Click the image to watch the video
The table below lists grants that have specifically benefited North Junior High School.
Watch the video to learn more about the impact that HEF grants have on the students at North Junior High School.
View the district map showing a summary of grants for each school here.
| Title | Description | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rope Course | Expanded physical education curriculum with "initiative tasks," promoting social, psychological, and personal development in addition to physical skills. | 1996-1997 |
| Art Kiosk | Funded design and construction of lighted kiosk at North Junior High to showcase student artists. | 1996-1997 |
| Teen Trek Retreat | Supported keynote speaker and M.A.D.D. drama for an asset-building retreat. | 1996-1997 |
| Print-Making | Created print-making unit with a local Native American artist. | 1998-1999 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Calculator-Based Learning | NJH Calculator-Based Learning | 2000-2001 |
| Scientific Concept Textbooks | HEF awarded a grant to purchase appropriate text materials on scientific concepts. Students matched these concepts to science fiction stories, and then wrote original science fiction stories based on the concepts. All ALC students and all science classes have access to the text materials. | 2001-2002 |
| Math Calculators | NJH Math Calculators | 2001-2002 |
| Solar Greenhouse Project | Funded the Solar Greenhouse Project, a “wet and dirty laboratory for learning biotechnology and "agriscience.” | 2001-2002 |
| Westside Apartments Education Center | Supported the Westside Apartments Education Center, which provides tutors and wireless laptops for students. | 2001-2002 |
| Area Learning Center Enrichment | Purchased graphing calculators and high interest reading kits for the Area Learning Center. | 2001-2002 |
| Student Council Cultural Diversity | Supported the Student Council Cultural Activities Committee’s events to broaden awareness of cultural diversity. | 2001-2002 |
| Cross-Cultural Teaching Project | Piloted the cross-curricular teaching project which integrates instruction in science, social studies and English. | 2001-2002 |
| Homeroom Advisory Program | Piloted the homeroom advisory program which provides a longer homeroom experience including curriculum. | 2001-2002 |
| 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 |
| Leadership Skills | rovided ongoing support for NJH’s advisory program, designed to build relationships, both between students and between student and teacher, and to provide a communication forum for topics that don’t fit easily into standard courses. | 2002-2003 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Read 180 for Struggling Readers | Provided funding for the Area Learning Center’s Read 180 program (software and print materials) allowing struggling readers to achieve grade level performance through interactive technology and independent reading. | 2002-2003 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| STAR Fund -- Junior High Core Classes | Awarded $48,000 for the schools to restore five sections in core classes like English, Math, Science and Social Studies. This helps to decrease class size allowing instructors to sustain a higher level of teacher to student/family contact and services. | 2003-2004 |
| Ethnic Books Challenge | Awarded a grant for the purchase of books for the Minority Challenge group in order to inspire success in high school. | 2004-2005 |
| CADCAM Engraver | Provided funding for the purchase of a laser engraver allowing students to produce a high-quality product while developing basic skills in 3D modeling, pattern making, prototyping and engraving. | 2004-2005 |
| Drop Everything and Read | Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.) provides grade appropriate mini classroom libraries and common novels for “North Reads” to strengthen reading comprehension of all North Junior High students, regardless of the level of reader. | 2005-2006 |
| Pre AP Social Studies | Social studies interactive curriculum challenges and prepares gifted learners for high school Advanced Placement classes. | 2005-2006 |
| 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 |
| Challenge Activity Sets for ALM | Challenge activity sets enrich the curriculum for Autonomous Learner Model (ALM) classes for gifted and talented students. | 2005-2006 |
| 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 |
| Future Cities Competition | Students use computer software to design a city, build a scale model, write an essay and present a speech. | 2007-2008 |
| Books for Reluctant Readers | This program is designed to help readers who have varying levels of proficiency learn to develop a love a reading. | 2007-2008 |
| Teaching Pre-AP Writing Skills | Students will build confidence as writers, peer editors and collaborators while gaining a sharp eye for detail. | 2007-2008 |
| Collaboration Time for High Critical Thinking Science / Social Studies | Students acquire the knowledge, concepts and skills needed to engage in a higher level of learning, combining curricula from science and social studies. | 2007-2008 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| North Junior High Players | Over the course of the school year, the NJH Players can now produce one play, one musical, and one night of student-written and directed one-act plays. This program is open to all students. | 2007-2008 |
| TI-Navigator System | The TI-NavigatorTM system provides a wireless communication between the student’s calculator and the teacher’s computer. Students work results can be displayed anonymously and simultaneously on one screen to view. This system improves the quantity and quality of responses, classroom interaction and time on task. | 2007-2008 |
