Small Grant Program

FIRST SERIES OF GRANTS AWARDED BY SOUTH LAKE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Small Grant Program recognizes new and innovative ideas

Small Grant Program recipients for the 2005-2006 school year are:

• Candice Merivirta, Pare Elementary - To create a Pare Family Book Club that will incorporate puppetry for students to share the stories they have read
• Louna Saba, South Lake Middle School - To fund an eighth grade Cultural Understanding Students and Adults for Museum Education (CUSAME) Interdisciplinary Unit that explores the American Civil War and will culminate in a service-learning project to create Hate-Free Zones in the school
• Jill Riedel, South Lake Middle School, and Melissa Ohngren, South Lake High School - To launch the Creating Healthy Hearts program in an effort to help students achieve cardiovascular fitness and encourage healthy lifestyle habits
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SECOND SERIES OF GRANTS AWARDED BY SOUTH LAKE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Small Grant Program recognizes new and innovative ideas

Small Grant Program recipients for the 2006-2007 school year are:

• Gigi Stone, Avalon Elementary - To purchase Take Home Activity Backpacks for kindergarten students that contain manipulative, take home activities in-line with South Lake curriculum. This program fosters the connection between school and home by engaging parents with students in unique activities presented in a creative manner.
• Laurie Wood, Avalon Elementary - To fund the Animal Studies Grant that will enable students to take virtual field trips from All Aboard the Learning Express, created by several zoological parks, dissect owl pellets and other activities.
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• Jason Kasparian, South Lake High School - To create a Virtual Business Management Program. Thirty lifetime computer lab licenses will enable students to manage their own virtual company's success. Students will face the realities of business management, make critical business decisions and evaluate them.
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• Charity Dorgan, Avalon and Pare Elementary Schools - To fund Literature Based Technology Education, enabling the purchase of 62 titles in children's literature published within the last five years. These books and the Tech Works program
  used in the District will allow K-2 students to learn and practice technology skills such as word processing and multi-media presentation.
• Deborah Thompson, Personnel Director, South Lake Schools; Pam Balint, Curriculum Director, South Lake Schools; Lauren Wells, Assistant Principal, South Lake High School — To establish ASPIRE, a pilot program to benefit twenty-five female students in grades 10-12, recommended by South Lake High School staff.  ASPIRE is a collaborative venture involving students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members. It is based on Ruby Payne's A Framework for Understanding Poverty to assist them in learning "the hidden rules" and middle class behavioral norms. The students will experience positive role models, significant positive relationships and social and cultural opportunities designed to assist them with their self-esteem, self-perception and roles as positive school leaders.