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  • December 29, 2024

With our funding, two 75” TCL televisions were purchased to enhance the event kit, providing a dynamic and engaging way to showcase videos and displays of grants and the students they benefit. These monitors allow students, families, and visitors to learn about the positive impacts of various initiatives, fostering a greater sense of community and collaboration.

The monitors also enable the school, FSAS, and Community Education department to host events that require high-quality visual displays, strengthening connections with families and even outside districts. By showcasing these stories and initiatives, the grant creates opportunities for relationship-building and community engagement.

The success of this grant can be measured by its usage at school functions, FSAS events, and club-sponsored activities, where the monitors provide an essential resource for communication and collaboration. This investment ensures that the impact of grants and programs is effectively highlighted, building pride and awareness within the community.

  • December 29, 2024

By funding this grant, the FTC robotics team was able to design and build a new robot to tackle this year’s unique challenge and compete for a spot at the World Championship. FTC challenges students to solve problems, score points, and win matches through innovative and collaborative design. Beyond competition, the program instills the principle of “gracious professionalism,” emphasizing respect, high-quality work, and community collaboration.

The robotics program integrates science, math, coding, and engineering, bridging classroom concepts with real-world applications. Students gain hands-on experience building and coding a physical robot, developing critical skills that prepare them for advanced classes and potential future careers in STEM fields.

This grant enabled the team to compete at a higher level, broadening their learning opportunities and reinforcing the practical applications of their classroom knowledge. By participating in FTC, students not only built a robot but also honed their teamwork, problem-solving, and innovation skills, setting them up for success in future endeavors.

  • December 29, 2024

We helped a team of students tackle the critical community challenge of helping individuals aged 65 and older transition between positions—such as standing, sitting, lying down, and recovering from a fall—more independently. Over the course of the project, the team developed seven iterations of their design, working toward a solution that promotes greater mobility, independence, and health benefits for seniors.

The students’ hard work and innovation earned them recognition as one of only eight teams nationwide selected for the Lemelson-MIT Grant Initiative InvenTeam, granting them the opportunity to present their invention at MIT’s EurekaFest. The project provided a unique, hands-on experience in engineering, business, and interdisciplinary problem-solving.

The team was structured into five departments—technical design, finance, sustainability, marketing, and communications—allowing students to gain expertise in areas such as physics, mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, bookkeeping, environmental science, and communication. These roles not only honed their technical skills but also provided leadership opportunities, encouraging them to apply their academic knowledge to real-world challenges and guide the team toward its ambitious goals.

This grant empowered students to innovate and make a meaningful impact in their community, showcasing the power of education to inspire creativity, collaboration, and change.

  • December 26, 2024

With FSAS funding, the school acquired a much-needed arsenal of student manipulatives, including lasers, resonance tools, and equipment for quantitatively analyzing sound and light. These resources also included highly engaging demonstration tools that could be used across a variety of science courses, including AP Physics C, Physics, Physical Science, and Astronomy.

The grant ensured that students in all levels of science classes, from introductory to advanced, had access to hands-on, interactive tools to explore complex concepts in sound and light. This inclusivity allowed every student, regardless of their course level or background, to benefit from engaging, real-world applications of physical science principles.

By fostering interactive learning experiences, this grant enriched science instruction, making lessons more accessible, exciting, and impactful. Students gained a deeper understanding of core scientific ideas, strengthening their skills and confidence in STEM fields.

  • December 26, 2024

With our funding, we introduced Sphero indi robots to the early elementary curriculum, allowing young learners to explore STEAM and robotics in an accessible and engaging way. These robots enabled students to create mazes and pathways using color-coded cards instead of relying on Chromebooks or iPads. By manipulating the cards, students controlled the robots to move forward, slow down, spin, stop, and turn, effectively becoming “coders with colors.”

The Sphero indi robots proved to be easy for young students to use while fostering critical thinking and foundational coding skills. The versatility of the color-coded tiles allowed for endless route and maze configurations, making each activity unique. Challenges encouraged students to incorporate specific moves, such as completing a U-turn, starting and stopping, and celebrating their success at the end.

This grant empowered students to develop high-level thinking skills through experimentation and play, fostering creativity and problem-solving at an early age. It laid the foundation for STEAM education, inspiring curiosity and confidence in our youngest learners.

  • December 25, 2024

Through this grant, we provided pianos that significantly enhanced the music education experience across the district. These pianos supported the entire 6th-grade population and a substantial portion of 7th and 8th graders, benefiting over 17,000 students throughout their lifespan.

The pianos offered a range of features that elevated classroom activities, including metronomes for independent work, Bluetooth connectivity, playback options for playing along with recorded tracks, and recording functions to document students’ progress. By ensuring the pianos remained in tune, students had reliable resources to match pitch, receive accompaniment, and collaborate effectively in team and group projects.

This project not only improved the quality of music education but also expanded the opportunities for students to engage with technology and creativity, aligning with our mission to support innovative and lasting educational initiatives.

  • December 25, 2024

Through our support, we provided spectrophotometers to enhance science education with hands-on digital tools. These devices were paired with various wet labs, allowing students to explore critical topics such as enzyme function, photosynthesis, and cellular membrane function.

By using spectrophotometers, students were able to generate their own quantitative data to complement traditional qualitative observations. This integration elevated the learning experience, improved the quality of data available for analysis, and increased the rigor of classroom activities. As a result, students achieved a deeper comprehension of key scientific concepts, aligning with our commitment to fostering innovative and impactful educational opportunities.

  • December 25, 2024

The Woodland Meadows Art Gallery transformed the art hallway into an inspiring “gallery” space, featuring 3 to 4 exemplary portraits, paintings, or projects each year. These mentor projects served as aspirational examples for other art students, encouraging them to strive for excellence in their own work.

The gallery aligned with Michigan Standards for Visual Arts by providing opportunities for students to explore and discuss art. With the artwork displayed prominently in the hallway, and guided conversations facilitated by the teacher, students were able to engage deeply with the visual arts.

By showcasing exemplary pieces, the gallery not only enhanced the aesthetic of Woodland Meadows but also provided a tangible reference for students, illustrating the potential outcomes of their artistic efforts. This grant brought creativity and inspiration to life, fostering a deeper appreciation for art within the school community.

  • December 25, 2024

This grant funds a high-speed, multi-color 3D printer capable of using advanced materials. The new printer will elevate the capabilities of our lab, enabling students to create more complex and creative projects while preparing them for competitions and careers in modern manufacturing. This initiative directly supports the core curriculum by expanding hands-on learning opportunities, fostering innovation, and encouraging creativity through diverse material and color options.