| Four-Level Analysis: A Grammar Instruction Pilot | This grant funds a document camera that is fundamental to this grammar instruction pilot program. It allows students to showcase their work for class discussion. | 2008-2009 |
| Learning and Interacting Remotely | This grant funds a wireless, remote mini ActivBoardTM mouse and keyboard to encourage classroom participation by ELL and special education students. | 2008-2009 |
| Telling Our Story | This grant funds material to create a community quilt which the 8th grade students will help complete. | 2008-2009 |
| 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 |
| One-to-One Mobile Learning with Apple iPods | Learning extends beyond the social studies classroom with Apple iPod Touches. This one-to-one mobile learning dramatically increases creativity, comprehension and collaboration within the classroom setting. | 2009-2010 |
| Teaching Science with Technology | A combined grant and special appeal funded hand-held and desktop computers in science labs in both junior highs and the high school. With these computers, our students are able to analyze data, research online and understand which sources are credible, interpret the information, connect with scientists around the world and then develop multi-media presentations, just like our “real world scientists.”echnology | 2009-2010 |
| Teaching Science with Technology | A combined grant and special appeal funded hand-held and desktop computers in science labs in both junior highs and the high school. With these computers, our students are able to analyze data, research online and understand which sources are credible, interpret the information, connect with scientists around the world and then develop multi-media presentations, just like our “real world scientists.” | 2009-2010 |
| Teaching Science with Technology | A combined grant and special appeal funded hand-held and desktop computers in science labs in both junior highs and the high school. With these computers, our students are able to analyze data, research online and understand which sources are credible, interpret the information, connect with scientists around the world and then develop multi-media presentations, just like our “real world scientists.” | 2009-2010 |
| Learning by Gardening | NJH students learn to garden by participating in the entire growing cycle, from purchasing seeds, to planting flowers and vegetables in the McConnon greenhouse, to transplanting and caring for them in new raised beds in the courtyard. “School-grown” vegetables will be used in school lunches. | 2010-2011 |
| Nooks "4" Books | E-book pilot. Teachers can engage students by giving them quick access to popular new books. This 21st century technology helps disguise the difficulty level of books to reduce the embarrassment some students feel who are reading below grade level. | 2010-2011 |
| Unleashing the Power of iPad | From pilots beginning in 2010 to Special Appeals at Royal Bash 2011 and 2012, HEF has funded over $60,000 in iPads and related software. Our support has enabled the Hopkins School District to develop a plan to use the technology more strategically and effectively. Read more | 2010-2012 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Enhancing Teen Literacy via eBooks | Students in grades 7-12 will have 24/7 online access to 900 titles of popular fiction and nonfiction e-books. Read more | 2012-2013 |
| Leamos -- Let's Read | Purchase 200 Spanish books for the North Junior High library. Read more | 2012-2013 |
| Let's Talk! and Job Talk! | Curricula to teach critical work- and life-related skills to students with special needs. Read more | 2012-2013 |
| Magnifying the Power of STEM | Bash 2013 Special Appeal, year one of a two-year initiative. This Special Appeal provided STEM kits in elementary schools and rolling robots labs in Junior highs. Read more | 2012-2013 |
| LabQuest2 Technology Update | Next generation hand-held data collection tools for 'Real World Scientists.' Read more | 2013-2014 |
| Summer Reading Library | A library of 'high interest' books for NJH students to check-out during the summer to maintain their reading habit. Read more | 2013-2014 |
| Microscopy in the 21st Century | Digital microscopy cameras connected to iPads. Read more | 2014-2015 |
| Creativity Unbound -- MakerSpace | A welcoming space for students to explore hands-on projects. Read more | 2014-2015 |
| Choir Festival | A concert presented to sixth graders by the upper level choirs. Read more | 2014-2015 |
| Fab Lab | A flexible Design-Test-Build space for NJH with central lab stations and movable tables. Read more | 2014-2015 |
| Spanish Model United Nations | Juntos students at NJH will participate in yearlong curriculum exploring global problems and culminating in a Model UN, all conducted in Spanish. Read more | 2014-2015 |
| Powerful 3D Printing | A state-of-the-art 3D printer enhances the NJH Maker Space - a creative retreat of hands-on experiences in the Media Center. Read more | 2014-2015 |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2015 Special Appeal, year one of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Service projects for JH. Career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2014-2015 |
| History Live | Minnesota Historical Society experts will use 21st Century technology to ‘transport’ Hopkins students back in time, connecting them to important segments of our country’s history. Read more. | 2015-2016 |
| Minecraft After-School Club | In this fun extra-curricular enrichment program, junior high students play MinecraftEdu, a school-ready remix of the popular game Minecraft. They’ll learn programming and coding, planning, asset management and critical thinking skills. Students will be able to use what they learn in Minecraft Club for projects in nearly any subject area. Read more | 2015-2016 |
