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See your support in action | Statistical look at the mini-grants
Grant Awards by Year: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007
2011 GRANT AWARDS G.A.P.S awarded forty nine grants totaling $39,900 for projects that directly affect special needs and at-risk students in public schools in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, and Washington counties (see the list below). Since 2006, G.A.P.S, has awarded $184,257 for educational projects that would not otherwise exist—making a difference in the lives of 27,447 students in local communities. Support for the grants comes from the foundation’s annual benefit auction. The 2012 event is sponsored by Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) www.nwea.org, and will be held April 19 at Portland Community College, Rock Creek Campus. Grants are earmarked for projects, supplies, activities, technology, and/or curriculum that enhance classrooms, programs, and services in the following areas:
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G.A.P.S. MINI-GRANTS *Regional Grant Awards* John Jackson, Outdoor Science School: Scholarships to provide needy students in the four counties served by NWRESD with tuition so they can join their classmates at the spring 2012 session of Outdoor Science School. ($1,000) Brett Wonderlick, Audiologist: Software-based auditory assessment tool* to improve identification of students who are deaf and hard of hearing throughout the four-county region. Outcome will be increased access to education and overall positive educational experience for the students (*Listening in Spatialized Noise - Sentences or LISN-S). ($1,000)
*CLATSOP COUNTY* - NORTHWEST REGIONAL ESD Heather Leader, Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education: Die Cut Machine to serve over 100 children in the ESD's programs in Clatsop County. The machine will allow teachers to quickly and easily create instructional materials for teaching early literacy and early numeracy skills to our students. ($1,000) - ASTORIA SCHOOL DISTRICT Sandra McCollum, Astoria High School Special Needs Consortium classroom: Voice output devices for 13 students with very limited language skills. The devices will provide a measure of validation and a means of expression for students; promoting social interaction and participation, focus and shared attention, decreased frustration, and increased independence. ($985) - KNAPPA SCHOOL DISTRICT Jan Johnson, Knappa Elementary: Books for the school's SOAR program (Support Our Active Readers) which helps students become confident readers through individual volunteer attention and new "take-home" books. ($500) - SEASIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT Sarah Collins, Gearhart Elementary: Tuition for students to attend Outdoor Science School who otherwise could not afford to participate. ($1,000) Dorota Haber-Lehigh, English Language Learners: Supplies in support of English Language Learners. Material will be shared among five schools in the district (posters, flip charts, etc.). ($520) Jennie Wheatley, Seaside Heights Elementary: Easi-speakTM USB recorders and book sets with audio CDs to support struggling readers. ($820) - WARRENTON-HAMMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT Betsy Mahoney, Warrenton Grade School: Tuition for students to attend Outdoor Science School who otherwise could not afford to participate. ($1,000)
*COLUMBIA COUNTY* - NORTHWEST REGIONAL ESD Laney Coulter, Early Intervention/Early Childhood Education: Fencing for outdoor play area at the ESD's special needs preschool in St. Helens. ($800) - CLATSKANIE SCHOOL DISTRICT Yolanda Brackman, Clatskanie Elementary: Banners, supplies, and rewards for the HUGS (Hello, Update and Goodbye),and Positive Behaviors Intervention Support (PBIS) programs ($1,000). - RAINER SCHOOL DISTRICT Lauri Kash, Hudson Park Elementary: Funds for students to produce a video titled, "Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful", which will be used to show the school's youngest and more challenged students what positive behavior looks like. (Positive Behavior Intervention Supports - PBIS - is widely used to promote healthy social skills and to address children’s problem behaviors). ($500) - SCAPPOOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT Dixon Kirsch, Scappoose School District Speech/Language Services: Equipment (laptop computer and other supplies) to develop telecommunication/virtual technology to visually and audibly link speech/language specialists with children across distances of several miles. The outcome will be increased instructional time with students and decreased travel time and cost. ($540) Valerie Helm, Scappoose High School Special Education: Equipment to support literacy for students with autism and reading disabilities (text reader pens, Dragon Naturally SpeakingTM II software, and recorder). ($656) - ST. HELENS SCHOOL DISTRICT Joe Mauck, St. Helens High School: Tools for St. Helens High Building Construction class. ($1,000) Liz Trasciatti, St. Helens High School: Pedometers and healthy choices curriculum books and DVD. ($926) - VERNONIA SCHOOL DISTRICT Deborah Stahlnecker and Gienah Cheney, Washington Grade School: Technology to support student literacy that will be shared between Title I and the Learning Resource Room at Washington Grade School (eReaders, e-books, text-to-speech software). ($1,500)
