-sensory approach to learning at Bellview Elementary. |
| $500 | For necessary supplies in Ms. Preskenis-Parrish’ Bellview classroom to enable students to work in small groups and practice graphing. |
| $845 | To expand Mrs. Gayton’s Bellview classroom library to include books from diverse perspectives and underrepresented voices. |
| $500 | To create props and rent performance space from the Bellview Grange for Mr. Schmeling’s Bellview Elementray 5th graders’ production of “Alien: The Play.” |
| $300 | For a variety of engaging hands-on games and activities for students of all interests and athletic abilities to play with during free periods at Helman Elementary, as requested by Christie Lawson. |
| $600 | To ensure every student has their own pair of headphones to use in Ms. Allana’s Helman classroom for assesments and independent study. |
| $2,795 | For the purchase of a freeze dryer for TRAILS to enable students to plan, prepare and freeze dry their own nutritious meals for overnight backpacking trips while learning the science of deep freezing and moisture loss as well as the life skills, health and mathematics of food preparation. This aquisition also aims to reduce costs for the TRAILS community when purchasing food for student overnight trips. |
| $250 | For Laurie Green to acquire two sets of 25 books by BIPOC authors for her TRAILS classroom read-alouds to increase diversity in literature, promote cross-curricular learning, and provide opportunities for discussions and deeper understanding of underrepresented cultures and histories. |
| $425 | For keyboard covers to help Laurie Green’s TRAILS students focus on practicing proper typing technique. |
| $500 | To ensure every student who wants to participate in Randi Nash’s running club at TRAILS has a quality pair of shoes to run in, as well as a set of running games to engage student participants. |
| $500 | To provide cooking projects and at-home cooking kits for Ms. Ferguson’s 4th-grade Walker Elementary students to promote healthy eating and life-long cooking skills. |
| $169 | For Miss Amanda’s ASD Connect students to have access to particpation in hybrid learning by utilizing flexible seating options while on campus. |
| $456 | For two class sets of erasable music whiteboards so Mrs. Jeffs’ Walker students can practice reading and playing music on a keyboard. |
| $496 | For colorful, comfy seating options in Ms. Julie’s Walker library to invite and encourage young readers. |
| $200 | For Tara Elder-Hammond to acquire sound cards for K3 for reading intervention to support phonological processing at Willow Wind. |
| $135 | For a set of Young Readers editions of the book “Hidden Figures” for Charlie Henry’s 5th grade Willow Wind students at all reading levels to connect with intersectionality, racial justice and Black history. |
| $406 | To equip Tara Elder-Hammond’s Willow Wind classroom with a complete set of world atlases. |
| $716 | For a wide variety of supplies and materials to support science and social studies education in Emily Bland’s Willow Wind classroom, including tools for launching rockets and dissecting owl pellets. |
| $300 | To support the Culinary Club at TRAILS, led by Randi Nash. |
2023-2024 Education Support Grants
| Award | Grant Project |
|---|---|
| $3,048 | As requested by Ms. Fox to bring all 9th grade AHS students to an OSF production of Macbeth in the Spring of 2024 following their studies on Shakespeare in the classroom. This grant will ensure no-cost tickets to all free and reduced lunch (FRL) students and will lower non FRL student ticket prices to $20 each. |
| $545 | As requested by JoEllen Meyeroff to create a welcoming and inclusive natural play environment within the TRAILS courtyard while fostering a deeper student connection with nature. |
| $514 | As requested by Ms. Johnson to establish a junior coaching program for TRAILS students to promote leadership skills, respect, and inclusivity by engaging with younger students during recess through various field games and traditional sports. |
| $1,520 | As requested by Ms. Sinclair to continue Walker Elementary’s partnership with SOU for garden education at the 4th-grade level. |
| $1,273 | As requested by Molly Moncrief for all Walker Elementary staff to have access to the All Things EQ platform that teaches social emotional learning techniques to staff and families. |
| $1,700 | To install a permanent concrete chess table on campus at AHS to promote healthy engagement and student socialization, as requested by Jim Ransweiler. |
| $1,400 | To purchase two espresso machines for the AHS culinary arts students to learn and practice barista skills, as requested by Maryetta Jaques. |
| $800 | To purchase a refrigerator with a freezer for The Den on the AHS campus, as requested by Quin Haldane. |
| $1,700 | To create a joyful, collaboratve outdoor space on the AHS campus, as requested by McKael Kenfield. |
| $1,040 | For equipment to enable AHS students to play various instruments with amplification, including guitar, in a variety of settings as requesed by McKael Kenfield. |
| $10,000 | As requested by Patrick Grady to ensure all AHS students have access to use safe, quality weight equipment in the weight room. |
| $1,500 | For additional upgrades to the AHS weight room, as requested by Beau Lehnerz. |
| $1,000 | To purchase the necessary equipment to begin teaching Pickleball at AHS, as requested by Mr. Carstensen. |
| $3,500 | To support the Ashland Middle School Musical, as requested by Ms. Royse. |
| $900 | For registration costs associated with bringing AMS students to a leadership conference in Seaside, Oregon, as requested by Rebecca Gyarmathy. |
| $365 | As requested by Jarrett Davidson for the creation of a student-designed and student-painted mural surrounding the Kindness Rocks garden at AMS. |
| $300 | As requested by Julie Bleicker for various calming and regulation tools to be used in the AMS wellness room. |
| $1,525 | To purchase a versatile, modular system called Gaga Ball that can be used to play many fun games in PE class at Bellview, as requested by Angela Johnson. |
| $750 | To install a student-created, dimensional clay mural on the Helman campus, as requested by Tia McLean. |
| $500 | For tools and supplies to keep up the school garden at Helman, as requested by Christie Lawson. |
| $1,200 | To equip multiple classrooms with flexible seating options to help Helman students stay focused and engaged, as requested by Joe Dunbrasky. |
| $1,179 | To create adequate storage space for Marcia Hunter’s growing classroom library at TRAILS. |
| $911 | For sturdy, reusable mess kits to be used on outdoor trips by TRAILS students, as requested by Laurie Green. |
| $200 | To work with students to create a series of posters for the hallway that help identify and regulate emotions at TRAILS, as requested by JoEllen Meyeroff. |
| $2,942 | As requested by Erika Lowe for a new cooktop and oven in the Willow Wind kitchen, where students can learn to cook with ingredients grown in their school garden. |
| $1,425 | For a wide array of outdoor play equipment to be used during PE at Willow Wind, as requested by Tara Elder-Hammond. |
| $660 | For soccer goals to be used in PE and at recess at Willow Wind, as requested by Tara Elder-Hammond |
| $800 | For a complete set of reusable plates to be used during schoolwide meals at Willow Wind, as requested by Erika Lowe. |
| $5,000 | To implement a new sound system in the Helman cafeteria to support assemblies and performances. |
| $1,888 | For a new storage shed on the Helman campus to store equipment for physical education and running club. |
| $875 | To provide bicycle safety courses for Helman students in partnership with the Ashland Parks Foundation. |
| $250 | To support a Ukrainian Refugee Affinity Group at Walker. |