The Salina Education Foundation’s focus is on creative and innovative project-based grants. Why project-based? Students are active, not passive; a project engages their hearts and minds and provides real-world relevance for learning. Students not only understand content more deeply but also learn how to take responsibility and build confidence, solve problems, work collaboratively, communicate ideas, and be creative innovators.
Rewards creativity aimed at expanding students’ understanding of their community and the world.
Scott Chrisman and Dustin Dooley, Lakewood Middle School and South Middle School. All district 7th graders will participate in Salina’s Cultural Crawl. Students will visit arts and cultural locations in Salina and learn about our community’s unique arts and cultural experiences.
Katie Lidgett, USD 305 Libraries. In 2025, all elementary school libraries will participate in the Book Break Author Visit program. These virtual author visits create excitement among students and enhance their reading experiences.
Elizabeth Burke, Salina South. Salina Speaks will be a project where students explore storytelling’s role in our community. Through field trips to libraries, museums, and The Rabbit Hole, they’ll research, create, and share a local story in varied formats, fostering connections through community storytelling. This project blends fieldwork, digital storytelling, and community engagement, letting students collect, create, and share local stories creatively.
Shilind Wheaton, Salina South. The Theater department is excited to focus on bringing live theater to our feeder schools, giving students an opportunity they might not have access to otherwise. The funds will cover the costs for licensing and transportation to bring younger students to South High School. Creating a free event for the 305 district students to attend live theater has not been done. The goal is to bring multiple schools to see the production.
Support creative and innovative classroom projects.
Lindsay Carlson, Central High School. The CHS Book Club will offer selections addressing diversity, equality, and inclusion. Expanded maker space activities allow students to utilize creativity and critical thinking skills. This project offers a variety of interactive activities for students to utilize in which they can collaborate and interact, building a positive community and sense of belonging.
Jennifer Kay-Higgins, South Middle School. This grant would provide a variety of activities for our students to engage their brains, enhancing classroom learning. By adding more STEM activities, students will be able to interact with technology geared toward preparing them for future careers, and give students a chance for self-directed learning. Funds would purchase Snap Circuits, Cubelets, and a Sphero BOLT + Power Pack.
Elizabeth Kinion, Lakewood Middle School. LMS Library has maintained a Makerspace for several years. This year, we are purchasing a 3D Printer, so this would supplement 3D Printing. We also offer many other creative and team-building outlets, and the other items would add to student choice for Makerspace. In this request, we are hoping to purchase a variety of filament colors to supplement our new 3D printer that will soon arrive. We are also hoping to purchase games and building supplies to add to our Makerspace so that students have a wide variety of choices to continue to create and think.
Shelly Parks, Block Fun. Block play lays the foundation for STEM learning. With blocks, young children learn about building principles, engineering, and physical science properties during hands-on experimentation. When accessories are included, there is more opportunity for pretend play and social development. This purchase would replace the ‘garage sale finds’ currently in use. There are also accessories such as figures, animals, and vehicles to enhance the block play.
Lindsay Radiel, Stewart. 3rd-5th Gr. students will play math games as a fun and engaging way to practice math skills and to challenge students who would benefit from extra math enrichment. Students will learn a more advanced way of coding using coding robots that respond to specific colors. The robots can be screen-free or with screens. Students will practice math skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, & more.
Crystal Weishaupl, Sunset. This project adds flexible seating to boost focus, collaboration, and comfort, creating an engaging, student-centered classroom for success. It would transform learning with flexible seating, enhancing focus and engagement through student choice and movement-friendly seating options.
Grants benefiting students receiving special education services.
Mandy Ediger, Lakewood Middle School. Our student needs have changed for the ALC/vocational program. Our classrooms need resources to provide more of a structured teaching environment with regulating strategies that are at their social, emotional, and academic level. We strive to support students innovatively by embracing structured teaching and modalities for our lowest learners to express themselves.
Darcee Redden, CKCIE. We are requesting the purchase of 30 LessonPix licenses that would allow CKCIE autism/behavioral specialists, instructional coaches, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and special education teachers to create visual supports for our students/teams.
To contribute to these funds, or any other funds held at Salina Education Foundation, or to establish your own fund, please contact Kate Lindsay at 785-309-4729.
Total SEF Grant Funding for 2025-26: $28,250.00
