The project aims to provide neurodivergent learners with a motivating, functional, generalization-driven weekly school activity.  The snack cart will provide students opportunities to build social and life skills in their community.   The Students will make/deliver teacher order forms, stock the cart with materials, make the deliveries and collect payment. Our learners benefit from visual supports, so these will be developed for all tasks. IEPs goals will be embedded into the tasks including targeting math goals by working on counting and sorting supplies or social goals by engaging in conversations. We anticipate that after initial funding, the profits of running the Z Cart will cover the cost of future expenses.    

Applicant: Susanne Brueggeman

Schools: Zervas

Date Approved: June 2023

Amount: $3,252

Increase the number of anti-bias children's books in classroom and grade level libraries. Bowen staff will implement antiracist and culturally-responsive instruction and practices by making meaningful connections between what students learn in school and their cultures, languages, and life experiences. In order to meet the diverse needs of every student, we will increase student engagement, implement well-structured units & lessons, adjust our practices, create safe learning environments and develop subject matter knowledge. Using resources including the social justice standards, Rebellious Read Alouds: Inviting Conversations About Diversity with Children’s Books, Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books, and other resources grade level teams will identify books to integrate into the curriculum and classroom libraries.

Applicant: Diana Guzzi

Schools: Bowen

Date Approved: June 2023

Amount: $2,000

2-K, 2-2nd Grade & 1-Reflections classrooms (5 in all) are having tiled floors installed. We are on the floor a lot for a wide variety of academic purposes (meetings, lessons, etc.). We are requesting fire retardant rugs for these classrooms. The purchase of these rugs will allow for consistency across grade levels for the comfort and utility they bring to our classrooms which will promote equity related to student experiences. They will also help make our classrooms more functional and welcoming allowing for better student participation in classroom activities.

Applicant: Thomas Joyce

Schools: Williams

Date Approved: June 2023

Amount: $2,294.25

The PeaceLove CREATORS Training will allow meaningful, engaging, and exciting expressive therapy workshops for students with social emotional needs to be employed. The workshops can also used for students of all ages and for NPS staff. There is an increasing number of students with social-emotional learning challenges in schools; these children have trouble accessing the curriculum and support they need. They require instruction and guidance surrounding resources and skills to use in moments of dysregulation. The delivery of expressive arts workshops aims to improve mental health through artistic expression. The workshops provide resources and skills for mental health, self-regulation skills, and social-emotional learning.

Applicant: Olivia Cohen Milligan

Schools: Zervas

Date Approved: June 2023

Amount: $2,000

Providing teachers and literacy staff with resources to support their on-going learning, as well as student materials is an essential part of high quality literacy instruction.

Applicant: Gena Rovelli

Schools: Franklin

Date Approved: June 2023

Amount: $2,557.93