Undaunted by the current pandemic and the shift to distance learning, Hopkins staff and students continue to innovate and generate BIG ideas. HEF is committed to doing our part, demonstrating adaptability and flexibility in our grants process. To be as responsive as possible, we’ve awarded each of the grants below shortly after our grants committee received all the necessary documentation. We’re proud to stand with the District as we all do our best to support students and staff during this COVID-19 crisis.
Albert.Io — $1,433 — Hopkins High School — Erik Swenson
This user-friendly platform for AP History has received a big thumbs up from HHS students and staff in the past, and the ability for HEF to pic$$k up the funding this year has been crucial for distance learners. Learn more
ACT Prep Class — $2,340 — Hopkins High School Jeff Matchette
How to Take the ACT offers equitable access to 11th grade scholars who traditionally do not have the means to take a class like this, and helps to level the playing field with their peers. As these students are already in distance learning, access to the online class will be free; this grant pays for the tutor’s time to work with, guide and support the students. Learn more.
Becoming Anti-Racist and Authentically Inclusive in Early Childhood — $3,800 — Harley Hopkins Family Center — Jackie Hunke
Early childhood is a critical age group in which to begin the work of anti-racism. This project begins with toys and books that illustrate multiple cultures and includes materials to help staff guide difficult and open conversations between themselves, and among parents. Learn More.
Beyond Aristotle and Dante — $1,500 — North Junior High — Kimberly Busch
This grant provides a selection of LGBTQ novels for students to choose from for the upcoming unit on Relationships, as well as a basis for the Socratic Seminars based in Social Emotional Learning and empathy. Books will be shared/traded with WJH, and virtual book clubs are being considered across the two junior high buildings. Learn more.
Bigs Tutoring — Awesome Fund — $1,000 — Hopkins High School — Emma Rock (student), Rick Rexroth (faculty advisor)
HEF’s Awesome Fund for student clubs has awarded $1,000 to Bigs Tutoring, an inspiring group of Hopkins High School upperclassmen and alumni providing tutoring via video. This grant is the equivalent of 67 hours of tutoring, which will allow Bigs to offer free and reduced-price services to any student who needs it while proving a stipend to tutors. Learn more.
The Cove — A Safe Space — $577.25 — Eisenhower Special Ed — Malea Becker
This grant will transform the small, unadorned Learning Center into The Cove – an aesthetically pleasing, calm environment used throughout the day by up to 50 Eisenhower Elementary special education students with sensory processing disorders and mental health concerns. Learn more.
COVID-Safe Equipment for Sensory Motor Room — $805 — Gatewood Elementary — Alyssa Winterfeldt
This grant purchases sensory motor pieces of equipment that will be easy to clean frequently, and will greatly benefit Links to Learning students. Learn more
Distance Learning Kits — $2,000 — Harley Hopkins Special Education — Lori Lilly
Distance learning is especially hard on young children with disabilities who require structured, concrete, hands on, functional play-driven and interactive experiences. Families are unable to duplicate the opportunities available in the classroom, so this grant funds the creation of ‘leaning binders’ – 3-ring binders chock full of tools and supplies, along with instructions for many, many engaging games and activities. Learn more.
Distance Music Microphones — $1,400 — All Elementary Schools — Jonathan Feulner
This grant purchases an external microphone and stand for each elementary school music teacher, greatly improving the quality of their lessons and level of student engagement. The equipment will increase audio quality of both voice and instruments, eliminate stray background sound that interferes with lessons, and better model the true sound staff is trying to teach. Learn more.
DIY STEM Tinker Kits — $2,000 — Glen Lake — Betsy Julien, Karin Brinkhoff, Paul Spreitzer, Robb Trenda
This HEF grant funds six different sets of crates full of interesting gadgets to be sent home, encouraging all students to fully participate along with any siblings who care to join in. Some enthusiastic learners have already created videos of themselves with their projects, and now the excitement can grow and spread. Learn more.
Fine Motor Kits for Distance Littles — Tanglen – $697.88 — Liz Patrick
Development of fine motor skills and muscle memory is essential to successful writing, cutting, gluing, and many other tasks. This grant funds 22 Fine Motor Kits to be sent home with students, along with engaging, instructive lessons and games. Learn more
Gizmos and Reflex Subscriptions — $1,610 — Gatewood Elementary — Lisa Schmid
Counterintuitively perhaps, these online programs offer a solution to the problem of too much online learning. Reflex(Math) and Gizmos (Science) are fun and engaging interactive programs that promote rapid understanding and send boredom to the back of the class. Learn more.
Grade 5 Virtual Literacy — $1,500 — All elementary — Kim Rossow
Currently, fifth graders are acquiring 60-100% of their learning virtually. This grant funds subscriptions to a slate of digital literacy resources to enhance and engage their endeavors during this very unusual year of COVID-19. Learn more
A Great Hopkins Read-Aloud — $1,200 — All Elementary Schools — Tracey Beaverson
This grant helps to bring all Hopkins scholars together through a shared reading experience. Different books will be chosen for different grade levels and purchased with HEF funds. Learn more.
Home Studios Unlock Creativity — $1,200 — North Junior High — Nick Lovas
This grant purchases home studio equipment for use in rotation by a cohort of social studies staff at NJH. Their goal is to create digital content more engaging than what can be produced on district-issued hardware, and to meet the individual needs of their students. Learn more
Literacy in the Music Room — $1,000 — Tanglen — Angel Clark
This classroom library in the music room at Tanglen will feature multicultural songs, stories, poetry, biographies of musicians and composers, and activities for exploring sound and movement. These resources will be used for lessons for all Tanglen students – and for many years to come – to broaden the scope of music education beyond a European-centered cannon. Learn more
Micro Home Libraries — $3,000 — North Junior High — Laura Jensen
This grant puts two books by BIPOC authors (black, indigenous, people of color) into each of the hands of Reading Acceleration students whose home libraries are small to nonexistent. The pandemic makes this endeavor all the more important and timely, as these students are experiencing school in isolation at home. Learn more.
Mobile Sensory Kits — $4,700 — Early Childhood Special Education — Michelle Kloke, Lyndsay Hetzel, Jessica Lindberg
Mobile Sensory Kits are loaner kits full of easily-sanitized sensory processing equipment for preschoolers in the environment of COVID-19. Much more than toys, these weighted blankets, fidget tools, noise cancelling headphones (as a few examples) are designed to be soothing and/or stimulating for Hopkins youngest learners. Learn more.
Raising Chickens — $1,500 — North Junior High Special Education — Daniel Gieski
This grant offers students the unique long-term opportunity to practice responsibility, math, technology, teamwork, and to earn a sense of pride. Building chicken coops, raising 20-30 chickens, learning about chickens and then teaching others, will create a feeling of community for students. Learn more.
Reading Groups, Together At Home — Tanglen — $999 — Liz Patrick
For the 66 Tanglen second graders enrolled in the Distance Learning Academy, the typical access to multiple books is not available. This grant provides multiple copies of 35 titles, both fiction and non fiction selections, with a diversity of main characters. Students will engage in small reading groups tailored to their needs, along with their teacher, via Googlemeets while staying safe at home. Learn more.
Video Game Club — Awesome Fund — $1079.70 — West Junior High Special Ed — Vijay Clarkson (student), Tim Williams (faculty advisor)
This community of gamers previously operated with consoles brought to school by staff members, but all of the back and forth took its toll on the equipment. This Awesome Fund grant will purchase consoles and controllers for the sole and permanent use of the club, which will also allow more students to participate. Learn more.