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HEF and the District share the goal of promoting authentic inclusivity in our schools. The table below lists HEF grants that support embracing diversity, addressing the unique requirements of students with special needs, and aiding all students in important transitions, such as moving from elementary school to junior high.
Learn more about the range of grants HEF provides across the entire curriculum.
| Title | Description | Year | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rope Course | Expanded physical education curriculum with "initiative tasks," promoting social, psychological, and personal development in addition to physical skills. | 1996-1997 | NJH |
| Teen Trek Retreat | Supported keynote speaker and M.A.D.D. drama for an asset-building retreat. | 1996-1997 | NJH and WJH |
| Video Camera for Speech Pathology | Purchased video camera for Speech Pathology Department. | 1997-1998 | HHS |
| Challenge Art Program | Supported establishment of an enriched visual arts program. | 1998-1999 | Eisenhower |
| Junior High Transition | Supported sixth grade celebration to assist student transition to junior high. | 1998-1999 | Alice Smith |
| Challenge Art Program | Expanded the Challenge art program initially funded during the 1998-1999 school year. | 1999-2000 | Eisenhower |
| Junior High Retreat | Funded asset-building, courage, and respect retreat for all junior high students as part of a joint project with Youth Frontiers. Learn more. | 1999-2000 | NJH and WJH |
| Respect and Reflect | Supported "Respect and Reflect Room," teaching positive behaviors, supporting developmental assets, and creating resiliency in children. | 1999-2000 | Katherine Curren |
| Family Center | Assisted with the purchase of new gym equipment and enhancement of outdoor play equipment to accommodate the growing and diverse needs of the children served. | 2000-2001 | Harley Hopkins |
| Junior High Retreat | Funded asset-building, courage, and respect retreat for all junior high students as part of a joint project with Youth Frontiers. Learn more. | 2000-2001 | NJH and WJH |
| Differential Instruction | Alice Smith Differential Instruction | 2000-2001 | Alice Smith |
| Special Ed | Gatewood Special Ed | 2000-2001 | Gatewood |
| Booster Camp | HEF awarded a grant for a four day “Booster Camp” experience for children entering the first grade who need additional reading instruction. | 2001-2002 | Meadowbrook |
| Outdoor Enhanced Learning | Outdoor Enhanced Learning | 2001-2002 | Harley Hopkins |
| Get Connected Program | Expanded the “Get Connected” computer program which provides computers and mentors to families unable to afford them. | 2001-2002 | WJH |
| Westside Apartments Education Center | Supported the Westside Apartments Education Center, which provides tutors and wireless laptops for students. | 2001-2002 | NJH |
| Theater Project | Provided funds for materials needed by the Hopkins Alternative Program (HAP) to produce a play at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. | 2001-2002 | HHS |
| Small Business Model | Provided seed money for the HAP "Alternative Sense" business venture, their model small business. | 2001-2002 | HHS |
| Assurance of Mastery Support | Supported the Assurance of Mastery program in math, including purchasing materials and providing staff time to help students with math. | 2001-2002 | Tanglen |
| Assurance of Mastery Support | Supported bus transportation for students participating in the Assurance of Mastery (AOM) program. | 2001-2002 | Gatewood |
| Differentiation Instruction | Funded the purchase of books and materials for a teacher study group on differentiated instruction. | 2001-2002 | Glen Lake |
| Special Needs Sexuality Consultant | Provided a human sexuality consultant for students with special needs. | 2001-2002 | HHS |
| Basic Skills for Special Needs | Funded basic skills test materials for special services students. | 2001-2002 | HHS |
| Laptops for Autistic Students | Awarded a matching grant to the Special Education Department for laptop computers with an airport network interface to assist high-need students with autism spectrum disorders and improve their performance in mainstream classrooms. | 2002-2003 | NJH |
| Hands On, Heart Engaged | Awarded a grant to the WJH Area Learning Center for their Learning With Hands On and Hearts Engaged project allowing new experiences and community service for students who achieve best when learning is tied directly to real life. | 2002-2003 | WJH |
| Booklet for Incoming Students | Awarded funds to the 2002-03 seventh grade class to produce a book that prepares future incoming seventh graders for the junior high experience. | 2002-2003 | NJH |
| Palm Pilots for Special Needs | Granted funds for the purchase of Palm Pilots with keyboards for students with specific learning disabilities to use in all classes and at home. | 2002-2003 | NJH |
| Home-Based Curriculum | Provided funding for the NJH Area Learning Center’s Experimental Learning Component that provides off-site, hands-on, real-world learning experiences for students who, for a variety of reasons, do not find academic success in the traditional classroom. | 2002-2003 | NJH |
