Robots, yoga, veggie smoothies coming to Lawrence schools through new grants

The Lawrence Schools Foundation awarded its 2016 Innovative Teaching Grants to 12 projects submitted by teachers in the Lawrence school district.

Students don’t typically take part in cultural simulations, make green juice or design robots as part of their school day, but Lawrence Schools Foundation grants are letting some teachers try new projects in the classroom.

This year’s Innovative Teaching Grants will fund a variety of activities at Lawrence public schools, including a “global harmony” game, green smoothie project and robotics kit. The foundation is a charity organization benefiting educational programs within the district.

The foundation has awarded the Innovative Teaching Grants since 2003, and this year the program received 23 applications from teachers hoping to get funding for their class project or activity. Of those applicants, 12 projects were picked and awarded a total of about $23,000.

A program committee selects projects for funding. The idea is to fund projects that are not otherwise in the district’s budget, said Dena Johnston, executive director of the foundation.

“It’s amazing to see what these teachers can do with a little or a lot of money,” Johnston said. “…We have so many and we’d love to fund them all. It’s a tough decision.”

Johnston said that at the end of the year the foundation checks back in with the teachers for a report of how each project worked out.

“Some of these are test pilots to try out to see, and we want that feedback,” she said.

Johnston visited schools throughout the district over the past week to award grants to this year’s recipients. While the winning projects vary, Johnston said they do have one thing in common.

“Just their creativity,” she said. “There are so many neat things that they’re doing in the classrooms, and these kind of go above and beyond.”

This year’s grant recipients are as follows:

Stephanie Coleman

South Middle School

Project: The Global Harmony Game, $700

The Global Harmony Game is a hands-on political and cultural simulation that allows students to explore how the global community is connected economically, socially and environmentally.

Posted by Lawrence Schools Foundation on Monday, April 11, 2016


All elementary schools

Project: Arduino Uno circuit boards, $3,000

Arduino Uno circuit boards are an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software to make interactive projects. Along with littleBits Gizmos & Gadgets Kits, the materials will be used to invent new and innovative devices.

Posted by Lawrence Schools Foundation on Monday, April 11, 2016


Shauna Coburn, Amy VanWagenen


Cordley Elementary

Project: Science for Social Skills Program, $1,081

The program aids in increasing appropriate social behavior in students with severe emotional and behavioral needs through a study of life cycles of various living creatures.

Posted by Lawrence Schools Foundation on Thursday, April 7, 2016



Kathy Robinson


New York Elementary

Project: Video library, $350

A video library of educational math and reading DVDs will help the at-risk population at the school and allow parents to help their early primary student have the prerequisite skills needed for success in the intermediate grades.

Posted by Lawrence Schools Foundation on Thursday, April 7, 2016


Sylvia Trevino-Maack

Lawrence High School

Project: Yoga and Mindfulness Club, equipment and supplies, $777

The Yoga and Mindfulness Club was created at LHS to provide students a place to learn ways to focus, relax and decrease anxiety and depressive symptoms. The grant will help the club purchase mats, DVDs, equipment and supplies.


Amanda Vail

Southwest Middle School

Project: Green Smoothie Project, $2,000

This grant is to start a green juice and smoothie club with the purpose of getting more green vegetables and healthy fruits into students’ diets. It also supports the school garden and helps students see the connection between growing food locally and integrating that food into their diet.


Jennifer Williams

Langston Hughes Elementary

Project: Dash and Dot Robotics, $2,620

Dash and Dot is a robotics set that students bring to life through the creation of code. The purpose of the project is to introduce students to robotics and provide them with an interactive coding experience.


Jenny Gorup

Quail Run Elementary

Project: KIBO robot kit, $2,927

The KIBO robot kit is specifically designed for younger students and has materials for them to work in small groups to build robots.


Jaime Baggett

Hillcrest Elementary

Project: educational gaming, $2,220

This project will engage kindergarten students in digital educational games that require math or literacy content to win the game.

Posted by Lawrence Schools Foundation on Tuesday, April 5, 2016


Christina Brumfield

Hillcrest Elementary

Project: Makerspace improvement, $2,500

The goal of this project is to incorporate kit-based exploration such as electronics, robotics and architecture into the makerspace.

Christina Brumfield, Hillcrest

Posted by Lawrence Schools Foundation on Tuesday, April 5, 2016


Shari Flakus, Scott Robinson, Ericka Waller


South Middle School

Project: DSLR cameras, $3,000

This grant will be used toward the purchase of seven DSLR cameras (digital single-lens reflex) cameras to teach students professional photography skills.

Dena Johnston, Lawrence Schools Foundation and Shari Flakus, South

Posted by Lawrence Schools Foundation on Tuesday, April 5, 2016


Seventh-grade core teachers

South Middle School

Project: The Genius Project, $2,000

The grant will enable educators to provide materials and software for robotics and mechanical engineering projects in the seventh-grade classrooms.

Members of the South seventh-grade core team with Dena Johnston (center) – Kelly Hart, Beth Weishaar, Tara Zelvy and Claire White. Not pictured: Stephanie Coleman, Whitney Farrell and Cathy Hilliard

Posted by Lawrence Schools Foundation on Tuesday, April 5, 2016