Mini Grants are Mighty
McMinnville Education Foundation offers mini grants to McMinnville School District teachers in order to foster and support their creative and innovative ideas that will our students’ education.
Teachers may apply for a McMinnville Education Foundation mini-grant of up to $1,000.
Since the year 2000, The McMinnville Education Foundation has awarded 659 mini-grants valued over $589,000.
Mini Grants Often Become Educational Programs
Our mini grants reach beyond individual classrooms! Often, a teacher will pilot a program in their classroom using a Mini Grant, and it’s success leads to it becoming established through the School District. Two such programs are:
Mini Grants Awarded by Year
Mini-grants were awarded for these programs at these three levels:
High School
- Portland Center Stage – field trips experiencing live theater production, which is so different from watching on a film, TV or your phone
- Print Shop – for Community Transition Program students to develop essential work skills
- Folklorico Showcase – A Dance of Identity performance
- Thriving in Healthy Relationships
- Libraries Develop Global Citizens – providing updated information about many countries
- NY Times Digital Subscription
- Creating Opportunity – visiting local colleges & universities to learn about their programs through live tours
Middle School
- Hands On Programming – easy, fun and engaging implementation of STEM into curriculum with Makey Makey
- Night of the Notables – students implement research, reading, writing and public speaking skills as they present themselves as a person from society who has made a positive impact in the world.
- Escape Room – kit engaging through critical thinking and collaboration to escape a “locked” room
- Cadet Drumline – supporting both Duniway and Patton
- Light It Up! Greenhouse in the Winte – growing food in different environments from local community to Mars
Elementary School
- Unlocking the Code – for struggling readers
- Ukuleles for all grades – teaching about music, focusing attention, developing eye-hand coordination and having fun
- World Tour
- Enhancing Mathematical Learning – through board games
- Building Conceptual Understanding – develop skills by utilizing physical math tools
- Courtyard Garden
- Play to Grow – language games
- Musical Instruments – for entire school
- Sensory Exploration – for early learners, fostering development through sensory bins
- Brainball for all grades – a game which merges physical activity with academic learning through play
Mini-grants were awarded for these programs at these three levels:
High School
- Creating Art Opportunities – field trip exploring art colleges and careers
- Print Shop – for Community Transition students to develop essential work skills
- Fiction Fuels Learning – purchasing more fiction books for MHS library to meet the demand of the high school readers
Middle School
- Pickleball equipment – nets and rackets to learn and understand this popular, lifetime sport
- “Dear Younger Me” – writing workshop with author/professor Hillary Homzie
- Tools of the Trade – art tools to develop lifelong learners of the arts
Elementary School
- Brainball – a game which merges physical activity with academic learning through play
- Digital Cameras– providing photojournalism opportunities to support non-fiction writing and design slideshows.
- Ukuleles for 3rd – 5th grade – teaching about music, focusing attention, developing eye-hand coordination and having fun
Mini-grants were awarded for student at these three levels to:
High School
- assemble “Grizzly Robotics Rovers”
- attend Portland Center Stage performances
- participate in a writer’s conference
Middle School
- go on a salmon watch
- read books and write reviews for other students
- learn to cook
Elementary School
- study electrical engineering and robotics
- play BrainBall, an innovative way to combine academic learning with physical activity
- take field trips to learn about other cultures
