Grant Program Intro Paragraph
Each year LEDF offers teacher mini-grants. The grant program is designed to help teachers and students by funding innovative program development. Teachers are encouraged to be creative and consider projects or activities that will excite or inspire your students! Grant requests may not exceed $500. LEDF is excited to provide up to $5,000 in support of selected grants.
Next Funding Cycle
Date Open: 11/1/2020
Date Due: 12/18/2020
Directions: Check back for more information regarding the next funding cycle.
Funded Grant Programs
Oh Rats! A Biological Exploration
Biology, La Porte High School, 9 – 12th Grades
$500
This grant funding will provide supplies to provide the observational environment for this program. Students often read or watch videos about their subjects, but this project will allow a hands-on experience with their subject (the rat) which provides a tangible aspect to their learning. This project will span multiple learning units including experimenting & observing rat behavior, learning about rat anatomy, understanding the ecology of this successful invasive species, understanding genetics through study of their offspring and comparing rats to other vertebrate animals.
Using Literature to Lead the Way
Project Lead the Way, All Grades, All Elementary Schools
$1147.92
This grant funding will fund picture books allowing all PLTW facilitators to introduce students to new ideas of how engineering and science impact the world around us. Using mentor tests to show strategies, inspire creativity and make connections to real world problem, we hope to promote further understanding of the ideas needed to make children college and/or career ready. This funding will impact every kindergarten – fourth grade student in our corporation and can be used for years to come.
Rooted in Reading
Riley – 3rd Grade
$493.42
This grant funding will assist in the purchase of teacher resources providing both high interest literature-based reading lessons through Rooted in Reading as well as books to enhance the learning experience. The lesson plans and activities will focus around a read-aloud story each week, focusing on different comprehension skills and strategies to teach students how to think deeply, ask questions, monitor comprehension and so much more.
Rooted in Reading & The Magic of Math
Kingsbury – 3rd Grade
$250
This grant funding will assist in the purchase of teacher resources providing both high interest literature-based reading lessons through Rooted in Reading as well as exciting visual lessons and hands on materials through the Magic of Math resource. Students will immerse themselves in these lessons and materials, which are an excellent supplement to traditional textbooks.
OSMO Opportunities for KH Tigers
Kingsford Heights, 2nd Grade (after pilot, will roll out to all grades)
$552
Utilizing Chromebooks already provided to all students at Kingsford Heights, this grant will fund the OSMO’s program starter kit. This hands-on technology provides the option for multiple learning lessons which once piloted in the 2nd grade classes would roll out to all grade levels (one additional grade each month). OSMO is unique due to the offering of letter tiles, tangram pieces, markers and other manipulatives that are detected by the OSMO camera to ensure accuracy. This leads to immediate feedback from the program allowing children to correct their mistakes & move on within seconds.
Ukulele Project
Music Classes, Handley & Elementary Schools, 2 – 4th Grades
$483
This grant funding will purchase Ukulele’s for students to utilize at two elementary schools, allowing these students to learn to play an age appropriate string instrument. Students will participate by learning chords, scales and melodies. In addition to use during music class, these ukuleles will also be used by Ukulele Club members, an extracurricular club starting in 2020. This grant funding is a part of the effort to ensure ukuleles are available at all LPCSC’s elementary schools.
Be Art-rageous!
Art Classes, All Grades, All Elementary Schools
$990
This grant funding will provide literature to bring art history to life and inspire students’ creativity. Through these lessons, students will be challenged to use new art mediums and think outside of the box. This project not only funds literature to help students learn more about these historic artists, but also supplies to incorporate the artists’ favored medium, style and technique into art lessons.
Reading, Writing & Grammar Growth Galore
Crichfield – 3rd Grade
$219
This grant funding will provide supplemental materials designed to be engaging, purposeful and easy to integrate into the classrooms’ daily lessons. Students will learn to set goals, completing four major units of writing, study, edit and publish their work. The materials provide engaging tools to help students stay more focused and interested. Using these materials will help make mastering Indiana Standards more engaging, interactive and collaborative.
Structured Work System with Task Boxes
Little Learners Preschool (LPHS)
$1,980
This grant funding will allow for the purchase of supplies to create task boxes with six categories in mind: language arts, math, fine motor, sensory, concepts & individualized goals. Utilizing the Structured TEACCH method, these task boxes target adaptive skills including on-task behaviors, transitions, response time and independence. This approach also assists in managing challenging behaviors and recognizing how the different learning styles of children with special needs directly affects their behavior.