MINI-GRANTS


Mini-grant awards made by the Foundation for Excellence to our district teachers typically range in size from $500 to $2,500 each. Most often, these awards are made on a challenge grant or partial funding basis. All mini-grant submissions are first reviewed by a peer review panel followed by the Foundation's Board of Directors. Mini-grants are awarded based on available funds and are only made possible with donations received each year by individuals, employees, families and businesses. To raise funds, the Foundation for Excellence holds special events such as the Tuition Expedition Scholarship Raffle or the Walk for Excellence. We were also very successful with our BOCCE BASH in September 2008 and are holding a golf outing in 2010.  We also promote campaigns such as Shop to Earn and Count on Me endeavors. A portion of our fund development comes from alumni gifts, memorials and honorariums.

The Foundation seeks mini-grant proposals that are innovative and creative, those that can be models for the district or benefit the greater whole while having district-wide implications. All mini-grants from teachers must fit with the Foundation's priority areas, as well as, the district's strategic plan, goals and curriculum benchmarks.  Our priority areas are Technology, Literacy, Leadership and Community.  The Foundation for Excellence does not make grants for individuals, fund school assemblies or accept incomplete proposals.

 The Foundation for Excellence is pleased to announce the 2010 recipients of mini-grant awards.  

With input from our Curriculum Council, 35 grants were awarded totaling $62,434.40. 
 
Funds in the amount of $2,225.00 were granted for special programs this year.  This amount includes $1,000 towards back to school items to fill Costco donated backpacks, $1000 to two schools for 100% participation in our Count on Me program and a $25 donation to the Jr. AAAPAC program.  This brings our grand total of awards for the 2009/2010 school year to $64,659.40.   
 
The following awards were granted to our staff members in April 2010:
 
Parenting Fair                                                                         $2,500
          Kristin Rendi & Jeff Drewno
 
K-12 District Art Show                                                          $2,300
          Andrea Novak & Lani Warner-Yuen
 
MLK, Jr. Celebration                                                             $1,250
          Alec Bender & Ida Turpin
 
Adventure Challenge Field Trip - SPED                       $3,560
          Ann Gray/Cheryl Goodwin/Norm Celinske/Mark Johnson
 
SmartBoard Equipment (Commerce)                              $3,998
          Lori Sparks and Barb Morley
 
SmartBoard Equipment (Dublin)                                    $3,750
          Jennifer Phillips
 
12 PEN Readers & 12 MP3 Players (Glengary)        $1,752
          Jennifer Bond/Jen Bonkowski/Laure Locke/Kim Hamlin
 
Document Camera & Projector (Guest)                         $1,360
          Grace Stoll
 
SmartBoard Equipment (Guest)                                       $4,500
          Barb Ozminkowski
 
5 iPod Touch w/apps for ELL (Hickory Woods)         $1,155
          Kallee Iverson
 
Library Books and Shelving (Keith)                                 $2,000
          Kristen Rendi
 
Reading & Writing Workshop items (Maple)                $500
          Helga Henn
 
Accu-Cut Die Cutter (Meadowbrook)                              $479
          Carol Trembath
 
Document Cameras & Projectors (Meadowbrook)    $1,916
          Deborah Sherman/Carrie Stauss
 
Library Books (Pleasant Lake)                                   $1,200
          Andy Dale/Debbie Newman/Brenda Raymond
           
Document Cameras & Projectors (WLE)                  $3,156
          Kim Knysz/Beth Petosky.Pam Hayes
           
5 iPod Touch with Docks (Wixom)                                  $1,344.75
          Michelle Black/Carrie O'Connell
 
Computer Microphones (Banks)                                      $599.70
          Heidi McComas/Kerry Muncy
 
SmartBoard Equipment (Walnut Creek)                       $2,102
          April Tincher
 
SmartBoard Equipment (Walnut Creek)                       $1,649
          Cindy Naszradi
 
Document Cameras (Geisler)                                           $600
          Linda Martin-Seng
 
Document Cameras & Projectors (Geisler)                 $2,106
          Carolyn Hudson/Karen McDonald
 
SmartBoard Equipment (Geisler)                                    $2,914
          Carol Kravetz/Mary Lapratt-Doyle
 
Algebra Readiness Program (Smart)                             $700
          Georganne Ehlert/Kaye Walsh
 
900 Library Books (Smart)                                                 $3,000
          Patti Graham/Katie Kalinowski/Annette Cholakian
 
Document Cameras & Projectors (Smart)                    $2,046
          Marilyn Totten/David Harper
 
8 Document Cameras (WLC)                                            $2,958
          Casey Pilar/Shanell Eastman
 
SmartBoard Equipment (WLN)                                         $2,500
          Chris Johnesee
 
Projector w/installation (WLN)                                          $1,634
          Kaye Lynn Mazurek
 
Smart Slate & Geometer's Sketchpad (WLN)             $1,196.95
          Joanne Lambert/Sally Swanson
 
Document Camera and Software (WLW)                     $1,708
          Kim Chumney
 

SPRING 2009 Mini-Grant Awards totaled $50,016.00

SPRING 2008 Mini-Grant Awards totaled $46,300.00

FALL 2007 Mini-Grant Awards totaled $48,000.00