| PLATO Software | Provided for the purchase of PLATO software for the Hopkins Alternative Program (HAP) allowing students to work at their own pace and level to improve the skills necessary to meet graduation requirements. | 2002-2003 | HHS |
| Infrared Amplification System | Funds were awarded to pilot the use of infrared classroom amplification equipment in both a 1st and 2nd grade classroom to determine if this equipment will enhance student learning. Read more | 2002-2003 | Tanglen |
| Readers' Workshop | Granted funds to continue the Reading Workshop program for Grades 5 and 6 providing a week-long concentrated reading intervention aimed at English Language Learner (ELL) students and others who struggle with reading. | 2002-2003 | Meadowbrook |
| Get Connected | Awarded a matching grant to both Junior High Schools to expand the Get Connected program to North Junior High School which provides computer training and a mentor for those families that do not have access to a computer and the Internet. | 2002-2003 | NJH, WJH |
| Learning Lab Expansion | Granted funds to expand the before school Learning Lab to include an after school session weekly which provides tutoring services once a week to help kids who need additional one-on-one academic support. | 2002-2003 | Gatewood |
| Project Empowerment | Project Empowerment - Artistic Walls at Buildings Entrance | 2003-2004 | Tanglen |
| Amplification System | Awarded a grant to fund the installation of amplification systems in third grade classrooms to enhance students’ listening and learning behaviors by minimizing background noise. Read more | 2003-2004 | Eisenhower |
| Amplification System | Awarded a grant to fund the installation of amplification systems in third grade classrooms to enhance students’ listening and learning behaviors by minimizing background noise. Read more | 2003-2004 | Katherine Curren |
| Compass Program at Courage Center | Funded an enrichment activity for the Compass Program, supporting an over-night experience at Camp Courage for a group of students with special needs. | 2003-2004 | Eisenhower |
| Educational Advocacy Training | Provided support for a program designed to promote academic success beyond high school for students of color by encouraging educational advocacy by and for the students and their parents. | 2003-2004 | HHS |
| Elementary Learning Centers | Awarded funding for the development of Learning Centers at all elementary schools in the district. This sizable grant of $45,000 will fund specialized instruction for students requiring basic skills instruction. The Learning Centers will provide direct instruction in reading, writing and/or math. | 2003-2004 | All elementary |
| Peer Insights Mentoring | Provided funding for programs to complement the Peer Insights class in the FACs department. Outside activities supported by this grant will help build bridges between students with and without disabilities, allowing both groups to learn from each other. | 2003-2004 | HHS |
| Intro DVD | Intro DVD | 2003-2004 | Harley Hopkins |
| LeapFrog Learning systems | Supported the purchase of additional LeapFrog Learning Systems to improve reading and comprehension skills for struggling readers. Already in use in two classrooms, this highly successful tool will now be available in all classrooms Grades K-2. | 2004-2005 | Eisenhower |
| Early Language Intervention | Awarded a grant to purchase materials necessary for a family-focused early language intervention training program for parents and care givers of young children with speech/ language impairments. | 2004-2005 | Harley Hopkins |
| Off-Campus Pavilion Library | Awarded a grant to build a small library for use by at-risk students where they will learn to access resources, actively read and discuss books with a significant adult, and appreciate reading as an active, shared experience. | 2004-2005 | Hopkins High School |
| Area Learning Centers | A $45,000 award provided certified instructors to work with individual or small groups of elementary students who need assistance with basic skills in core subjects. This tutoring takes place outside the normal school day allowing teachers time to provide for the learning needs of all students, including middle and upper achievement level students. | 2004-2005 | All elementary |
| Infrared Classroom Amplification | A $60,000 award for Infrared Classroom Amplification systems for 34 K-3 classrooms. Building on the success of pilot programs at Tanglen, Katherine Curren and Eisenhower, these systems have enhanced students’ listening and learning behaviors by minimizing background noise and providing an advantage for students with attention and learning needs. Read more. | 2004-2005 | All elementary |
| Links to Learning Theatre | Provided funding for the Links to Learning Theatre class, which allows students with special needs the opportunity to experience producing and presenting a play while working on their transition skills with the guidance of mainstream peer coaches. | 2004-2005 | Hopkins High School |
| Peer Insights | Peer Insights builds bridges between Hopkins High School students with disabilities and those without disabilities. In addition to learning about each other’s differences and unique abilities, the students go on social outings to focus on teamwork and to foster skills of independence. | 2004-2005 | HHS |
