This grant helps to bring new Spanish texts to students of Spanish 1A and 1B. This grant allows students to
read an entire class novel in Spanish 1.
Spanish 1A students will read the novel “La Familia de Federico Rico”.
Spanish 1B students will read the Spanish novel “Cabybara con botas”.
The Saline robotics community for grades 4-8 had been struggling with the setup and teardown of large competition fields and the management of tools and materials 4-6 times each week, which consumed much of their practice time and left them with less time to focus on planning, designing, and building their robots and other innovation projects. A separate space for practice would not only have improved their performance but would have made their meetings more about learning and preparing rather than moving supplies.
The grant was proposed as a partnership between the Saline robotics teams for grades 4-8 and the Saline Middle School Media Center to repurpose an old book storage space into a thriving STEM lab by moving the books out of storage into the Media Center where all students could access them.
The grant covered the cost of making the books in storage available to students in the Media Center while also repairing water damage and outfitting the space as a STEM space with storage and simple, second-hand workspace furniture.
The grant provided chromatic tuners to a large-format music classroom of 50-80 students at Saline Area Schools, where individual teacher attention was limited. These electronic devices offered immediate feedback on tuning and intonation, which are foundational skills in music, indicating to the musician whether a note was in tune and, if not, whether it needed to be adjusted higher or lower. The chromatic tuners enabled students to receive the necessary feedback to improve their sound independently, which is crucial for playing in tune—a fundamental aspect that enhances the overall quality of music and facilitates the development of higher-level skills and satisfaction in the music classroom.
Through the use of these tuners, students demonstrated key educational skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. They worked in various sized groups, including partnerships and sections, to learn how to play in tune. This collaborative approach not only helped build a sense of community among the students but also made creative use of the learning space, providing numerous learning opportunities.
The grant enabled the Girls Who Code club to purchase 8 Makeblock mBot Starter Kits and 4 Arduino Education Starter Kits. The mBot Starter Kits, which are robots that can be programmed using Scratch and Python, allowed the girls to code the robots to move and interact with their environment. The Arduino Education Starter Kits provided lessons in coding, hardware, and electronics.
The project was designed to align with the core curriculum and broaden learning opportunities for students in a creative and innovative manner. By introducing these kits, the club aimed to enhance coding skills among a demographic underrepresented in computer science and the tech sector, specifically girls. The hands-on experience with robotics and coding was intended to spark interest in future computer science, graphics, and engineering classes at SHS. Additionally, having access to these resources significantly improved the overall enjoyment and engagement of the club members.
The “Keep Calm and Clean” grant supported the practice of daily living skills for students while at school. The grant facilitated the acquisition of a working dryer, enabling students who swim 3-5 times a week to learn and practice proper laundry techniques, including washing and drying their clothes. Additionally, the grant provided the means for students to practice loading and unloading a dishwasher, which is an essential skill for job preparedness, employability, and living independently.
The primary goal for the Life Skills students was to enhance their employability and independence. The grant allowed students to engage in hands-on activities that prepared them for their future by reinforcing job skills and everyday life competencies. As students transitioned to high school, the opportunity to practice laundry and dishwasher skills became increasingly important. The items purchased with the grant played a significant role in continuing the students’ education and preparing them for this transition.
A special thanks to one of our featured sponsors supporting us since 2023:
