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Every year, the nonprofit University City Education Foundation provides grants to staff and schools to fund special projects that enhance education, enrichment and the learning environment for students.
On December 9, the group celebrated its 2024–25 grantees at a special reception in the Brittany Woods Middle School library. This year, the organization awarded nearly $21K to support 20 different projects in the District’s four elementary schools, middle school, and high school.
The grants are:
A Welcoming Library - $500 to Shari Nelson at Flynn Park Elementary School
"We want to make our library a place that is welcoming to every learner. Signage that uses pictures as well as words offers independence to our multilingual learners & developing readers. Updated, diverse posters offer our students mirrors, windows, & sliding glass doors to see themselves & their communities in the books they read."
Cozy Corners - $1,206 to Sarah Bailey at Pershing Elementary School
"The goal is transforming our library into an inviting space where students want to read and study. Students thrive in comfortable settings, like bean bags, where they can relax, read,or collaborate. By upgrading the seating, I'll create cozy spots that encourage creativity and engagement, making the library a true haven for learning."
Creating Commercial Products | Our Next Step Forward - $1,200 to Rubina McCadney at Brittany Woods Middle School
"We have supported our educational and programming efforts through two annual pop-up shops. As part of our curriculum, the students learn to preserve jams and jellies for sale under State of Missouri Cottage Kitchen laws. The next step to meet our interest and customer demand would be to sell pickles and fermented (AKA Acidified) foods."
Crochet Club - $350 to Lisa Brehm at University City High School
"Continuing on the tradition of fiber arts. I will be teaching students various methods of crochet. Ways they can make various items such as baby blankets, reusable wash cloths and more!"
DC Chemistry Lab Investigations - $1,180 to Dr. Dana Morris at University City High School
"Hands-on, inquiry-based learning is essential to understanding science. Providing opportunities for students to experience science not only helps them develop conceptual understanding, but they also develop a love for science."
Enhancing Essentials Skills\Special Needs Classroom - $700 to Mary Mcmillion at Brittany Woods Middle School
"I am a teacher of the essential skills class, and I will use this grant to enhance all essential skills students to advance academically, socially and increase their independence. Also getting tools to help them behaviorally while teaching them more social and life skills."
Expanding our Literacy Legacy | Amplifying African American Voices - $1,250 to Angie Sallee at University City High School
"This project will expand the school library’s African American literature collection, supporting Learning Reimagined by promoting personalized, equitable learning. The grant will fund classic and contemporary works, offering students culturally relevant and enriching educational experiences."
Exploring Extreme Settings - $1,250 to Jennifer Hutchinson for All 4th Grade Students
"We would like to give our students an experience with a "challenging setting" to help build empathy and understanding for people who are forced to endure hardships as a result of their physical environments. We aim to expose students to a different enviroment that will deepen their connection with the learning texts and tasks within this module."
FlipForms | Music Room Risers - $1,280 to Robert Klein at Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School
"These risers are going to allow students to sit, sing, and perform better than ever! They are durable, built to last, and will make a huge impact on the music we create!"
Gimkit - $1,000 to Zoe Clarkson at Brittany Woods Middle School
"It is up to educators to engage them in different ways to keep the practice exciting. One way we do this is by playing games with the information. Gimkit is an educational game website with a variety of fun, engaging game modes that teachers can use to keep the practice exciting enough that they don’t want to walk away."
Help Find the Lost Books! Help Replace What’s Popular! - $1,250 to Kelly Werthmuller at Brittany Woods Middle School
"To be able to continue having a wide variety of resources available to my students, I would love to be able to purchase books that have gone missing, especially books that are part of a series or are insanely popular. I would also like to purchase some “water bottle” stickers and some other incentive items for the kids to return their books."
Journey to Resilience - $1,250 to Dr. Jessica Clark-Burns, Christina Sneed, & Jennifer Hutchinson for All 4th Grade Students
"This project will provide essential transportation for 4th-grade students to participate in a hands-on field trip connected to the Wit & Wisdom "Extreme Settings" module. This real-world experience will deepen students' understanding of how extreme environments impact survival and resilience."
Key Club Leadership - $1,250 to Bella Quintal, Marion Reed, Kris Hendrix, & LaVerne Ford-Williams at University City High School
"A lot of kiddos need deodorant, hair supplies, and clothing. This project will help boost the self-esteem of students. Help me give my students a boost of confidence by providing essential hair and hygiene products, and clothing."
Let’s Look at Bugs - $1,250 to Luis Merida at Jackson Park Elementary School
"This grant would supply the materials needed to help students dive into the fun and fascinating realm of field entomology with an emphasis on the plants and insects present in ecosystems and how they interact with one another and with their environments."
Listening with Intent - $250 to Alexis Moellering, Katie Thompkins, Javier Lozano, & Cigdem Sakin at Brittany Woods Middle School
"We want to get classroom sets of headphones for all of our language classes and our ML classes, so that our students who are learning more than one language have an opportunity to engage with more diverse material."
Literacy Support - $1,080 to Carol Krueger at University City High School
"By scanning and instantly hearing difficult words and phrases, students will receive immediate feedback, allowing them to better understand complex texts. This hands-on, tech-assisted approach will help improve their reading fluency and engagement, ultimately boosting their performance on FastBridge assessments."
Microbit | TAGO - $961 to Theresa Hopkins, Amanda Jones, Shunetta Daugherty, Nicole Binion, & Madeline White for All Elementaries
"Aligned with the United Nations’ Global Goals and Design for Change curriculum, this project equips students with 21st-century skills by tackling real-world challenges. Students will use coding and problem-solving to address social issues creatively while applying empathy to all situations."
Support for Thespian Conference - $1,250 to Kendrick Hooks at University City High School
"University City High School is excited to send its talented theatre students to the Missouri State Thespian Conference from January 9-11, 2025! This immersive experience will provide students with workshops, performances, and opportunities to connect with industry professionals, sharpening their skills and inspiring future careers."
Throw on a Dime - $1,251 to Elizabeth Dorman at Brittany Woods Middle School
"I propose purchasing professional grade miniature pottery wheels: "The Small Pottery Wheel" designed by Small Ceramics. These "fit in your hands" size wheels provide an excellent and affordable opportunity for students to try clay out and build art skills in a school setting!"
Translating Pens for ML Students - $1,243 to Cigdem Sakin at Brittany Woods Middle School
"This project will provide students with opportunities to read the content materials in their home languages and connect to their diverse backgrounds to comprehend the materials authentically."