| Pre AP Social Studies | Social studies interactive curriculum challenges and prepares gifted learners for high school Advanced Placement classes. | 2005-2006 | NJH |
| Teaching Gifted Students | The Teaching Gifted Students grant provides teachers at North Junior High with resources on gifted education and a staff in-service class. | 2005-2006 | NJH |
| Challenge Activity Sets for ALM | Challenge activity sets enrich the curriculum for Autonomous Learner Model (ALM) classes for gifted and talented students. | 2005-2006 | NJH |
| Freshman Academy | The North Junior High Freshman Academy written by Becky Melville and NJH Ninth Grade Teams addresses the unique needs of the transitional freshman year. Physically located in the junior high, ninth graders are working to earn high school credit. The $20,000 grant helped to create an environment to ease this challenging transition. Read more. | 2005-2006 | NJH |
| Elementary Amplification | Following three years of pilot support for improving sound environments in elementary classrooms, the Hopkins Education Foundation awarded its largest grant in history to complete amplification in all Kindergarten-6th grade classrooms in the district. This $130,000 grant will have students hearing more clearly in an additional 79 classrooms. Read more | 2005-2006 | All elementary |
| JumpStart for College | First-generation college students will have an opportunity to get a JumpStart for College through a summer 2007 workshop. Students will be exposed to post-secondary options and learn about the college search and application process. | 2005-2006 | HHS |
| Peer Insights | Peer Insights builds bridges between Hopkins High School students with disabilities and those without disabilities. In addition to learning about each other’s differences and unique abilities, the students go on social outings to focus on teamwork and to foster skills of independence. | 2005-2006 | HHS |
| Language Masters` | Language Masters helps students who are nonverbal or minimally verbal expand their vocabulary by seeing, hearing, and saying words. Non-readers build intonation, pronunciation, and articulation skills by using the reading cards. | 2005-2006 | Harley Hopkins |
| Supplementary Skills Curriculum | Curriculum development to teach 16 good habits of the mind that engage students in higher level thinking and can be applied in all disciplines. Pilot will benefit students in the Alternative Learning Center with plans for school-wide implementation in 2007-08. | 2006-2007 | WJH |
| Peer Insights | Helps students with and without disabilities to learn about one another, how to function in the community, how to interact with one another and how to make friends. The students go on social outings to focus on teamwork and to foster skills of independence. | 2006-2007 | HHS |
| Challenge Enrichment Opportunities | This grant provides funds for students to attend the Young Authors Workshop and Student Creativity Festival. | 2007-2008 | Eisenhower |
| Opening Doors to Post-Secondary Education | Students with limited resources now have the opportunity to explore educational options available to them upon graduation. | 2007-2008 | HHS |
| Diversity Resource Center | Teachers now use relevant, culturally diverse materials to increase learning effectiveness. | 2007-2008 | Harley Hopkins |
| Teaching Social Thinking for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder | Students with ASD gain knowledge to better interact with their peers and adults as well as be more independent in the adult world upon graduation. | 2007-2008 | District-Wide |
| Scanner and Software for Modifying Curriculum for Special Education | Teachers can now modify worksheets and projects for Special Education students, more quickly and easily. They are able to post these worksheets on their Moodle sites, providing easy access for students and parents. | 2007-2008 | NJH |
| AVID Middle School Curriculum | AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and strives to improve the performance of all junior high kids in the academic middle. The AVID program includes both an elective course and a building–wide approach with the goal of improving students’ academic skills, their ability to “do school” and become college-ready. | 2007-2008 | HHS, NJH, WJH |
| DVD Resources for Parent Education | These informational DVD's for parent education classes provide a cost-efficient way to increase parent education and involvement. | 2007-2008 | District-wide and Community Ed |
| Steps to Respect and Second Steps Violence and Bullying Prevention Curriculum | Developed by the Committee for Children, this program teaches all students skills to address bullying. Additionally, students gain skills for making friends, handling emotions and problem solving. These skills help students to excel academically as well. | 2007-2008 | Tanglen |
| Second Grade Reading Support | This grant provides more cartridges for the Leap PadTM system, an instructional technology that offers interactive, multi-sensory instruction to struggling young readers. | 2007-2008 | Meadowbrook |
