Grants - 2010-2011 (all)

Alternative Energies
Dennis Burkett, Olathe South High School, $850

Through the purchase and student use of photovoltaic cells and hydrogen cars, students experienced how solar energy creates hydrogen and oxygen gases from water and then uses those gases to power their miniature car.

Listen Up!
Chelsea Praeuner, Ridgeview Elementary School, $2,500

Portable CD players and audio books will help these second-grade students become better readers by allowing them to stretch into more difficult text without losing content.

ACE Scrabblers
Christine Walker, Arbor Creek Elementary School, $1,000

Various versions of Scrabble games will allow this extended-learning club to improve students' spelling abilities while providing a fun, challenging, competitive environment that may lead to area competitions.

Play-Date to Communicate
Melissa Fisher, Bentwood Elementary School, $250

Providing social play in the middle of a typical speech session allows the pathologists to compare two different environments for developing communication strategies. This grant will provide funds to purchase play items that cannot be located through a donation network.

Active Learning Lab
Karen Leacox and Shelle Ellis, Heatherstone and Walnut Grove Elementary Schools, $1,000

Ready Bodies Ready Minds program is a proven strategy for learning. Weekly lessons will be prepared and then teachers will take their classroom to the active learning lab and incorporate physical movement into that lesson. For example, saying spelling words while jumping on a mini-trampoline will improve students’ neurological maturation while helping with academia, behavior, social and motor skills.

New Day After School
Lindsay Stephenson, Olathe East High School, $2,045

This proven extended-learning after-school tutoring program for students in need will begin its second year at Olathe East with help from OPSF to pay teacher stipends and provide snacks and supplies.

PT Snack Packs
Elaine Carpenter, Pioneer Trail Middle School, $2,500

This snack pack program will provide weekend food items to students in need who are already part of the free/reduced lunch program. Food will be collected by the student body through various food drives and community resources. Lifeskills students will organize the donated non-perishable food products.

Attacking Bullying
Paul Giffin and Rhonda Strecker, Santa Fe Trail Middle School, $1,700

Teleconferencing nationally with other schools will help this group of students address the social issue of bullying. A field trip to meet and conference in Columbia, Missouri will be the culmination activity that will share their results in a poster and DVD production/campaign.

Promoting Youth Fitness
Matt Jones, Pioneer Trail Middle School, $980

Fitness bars will add a new training component for those younger members of the middle school assisting those who lack the ability to use traditional, heavier weights.

Girls' Weight Training
Sarah Hanson, Olathe North high School, $985

This all-girls weight training class started with 5 girls and grew to over 40 participants. The purchase of fitness bars meets the particular needs of  these females replacing the heavier weights which are customarily in high school weight rooms.

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