2022 Innovative Educator and SELF Grant Awards
The Springfield Education Foundation is proud to award 2022 Innovative Educator and SELF Grants to educators in Springfield Public Schools for the 2022-23 academic year.
The purpose of the Innovative Educator Grant program is to increase student engagement, improve attendance, serve under-deserved students populations, improve graduation rates, and promote career opportunities and college connections.
The purpose of the SELF Grant program is to offer funding for educators that wish to implement sustainable Social Emotional Learning opportunities for students attending Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Oregon.
Elementary School Awards (K-5)
“Motor Pathways to Focus Minds”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Pete Martinez
Partners: Jennifer Boita, Angie Byers, Lu Anderson
Impact: 4000 students
Award Amount: $3,474.00
The OT team will install outdoor/indoor sensory-motor pathways in the district’s elementary schools. This project will provide students a variety of opportunities to access motor breaks.
“Lexia Core5 Literacy Program for K-3“
Educator: Franchesca Sandoval
Partners: Amy Donaldson, Ginger Latta, Karen Tunnell, Tiffany Asumendi
Impact: 72 students
Award Amount: $3,990.00
Lexia Core5 Literacy Program for K-3 is a project that will use an online research-based reading program to make substantial reading gains for our foundational readers through personalized learning.
“PAX: The Good Behavior Game”
Educator: Carol Granados
Partners: Amy Donaldson, Meegan Ward, Karen Tunnell
Impact: 180 students
Award Amount: $3,825.00
The PAX Game is an evidence-based set of researched strategies that improve children’s self-regulation and the value of working in a team to reinforce the development of prosocial behaviors.
“Reading Matters”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Paula Anderson
Impact: 425 Students
Award Amount: $2,743.00
The grant will allow the purchase of new books for supplemental reading in each grade level K-5. These books will enhance our academic foundation and promote literacy and motivation to read.
“Lexia Core 5 – A Reading Program”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Robyn Hass
Impact: 100 students
Award Amount: $4,000.00
The online program, Lexia Core 5, is a reading support program that targets students reading levels, helps to give students a strong reading foundation, and increases confidence in their reading.
“Student Engagement Through Art”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Heather Klym
Partners: Karen Blachly, Burdy Smith, Katie Keeler
Impact: 110 students
Award Amount: $2,904.26
This project will create opportunities for students to explore, learn, practice and improve their artistic skills by providing them with multiple art materials, tools and instruction.
“Swinging into School Success!”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Angie Byers
Partner: Ian Bartels
Impact: 200 students
Award Amount: $1,578.99
Our sensory system is the foundation of the learning pyramid, and should be the first on our list of interventions. Sensory swings are a front-line, best practice approach to support learning. This grant will install a sensory swing at Page Elementary.
“Creating a Safe Space”
Social Emotional Learning Fund Grant
Educator: Jules Rogers
Impact: 70 students
Award Amount: $500.00
This project will address district goals of meeting children where they are and helping them develop skills for being kind and successful in their futures, as well as being role models for their peers.
“Mariachi Music: Connecting Cultures”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Krystal Sundstrom
Partner: Monica Tapia
Impact: 350 students
Award Amount: $800.00
This project will create opportunities for students to appreciate culture through music by learning about mariachi and experiencing traditional mariachi performances.
“The Sound of Music”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Chelsea McKinnon
Impact: 400 students
Award Amount: $2,689.97
This project increases the accessibility of music to all students in grades K-5 by allowing a whole class to simultaneously participate in making the Sound of Music.
“Flexible Seating in First Grade”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Hannah Harbour
Impact: 40 Students
Award Amount: $1,836.46
Flexible seating allows students to be active participants in their learning by choosing seating that promotes their engagement. It encourages autonomy and supports each student’s need for movement. This grant will purchase various types of flexible seating for the classroom.
Middle School Awards (6-8)
“Lego Robots Engage Diverse STEM Learners”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Sarah Heacox-Jackson
Impact: 130 students
Award Amount: $3,959.45
Students learn coding and engineering using Lego’s SPIKE Prime robotics kit. This curriculum engages all students including girls, students of color, and students with disabilities.
“Let’s Be Together”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Laura Scruggs
Impact: 160 Students
Award Amount: $283.57
Using card games and cribbage, students will learn the social-emotional skills needed to be together, communicate, and work as a group.
“STEM Extensions for 8th Graders”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Zach Adler
Impact: 155 Students
Award Amount: $4,000.00
This grant will create a “Maker Space” for students who complete the day’s work early. This space will teach computer programming through the use of Arduino microcontrollers.
“Rebuilding My Music Program”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Ana Gavrilovich
Impact: 148 Students
Award Amount: $4,000.00
This project seeks to expand and strengthen the band/orchestra program at BMS. It will be used to purchase a few new string instruments, repair many band instruments and stock the supply inventory.
“Build Your Own Electric Motor”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Zane Kessler Hager
Partners: Johnathan Felix, Paola Faught
Impact: 450 students
Award Amount: $525.00
Students will make a simple electric motor. They will use the motor in a series of experiments and eventually use them to individually show their teachers what they know about electromagnetism.
“Sensory Room Project”
Social Emotional Learning Fund Grant
Educator: Kim McLennan
Impact: 30 Students
Award Amount: $500.00
This project will transform a room into a space with sensory-based tools and techniques to be utilized by trained support staff to meet the needs of students with sensory-based needs.
High School Awards (9-12)
“Arts and Comics”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Andrew Hunt
Impact: 440 Students
Award Amount: $2,680.00
Students study art, digital photo, and drawing. Work as a whole class to create/print comic books about themself, advertising, and climate change.
“Math Tech Equity”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Peter Norman
Impact: 400 Students
Award Amount: $594.40
This grant will purchase a class set of TI-30XS Multiview calculators, so every student will have access to the same technology.
“Building Our Future Technicians”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Mark Simmons
Impact: 900 Students
Award Amount: $2000.00
This project will incorporate a new comprehensive learning system into the Program of Study. The CDX Learning System will help train our next generation of technicians and prepare them for career success.
“Stepping Up for Students”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Jon Bridges
Impact: 200 Students
Award Amount: $4,000.00
This grant will fund a variety of “step-up” equipment for the Band and Mariachi programs at SHS. Including upgraded mouthpieces, instruments, and performance shoes.
“Creation of a Library Activity Center”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Danielle Schneider
Impact: 1200 Students
Award Amount: $4,000.00
This grant will provide funds that will kickstart the new activity center in the library. An activity center will supply students with an opportunity for engagement and collaboration through creation.
“Papermaking Art Garden”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Mary Palmer
Partner: Annelise Ostberg
Impact: 760 Students
Award Amount: $1,854.00
The Papermaking Art Garden project creates a space for students to learn about and use organic artist methods to create botanical inks, plant-based dyes, and papermaking.
“Digital Cameras”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Alex Lowe
Partner: Mary Palmer
Impact: 434 Students
Award Amount: $3,790.00
This grant will purchase a class set of digital cameras that will be utilized in various SHS courses (Intro to Art, Advanced Studio, Graphic Design 1, 2, Yearbook 1 and 2).
“Empower Student Innovation”
Innovative Educator Grant
Educator: Deborah Baker
Partners: Jan Hampton, McKenzie Smith
Impact: 300 Students
Award Amount: $4,000.00
This project embeds student leadership, rigorous content, and industry experts’ insights to initiate a student-led start-up seed fund to empower student innovation and create business learning labs.
