On Dec. 16, 2024, the District 45 Foundation for Excellence in Education visited several schools to award Mini-Grants for the 2024-25 school year.
Foundation Board members Peg Egan, Linda Nystrom, and President Rae Rupp Srch, along with Superintendent Brian Graber, arrived with oversized checks to surprise each recipient. The Foundation awarded five Mini-Grants totaling more than $2,900.
One grant was awarded to Stevenson Elementary kindergarten teachers Gabriela Manzano and Melissa Loconte for their proposal, “Equitable Kindness – An SEL Project.” The project will provide Stevenson teachers with resources to enhance their classroom “calm-down corners,” which support social-emotional learning.
The grant will benefit approximately 172 students in kindergarten through second grade. Manzano and Loconte will assist teachers in setting up calm-down corners with new items, including a beanbag chair, lavender plant, calming pillow, yoga mat, and sensory toys. These resources will help students regulate their emotions, navigate their feelings, and build peer relationships.
In October, the Foundation invited District 45 staff to apply for Mini-Grants to support creative and innovative projects beyond the district’s normal operating budget. In early December, the Foundation’s Board of Directors reviewed applications and selected five winning proposals.
The Mini-Grants, capped at $1,000 each, were awarded in addition to the Foundation’s regular grant program offered each spring. District 45 staff may apply for the next round of grants beginning in February 2025, with implementation in the 2025-26 school year.
Mini-Grants were awarded to:
Ardmore’s Indoor Plant Nursery
Luciana Romeo & Anne Blyth, Ardmore Elementary
Amount: $886.00
There’s No Time to Be “Board,” Let the Games Begin!
Tracy Shockey, Stevenson Elementary School
Amount: $325.00
Equitable Kindness – An SEL Project
Gabriela Manzano & Melissa Loconte, Stevenson Elementary School
Amount: $970.37
Early Childhood Gardening Project
Joy Trostle, D45 Early Childhood Center
Amount: $279.96
Multimedia Club
John Ross, York Center Elementary School
Amount: $500
Throughout the year, the District 45 Foundation for Excellence in Education raises funds for regular grants and mini-grants. Donations to the foundation can be made online or by mail at any time.