| Expanding Pathways for All Students | This grant focuses on educating students and their parents on planning for high school coursework and post-secondary training or education. Well-defined graduation plans will be developed for sixth grade students as they begin their transition into middle school. | 2007-2008 | District-wide |
| Digital Voice Recorders | This pilot program enables teachers at Alice Smith and Glen Lake Elementary schools to more accurately identify needs in the evaluation process and give more specific feedback and therapy for speech and language students. | 2008-2009 | Alice Smith, Glen Lake |
| Building Self-Awareness Through Technology Integration | This grant helps fund a sensory tools and software library for students' independent use. While this program will primarily be used with special education students, it will also be used as an intervention tool for other students. | 2008-2009 | Alice Smith |
| Staff Development for Playground Paraprofessionals | This grant funds training for playground paraprofessionals to teach them culturally responsive, in-depth and personalized tools to help support and develop positive student behaviors. | 2008-2009 | Alice Smith |
| Student Support with Programmed Reading | This grant funds a reading program to help below-grade readers and ELL students achieve success in reading. | 2008-2009 | Alice Smith |
| Color Printer / Scanner for COMPASS | Visual aids play a significant role in the COMPASS classroom. This grant funds the resources to enhance these visual aids. | 2008-2009 | Eisenhower |
| COMPASS Cooking Class | This grant funds cooking supplies for the COMPASS special education cooking class. | 2008-2009 | Glen Lake |
| RTI Reading Intervention | This early reading intervention pilot program provides 1st graders with literacy assistance including phonemic awareness, word decoding and vocabulary skills. | 2008-2009 | Glen Lake |
| WEB: Where Everyone Belongs | This grant funds a year-long orientation and transition program which links 7th grade students with 9th grade student mentors. | 2008-2009 | NJH |
| Exceptional Learning Booster Club | This grant helps fund an activity club to support and ensure continuance of small extra-curricular interest communities for gifted learners. | 2008-2009 | HHS |
| ADHD Lab | This grant helps fund an ADHD Lab, where students will learn new strategies that provide the structure in which they can begin to experience academic success, many for the first time, and be better prepared for high school and beyond. In addition, parents have opportunities to attend classes to gain a greater understanding of their child's disorder, provide support for the organizational strategies learned and assist their child in developing self-advocacy skills. | 2008-2009 | WJH |
| 6 to 12: Navigating Transitions | This grant builds on the 2007-08 grant, Expanding Pathways, and helps develop personalized graduation plans to provide the foundation for transition planning. This grant enables counselors at the junior and senior high schools to work with staff members to embed this planning into appropriate curriculum areas. Read more. | 2008-2009 | District-wide |
| Triumphs in Reading | This series of reading intervention books helps special education teachers effectively and efficiently teach a reader decoding, encoding, vocabulary and comprehension skills that support one another and align with Wilson reading skills. | 2009-2019 | Alice Smith |
| Active Learning for the Classroom | Using stability balls, this pilot program helps teachers evaluate how to focus students’ attention and learning in new ways along with integrating opportunities for physical activity beyond the gym class. | 2009-2010 | Meadowbrook |
| Movement-Enhanced Learning | This action research project will evaluate the impact on learning with stand up desks, stability balls and traditional seating. Teachers will monitor student engagement, focus and behavior with each type of classroom environment. A student survey is part of this research project. | 2009-2010 | Gatewood and Tanglen |
| District Preschool Pilot Project | Early intervention has been proven to help children overcome achievement gaps that are evident in young learners. HEF funded a portion of the start up costs for a pilot project that helps these preschoolers get “ready to learn” at Alice Smith. | 2009-2010 | Alice Smith |
| On the Ball for Active Learning | All fourth grade students at Eisenhower can experience the benefits of active learning with stability balls. These balls help students focus on learning while also providing exercise. | 2010-2011 | Eisenhower |
| Peaceful Playgrounds | Based on a well-researched program implemented in schools nation-wide, the Peaceful Playground helps kids with varied interests and abilities play together. Activity areas with up to 100 games motivate children to play cooperatively, learn to handle conflict, and increase physical activity. Read more | 2010-2011 | Alice Smith |
| Learning Social Skills Through Video Role-Paly | With FLIP cameras, students with disabilities can view themselves in role play and real-life interactions. These tapes are used for discussions on socially appropriate interactions. | 2010-2011 | Glen Lake |
