Previous Grant Recipients

Virtual STEM Extravaganza:
Marlo Dentice-Johnson,
Burleigh Elementary School
$2,000
The Virtual STEM Extravaganza grant will allow Marlo Dentice-Johnson, a teacher at Burleigh, to host a STEM night in the Spring across all the elementary schools in the district. The hope is this will turn into an annual event, similar to nights like Literacy Night that the district already holds annually. Marlo will work with businesses in the area and LAUNCH students to create stations that families would travel to and have an opportunity to participate in STEM activities. STEM lessons will also be implemented throughout the year in the classrooms across the district so that all students could experience these enrichment opportunities. The creation of the lessons would be lead by Marlo and the team she is working with.

Today a Reader,
Tomorrow a Leader:
Stacy Klein,
Pilgrim Park Middle School
$1,500
Stacy Klein, teacher at Pilgrim Park Middle School, would like to enhance classroom libraries through her grant and specifically looks to add additional texts designed for struggling and unmotivated readers. These books would provide opportunities for students to independently practice and apply strategies being taught. Much of what is currently available to students in classroom libraries focuses on grade-appropriate literature. For struggling readers, reading independently often becomes an extremely frustrating task. By providing high interest materials at more appropriate readability levels, success is much more likely to occur for these students.

Pond Improvement Project:
Julia Della Penna
Brookfield Central High School Student
$1,000
The Pond Improvement Project grant will help to enhance the pond at Brookfield Central. This grant was written by Julia Della Penna, student at Brookfield Central. The grant includes adding wildlife-friendly features to the pond (such as native plants and homes for butterflies and birds). If permitted, building an outdoor canoe rack for the BCHS canoes, removing invasive plants, and improving the bridge over the dam of the pond would also happen. Work would be completed over the course of this summer (2021). Currently, BCHS's Environmental Science Class, Biology and Ecology Classes all use the pond in some capacity. The science department is committed to maintaining the area.

Playground Blocks:
Kristin Olson
Tonawanda Elementary School
$5,000
The Playground Blocks grant written by principal, Kristin Olson at Tonawanda Elementary School, will provide inclusive playground blocks. They would provide an alternative option for students who may be unable to or who are uninterested in playing on the larger playground equipment. This equipment is also moveable, unlike many other inclusive playground equipment. These blocks can also be brought inside and used in the gym during PE or indoor recess.