In February 2015, FEPS approved fourteen grants totaling more than $87,000.
My Book Day (all 1st graders): This grant ($5,000) provides funding in support of a city-wide celebration where all first grade students in Eden Prairie receive their choice of a high quality hardbound book, selected from a collection of six books they have been reading throughout the year. This event, which takes place in May, includes small-group reading by celebrity readers (Police, Fire and Military personnel in uniform, school board members, and other volunteers), and receipt of a personalized library card.
“Thank you for volunteering your time and energy in participating and contributing to the 2015 My Book Day, Celebration of Literacy. We are all busy and for you to take the time to come and be a part of the days’ activities is greatly appreciated. Your participation confirms the message that reading is important. Studies prove that reading and literacy are key elements that prepare young children for the future. First graders are the perfect age for being modelled into proficient readers. On behalf of the Eden Prairie Noon Rotary Club, we thank you for your time and for your enthusiasm.” ~ John Steinlicht, Bill Hooke & the EP Noon Rotary
Outdoor Learning Lab Materials (Prairie View): This grant ($10,000) provides a robust, sustainable and user-friendly outdoor learning space for students. It includes rain barrels, composting devices, and wind/solar equipment to engineer.
CORE Program (EPHS): This grant ($7,500) expands the offerings and enables the tracking of students and interventions within the Centered on Reaching Each (CORE) Program. It will provide a web-based application built for facilitating data workflow. The future potential impact of this program is vital.
ProScope Mobile Cameras (Prairie View): This grant ($3,974) provides ProScope Mobile Cameras, which will allow first graders to enlarge microscopic pictures with their iPads, enhancing learning in the classroom and in the outdoor community.
Handwriting Without Tears Workshop & Materials (Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion): This grant ($1,166) provides two Kindergarten Hands-On Classroom Kits, along with the necessary training for using them, to help students who would otherwise struggle with handwriting. Students are taught musically and kinesthetically to master the skills, using this research-proven method.
4th Grade Maker Movement Materials & Equipment (all 4th graders): This grant ($38,364) places the latest Maker tools into the hands of students and exposes them to new skills and mediums for making and creating. The tools and raw materials will support invention, provide the ultimate workshop for the tinkerer, and the perfect educational space for individuals who learn best by doing. Every elementary school in the district joined together to submit this application.
“Thank you again for your generous decision to fund our Maker Space materials and the 3D printer. Some initial ideas we have for using the printer are: (1) printing 3D shapes with similar volume, surface area, etc; (2) printing student designed water wheels to go along with our water unit; (3) Genius Hour projects. We are excited to be able to utilize all of these great tools!” ~ Mrs. Knoph & the Oak Point Staff
“Thank you so much for the FEPS Grant for the Makerspace and the 3D printer. We love it! We made a bookmark for you as a token of our appreciation! We hope to make lots of cool stuff with the printer.” ~ Megan Skogstad, Forest Hills
Early Literacy Skills Builder Curriculum Software Licenses (K-8): This grant ($2,970) provides six licenses of the Early Literacy Skills Builder Curriculum Software as an intervention program for students with moderate to severe cognitive abilities. It is research-proven to help students scaffold their learning and become more successful.
3rd Grade & Art Specialists Collaborative Materials (Oak Point): This grant ($1,128) provides collaborative materials so that students can relate artistic ideas and meanings, to their learning about different cultures in the 3rd Grade curriculum.
TASSEL Transition Program Residency (Education Center): This grant ($2,350) provides residencies to invite professional teaching artists from Upstream Arts into the Transition Program for young adults with disabilities aged 18 to 21. It will help these young adults as they live independently, work in their first jobs, and navigate the nuances of contributing and participating in the community.
Stress Kits for Guided Relaxation (CMS): This grant ($500) provides kits to help nurses provide data driven strategies for anxiety reduction and calming in middle school students. It will help prevent anxiety from interfering with the students’ abilities to learn, improving their overall academic performance.
Social/Emotional Special Education Learning Materials (CMS): This grant ($800) provides Social/Emotional Learning Materials for special education students identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Emotional Behavioral Disorder (EBD), and Other Health Disability (OHD).
Yoga Calm Training (Cedar Ridge): This grant ($3,775) provides an innovative educational method to reduce anxiety and stress in students during the elementary school day in order to optimize learning in the classroom.
Teleprompter for Broadcast Journalism (EPHS): This grant ($5,600) provides a teleprompter for EagleVision studios. It will allow students to make, and maintain, contact with the audience by way of the camera.
Router Tables for Technology Education (EPHS): This grant ($4,000) provides three router tables for use in making raised panel doors for use in the Cabinet Shops and Woodworking Classes, so that higher quality products can be built by students.