| Career Paths to Independence | Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) provides vocational curriculum and assessment tools to simulate a work environment for students with Individual Education Plans. Exploring career/vocational areas, the program encourages students to become as independent as possible. | 2010-2011 | HHS |
| Learning to Focus with Biofeedback | Students are more successful at learning when the mind, heart rate and emotions are in-sync. Biofeedback software teaches techniques to create a more balanced emotional state. The software will be used in the computer lab and with hand held units for classrooms to help students self regulate. | 2010-2011 | Gatewood |
| Making College a Reality for English Language Learners | This innovative parent involvement program works with families of English Language Learners to explain the college process and help families better prepare their students. Read more | 2011-2012 | HHS, NJH |
| Where Everyone Belongs | A year-long orientation and transition program at West Jr. High that links 7th grade students with 9th grade students who are trained as mentors.Read more | 2011-2012 | WJH |
| Be Your Dream Academic Coaching | Professional life coaches will provide one on one coaching for students and workshops for teachers, staff, and parents. Read more | 2011-2012 | HHS, NJH, West Junior |
| Making All of Us Published Authors | Students create, illustrate and publish their own book in Language Arts class. The project helps students develop writing, illustrating, editing and technology skills. Read more | 2011-2012 | Off-Campus Pavilion |
| Be Your Dream Academic Coaching | Professional life coaches will provide one on one coaching for students and workshops for teachers, staff, and parents. Read more | 2012-2013 | HHS, NJH, West Junior |
| Let's Talk! and Job Talk! | Curricula to teach critical work- and life-related skills to students with special needs. Read more | 2012-2013 | HHS, NJH, WJH |
| Literacy Intervention | Exciting, well-paced materials to help bring struggling readers to grade level. Read more | 2013-2014 | Meadowbrook |
| Assistive Technology Resource Library | A library of tools for our dedicated staff to help students with unique needs achieve their potential. Read more | 2013-2014 | District-wide |
| Math Manipulatives Intervention | Exciting, hands-on instructional materials to help elementary school students who are struggling with math. Read more | 2013-2014 | All elementary schools |
| ‘Get Set for School’ ECSE Curriculum | The Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) team at Harley Hopkins is currently successfully piloting the Get Set for School preschool curriculum. This HEF grant expands Get Set to six sets of materials to enable widespread use among all ECSE classrooms.Read more. | 2015-2016 | Harley Hopkins |
| Mindsets for Parents | This grant, in conjunction with a donation from Flipgrid, will produce a series of short videos in multiple languages, all designed to share information and build relationships with parents who do not have the flexibility to attend school functions and interact with staff. Read more | 2016-2017 | Tanglen |
| Latino Youth Group | An after-school program for Latino youth will be offered next winter and spring to foster leadership, decision-making and problem-solving skills in a comfortable peer group setting. Read more. | 2016-2017 | Community Ed |
| Green Card Voices | Green Card Voices is a digital storytelling project to build bridges and understanding between people by sharing interesting first-hand stories and videos of family, hard work, and cultural diversity. Learn more. | 2016-2017 | NJH, WJH |
| Fitbits for Self-Regulation | This Fitbit goes beyond monitoring heart rates to help students with Autism Spectrum Disorder identify early warning signs of escalation and then self-regulate to get back on track. Learn more. | 2016-2017 | WJH |
| Edquity: Preparing for College with Finances in Mind | Edquity is a software program for juniors and seniors in the AVID program - often the first of their family to go to college - to curate a list of feasible colleges based on GPA, ACT/SAT scores, and financial factors. Read more. | 2017-2018 | HHS |
| Project-Based Learning for Students with Unique Learning Needs | This HEF grant will purchase reusable hand tools such as hammers and screw drivers, hand drills, squares, tape measures and paint brushes, along with supplies of screws, nails and wood to actively engage Transition Plus students in hands-on development of practical skills. Read more. | 2017-2018 | Transition Plus |
| Celebrating Indigenous Stories in our Community | HEF’s grant will assist the American Indian Parent Advisory Committee to host the inaugural ‘Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Fair’ on May 19, 2018. The Fair is focused on the native cultures represented by Hopkins students. Read more. | 2017-2018 | District-Wide |
| ¡A Bailar! Latin Dance Club | Salsa! Merengue! Cumbia! HEF will fund a residency conducted by professional Latin dancers Yeniel Chini Perez and Hanna Kuluvar Esparza. They will teach some of the most popular dances of the Spanish-speaking world in this after school club. Read more. | 2017-2018 | HHS, NJH, WJH |