| Digital Video Studio | Royal Roundup, NJH’s weekly video show presented to the entire student body, will get a big facelift. This grant enables North’s student Genius Team to take the lead in designing and remodeling the current outdated video studio. New equipment will be used for the Roundup, and will also be available to all students to create, edit, and share video productions with a school-wide audience. Read more. | 2015-2016 |
| Kiva Microfinance: Making a Difference in the Third World | Students, collaborating in groups of three, will get the opportunity to invest in someone’s future. After first heavily researching entrepreneurs in developing Third World countries, each group will choose a small business to receive a $25 loan. Read more. | 2015-2016 |
| Shifting to New Concepts in Literacy | HEF is partnering with the Hopkins School District to send nine teachers to train next summer in successful research-based adolescent literacy education for junior high and high school students. These teachers will in turn train others in the District in these ‘best practices’. Read more. | 2015-2016 |
| High-Altitude Weather Balloon | Fun, hands-on science takes flight with this helium-powered weather balloon. Seventh and eighth grade students in the Experimental Science elective will track the balloon’s fact-finding mission with a Go-Pro camera they install before launch. Read more. | 2015-2016 |
| Rocket Science | This grant provides re-usable launchers to get this exciting experiment off of the ground (up to 100 meters!) and delve students deep into the scientific method. Read more. | 2015-2016 |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2016 Special Appeal, year two of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Implementing a service curriculum for JH. Expanded career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2015-2016 |
| Yearbook Re-Imagined | The Royal Roar is everyone’s book, with two ambitious goals to take it to the next level. This NJH yearbook will include each student at least three times, and will be a true history of the rich diversity of the NJH community with a focus on purposeful storytelling in writing and photography. Read more | 2016-2017 |
| Creative Project Zone | A mobile cart of creativity will now be available to all 800 NJH students and staff to support countless imaginative projects throughout the building. Read more | 2016-2017 |
| Sequels on the Shelves | Classroom libraries promote literacy through easy access to high-interest material. This grant of sequels to popular teen novels promises to keep readers intrigued far beyond the assigned reading. Learn more. | 2016-2017 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2017 Special Appeal, year three of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Supporting the grade nine Power of One service curriculum for JH. Expanded career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2016-2017 |
| Take Charge of How You Feel | In alignment with HEF’s focus on Student Health=Student Wellness, this start-up grant provides ALL Hopkins Junior High 8th grade students – more than 500 per year – with the self-regulating tools they would typically only be exposed to through mental health professionals or sports psychologists. Read more | 2017-2018 |
| ¡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 |
| Creating Beautiful Music ... Videos -- Awesome Fund Grant | Royal Records is a safe, supportive after-school club where North Junior High students collaborate to write and produce original music, mix tracks, film and edit videos, and generally have fun. Read more | 2017-2018 |
| Student Wellness = Student Success | 2018 Royal Bash Special Appeal, year one of a two-year initiative. This Special Appeal funds after school mental health centers, a farm-to-table program, and teaching wellness strategies. Learn more | 2017-2018 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Student Wellness = Student Success | 2019 Royal Bash Special Appeal, year two of a two-year initiative. This Special Appeal funds after school mental health centers, a farm-to-table program, and teaching wellness strategies. Learn more | 2018-2019 |
| 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 |
| Westside Rovers Robotics | Four junior high robotics teams will share the full FTC Regulation Playing Field complete with competition obstacles funded by this grant. Read more | 2019-2020 |
| 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 |
| Mandala Stone Painting | Mandalas are geometric figures that have been used for centuries for mediation and personal transformation. At NJH, all students will get the opportunity to create mandalas by painting dot designs on stones they can take home. Read more. | 2019-2020 |
| Home Studios Unlock Creativity | 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 | 2020-2021 |
| Micro Home Libraries | 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. | 2020-2021 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Baking Clubbers | The Baking Clubbers are excited to get this grant from The Awesome Fund. With it they will purchase shared cook/bakeware with which to expand their repertoire of skills. All members – and more are welcome! – have put energy and enthusiasm into the kitchen during distance learning. Learn more | 2020-2021 |
| Cultivating Digital Health and Wellness | It’s difficult right now to screen less, but students can learn to screen well. All 970 students will benefit as NJH partners with Minnesota nonprofit LiveMore, ScreenLess to implement a deliberate culture of digital health and wellness. Learn more | 2020-2021 |
| Glowing Creativity with Glowforge | Glowforge is a powerful laser cutter and engraver that cuts materials such as cardboard, wood, leather, cloth – even chocolate! - and engraves on glass or wood, putting endless creativity into the hands of everyday users. Learn more | 2020-2021 |