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.

Outside-the-Box Grants reward creativity aimed at expanding students’ understanding of their community and the world.

Recipients: 
Gina Turner, Meadowlark Ridge
Students who read a required number of books will travel to Emporia to meet the authors who win the William Allen White Children’s Book Award.  With Mrs. Turner’s encouragement, many students read 20 or more WAW books during the course of the year.  While in Emporia, students will also visit the White home (Red Rocks), drive past the Emporia Gazette, which White owned, and visit Peter Pan Park, the land White donated to the city of Emporia.  Students from other schools who read the required number of books will be included in this wonderful trip.
 
Elizabeth Burke, South High
South High library will continue to promote curiosity and a love of learning through the Overbooked Book Club and “Make and Take” events which are designed to promote life-long learning and engagement in community service.  The innovative nature of the library‘s programming encourages both students and staff to collaborate and enhance their learning experience.  The goals are to continue the twice-a-month book club meetings and host daily and monthly programming activities to increase student and staff involvement with the library.

21st Century Advantage Grants support creative and innovative classroom projects.
 
Recipients:
Michelle Ramsey, Cottonwood
Cottonwood's third grade classrooms will receive a set of pre-made manipulative kits desigend to allow kids to discover and engineer. Bins include task cards and a teacher guide which encourages students to create structures, problem solve and think divergently.

Lisa Hall, Meadowlark Ridge
Students will utilize materials to support instruction in the areas of phonological awareness, language comprehension, decoding and phonemic awareness. These tools are utilized to implement early interventions to prevent dyslexia and reduce some special education placements.  
 
Margy Hogarty, Meadowlark Ridge
School children will engage in acticities designed to ignite their imaginations and creativity, while developing technology, science and engineering, and math skills. Students will develop lifelong problme solving skills and increase their analytical skills.  
 
Karla Arpin, CKCIE
Physical Therapists will purchase and assemple a vertical stander conversion kit to assist students who cannot stand on their own or walk independently. Students will use the equipment to gain control of their own mobility in an upright position and develop the freedom to move about their learning environments  independently. 
 
Shelly Parks, CKCIE
Preschool children will have access to new puzzles to utilize upon their arrival in the classroom. Puzzles allow the children to utilize their innate curiosity and desire to work independently to achieve success. 
 
Eddie Creer, South High
Students will be taken from any point in their development in musicianship to higher levels of proficiency.  Using the cloud-based software suite, “musicfirst,” students can access three programs:  Sightreading Factory, PracticeFirst, and Classroom.  Each of the three programs helps to develop a student’s musicianship and mastery of many fundamental concepts, allowing Mr. Creer to delve even deeper into the concepts while differentiating instruction.  Vocal solos and guitars will particularly benefit from the programs.
 
Samantha Moran, CKCIE
Assistive Technology Department staff will purchase a 3D printer so that they can create adaptive and modified learning aids. The 3D printer will allow staff to design and print tools specific to student's individualized needs rather than purchase a general tool that need to be modified aftermarket.  

STUCO Activities, South Middle, South High, Lakewood Middle and Central High
Each secondary school's STUCO will receive a $400 grant to support activities which benefit all students in the school. 

Elementary School Libraries, 
Each elementary school library will recieve a $400 grant to purchase books or equipment to enhance the experience for its students.  
 
Total SEF Funding for 2021-22:  $28,400.00