| Experiential Language Learning | Links to Learning, a special education program located at Gatewood Elementary, serves our students with severe cognitive disabilities. This HEF grant provides a library of engaging materials to foster active and enthusiastic learning through hands-on activities, and to provide the repetition needed to enhance core skills and vocabulary. Read more. | 2017-2018 | Gatewood |
| Powerful Young Women Pay It Forward | This Awesome Fund grant will help expand the scope of Girls United MN, run by girls for girls, on a mission to empower and inspire the next generation of women leaders. These 80 young women at Hopkins High School are promoting STEM career paths and positive body image, introducing professional women as inspiration, and discussing multiple social issues with their peers. Read more | 2017-2018 | HHS |
| Love Yourself Project | HEF is funding the Love Yourself project, a campaign to promote positive messages of self confidence, self esteem, and body image, with the goal of improving student wellness. Read more | 2017-2018 | HHS |
| MCubed (Math x Mental Health x Mindset) | MCubed is an innovative and exciting approach for bringing students up to grade level in math while practicing life skills in a socially, emotionally safe afterschool setting. Targeted students are those facing a variety of ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences). Learning the ‘hard skills’ of math dovetails well with training in the ‘soft skills’ needed for all areas of their lives. Read more. | 2018-2019 | NJH |
| Growing Healthy Food and Life-Long Skills | With this grant, Transition Plus (T-Plus) students are expanding their repertoire of marketable skills to include design/build hydroponic grow systems. HEF will fund the tools and materials to seed this new endeavor of the Project Based Learning Class, part of the T-Plus curriculum. Read more. | 2018-2019 | Transition Plus |
| Opportunity=Access=Achievement: Closing the ACT Opportunity Gap | The ACT test is a high-stakes ‘entrance exam’ for college-bound students. HHS will offer a class specifically for those who have the desire, but not the means, to crack open this sometimes elusive window to higher education. Read more | 2018-2019 | HHS |
| Computerizing the Lending Closet | This HEF grant allows for a modern computerized/scanner system to streamline the whole library and greatly increase access to those high-demand learning activities and resources, including the Autism Library. Read more. | 2018-2019 | Harley Hopkins |
| Meeting Families Where They Are | Early Childhood Special Education Speech-Language Pathologists will help parents promote early communication in their own homes for their child who is communicatively delayed. Through HEF’s grant, the speech pathologists will receive training in ‘It Takes Two to Talk’, a parent-implemented intervention program with a proven track-record of success across a myriad of spoken languages. Read more | 2018-2019 | Harley Hopkins |
| Bicycle Repair Program | There’s a special pride earned in repairing something discarded and deemed trash-worthy. This grant provides (Setting IV) special education students with the tools and equipment to set up a ‘bike shop’ (at the Hopkins Pavilion Alternative Setting) to do just that. Read more | 2018-2019 | WJH |
| Gender Sexuality Alliance | Hopkins Education Foundation (HEF), through its Awesome Fund, has awarded a $365 grant to the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), a social activism group that works to promote an understanding of, and educate the student body in, LGBTQ+ issues. Read more | 2018-2019 | HHS |
| Family Connection Nights | Family Connection Nights, hosted by Harley Hopkins Family Center, aim to connect these parents and caregivers of special needs children in meaningful ways - in a comfortable environment of support and connection with those who can truly understand and share their daily worries and triumphs. Read more. | 2018-2019 | Harley Hopkins |
| Smart-Pens Promote Independence | This pilot project has the very specific goal of breaking down barriers that keep students from meeting their full potential. Echo Smart-Pens offer students on the Autism spectrum the ability to keep up with the rigor they are capable of – while remaining in the general education classroom. Read more. | 2018-2019 | HHS, NJH, WJH |
| Literacy for Freedom | Literacy for Freedom is an exciting new club forming at North Junior High, tapping into the collective energy of young Black males to discuss their history and their place in today’s world. Through novel studies and literacy strategies, Language Arts teacher Keenan Jones will guide conversations ranging from social justice and Hip Hop to the value of an education. Read more | 2019-2020 | NJH |
| Experiential Learning | This pilot at North Junior High invests in a new model for special education students, typically a group who learns best through active learning. Monthly outings will offer experiences outside the normal classroom and give the community a chance to get to know them.Read more. | 2019-2020 | NJH |
| Lab Packs: Rethinking Homework | As an innovative pilot alternative to traditional homework, Meadowbrook third graders will take home weekly tote bags filled with fun, interesting experiences for students to explore. These "home connection literacy packs" will expand students’ range of experiences and broaden background knowledge around a variety of topics, cultures, and points of view, including the fine arts, STEM and more. Read more. | 2019-2020 | Meadowbrook |
| Garden Growers for Food Equity | At the heart of this grant is a new partnership between West Junior High and Transition Plus. The two- and-a-half dozen older students from T-Plus will work with about 50 students with unique needs from WJH. The whole group will cooperatively design, build and grow gardens at both locations. Read more. | 2019-2020 | Transition Plus, WJH |
| Early Childhood Partnership | Collaboration and a strategic partnership are building a new curriculum around speech pathology for ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) classes. A speech pathologist from ECSE (Early Childhood Special Education) will provide individual instruction to facilitators and parents during ECFE classes. HEF’s grant will stock the library with multiple informative resources. Read more. | 2019-2020 | Harley Hopkins |
| The Closet | Opened last year, The Closet is an LGBTQ+ resource library housed at WJH in the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) headquarters, open to any student. HEF is providing funds for a wide range of reading resources to represent the LGBTQ+ community in all its facets, which in turn provides extra support for ALL students to see themselves in positive and affirming ways. Read more. | 2019-2020 | WJH |
| PEACE (Pavilion Equitable Adventurous Community Experience) | The bold intentions of the teaching staff at the Pavilion are to lead a new model that aids students in becoming self-directed adventurous learners, while allowing them the opportunity to give back to the community. This HEF grant is designed to develop authentic inclusivity through weekly experiential learning trips. Read more. | 2019-2020 | Pavilion School Special Ed Grades 6-9 |
| Gender and Sexuality Alliance | The Gender and Sexuality Alliance will host Qrom (Queer Prom), an annual LGBT inclusive prom for students across Minnesota. The event creates a safe space free of judgement, and empowers LGBT students and their allies to meet other LGBT youth and build community. Read more | 2019-2020 | HHS |
| Girls Taking Action | A chapter of Girls Taking Action (GTA) has started at Hopkins High School with the exciting long-term goals of creating a nurturing and supportive community for our young women of color, of fostering a deeper connection between them and their school, and of empowering them to envision the many options in their future beyond high school. Learn more | 2019-2020 | HHS |
| Mobile Sensory Kits | 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. | 2020-2021 | Early Childhood Special Education |
| COVID-Safe Equipment for Sensory Motor Room | 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 | 2020-2021 | Gatewood |
| Distance Learning Kits | 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 | 2020-2021 | Harley Hopkins |
| Raising Chickens | 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 | 2020-2021 | NJH |
| Video Game Club | 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 | 2020-2021 | WJH |
| Becoming Anti-Racist and Authentically Inclusive in Early Childhood | 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 | 2020-2021 | Harley Hopkins |
| The Cove -- A Safe Space | 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 | 2020-2021 | Eisenhower Special Ed |
| Beyond Aristotle and Dante | 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< | 2020-2021 | NJH |
| ACT Prep Class | 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 | 2020-2021 | HHS |
| Girls United Speak Up | HEF’s Awesome Fund is providing the 35 members of Hopkins North Junior High Girls United Club with copies of Speak, the acclaimed 1999 novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. Club leaders have been inspired by the meaning and power behind this moving novel and wish to share and discuss its difficult topics among all members. Learn more. | 2020-2021 | NJH |
| Hmong Family Outreach | This grant will compensate interpreter Panou Xiong for up to ten additional hours per week for the rest of the school year, and five hours per week during the ten weeks of summer. The goal is to overcome significant barriers Hmong children experience with distance learning. 2020-2021 | Tanglen | |
| Family Engagement | This grant provides a research-based family engagement program based on the landmark Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler Model of the Parental Involvement Process. The program is based on decades of research on increasing student achievement by increasing parental efficacy, knowledge, motivation, and confidence to partner with the school system. Learn more. | 2021-2022 | Community Ed, Alice Smith, Gatewood |
| Vestibular Sensory Training and Spin Boards | This grant provides spin boards and training for Occupational Therapists with the goal of assisting students with disregulation and taking "brain breaks" to enable them to learn at optimal levels. Learn more. | 2021-2022 | All elementary |