*TILLAMOOK COUNTY* - NORTHWEST REGIONAL ESD Helen Armstrong, Early Intervention/Early Childhood Education: Fencing materials for the ESD's special needs preschool located in Wilson School in Tillamook. ($800) Tina Weeks, Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education: Gym mat for the ESD’s special needs preschool at the Wilson School. Students will utilize the new space to swing, ride trikes, run, and play in both large and small group activities. ($500) - NEAH-KAH-NIE SCHOOL DISTRICT Jim Cox, Neah-Kah-Nie Middle School - NESTUCCA VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT Gordon Whitehead, Nestucca Valley Jr./Sr. High School: Supplies in support of native plant arboretum on the campus of Nestuca Valley Jr./Sr. High School (rain gear, wheel barrows, tools, plants, retaining wall lumber, and herbarium supplies). ($1,000) John Elder, Nestucca Valley Jr./Sr. High School: Material to construct a shot-put pit to allow more students to participate. ($1,000) - TILLAMOOK SCHOOL DISTRICT Joyce Hatton, Tillamook High School: Software to provide increased independence to students with language disabilities and physical impairments by no longer having to rely on others to dictate their assignments. (Intellitools Classroom Suite 4). ($711) Melinda Rumage, East Elementary School: Elmo Document Camera to increase ELL and special education students’ comprehension of language through visual cues, group reading of text, and shared work samples. ($585)
*WASHINGTON COUNTY PROGRAMS* - NORTHWEST REGIONAL ESD Amy Kelleher, Lifeworks NW Children's Day Treatment Program (CDTP): Sound deadening equipment for the facility’s gym to enhance accoustics and lessen the echo for students with significant social, emotional, and behavioral disorders. (CDTP serves children 3-11 years old. Educational services are provided by Northwest Regional ESD and therapeutic services are provided by Lifeworks NW.) ($1,000) Barb Rice, Levi Anderson Learning Center: Two electric guitars with amps and headphones to fully equip the music class at the ESD’s educational program at St. Mary's Home for Boys in Beaverton. ($200) Dr. Dean Longfellow, Cascade and Pacific Academies: Funds to support a 2012 Rose Festival Dragon Boat team for students with emotional, social, and behavioral needs in the ESD’s program in Beaverton. ($1,000) Gayle Hernandez, Tualatin Early Childhood Center: Material to promote body awareness, sensory calming, and communication skills, which are fundamental for present and future learning for children in the ESD’s special needs preschool program in Tualatin. ($175) Jeanne Gering, Lifeworks NW Adolescent Day Treatment Program (ADTP): Ready-made science kits to provide hands-on activities that will better engage young children and students with significant social, emotional, and behavioral disorders. (ADTP serves children 12-18 years old. Educational services are provided by Northwest Regional ESD and therapeutic services are provided by Lifeworks NW.) ($500) Jillynn Garcia, Cascade and Pacific Academies: Green house, rain barrels, and plant starts for the horticultural therapy program at the ESD’s at-risk school serving 300 students with emotional, social, and behavioral needs in Beaverton. ($1,000) Julia Pitcher, Teacher of the Blind/Visually Impaired: GPS Trekker Breeze® for a deaf/blind student to be able to navigate in the community safely and independently, both while walking and taking public transportation. ($955) Karen James, The Positive Advancement Center for Education (P.A.C.E.): Portable partitions for the classroom and common areas to protect other students from disruptive behaviors and provide privacy and dignity for students who are in crisis. PACE is an ESD program serving special education students with emotional disorders, who have a wide range of disabilities such as schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. ($995) Kathryn Shearer, Levi Anderson Learning Center Kellye Trant, Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education: Switch activated adapted toys for use with children who have severe physical limitations in the early childhood special education classrooms serving children in Beaverton, Banks, Forest Grove, Gaston, and Hillsboro. ($400) Lisa Taylor, Woodside Early Childhood Center in Beaverton: Material to develop a Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) library at the preschool. The supplies will be used in conjunction with ongoing training to continue the implementation of PBIS for preschool children with special needs. (PBIS is widely used to promote healthy social skills and to address children’s problem behaviors). ($900) Lori Asada, Hillsboro Education Center: Gross motor equipment and supplies for preschool students with special needs at the ESD's facility serving children and families in Western Washington County in the areas of early childhood disabilties and autism (stairs, balance beam, rocking/bouncing horse, basketball hoop). ($500) Michelle Sparks-Smith, Hillsboro Education Center: Material to support Handwriting Without Tears (HWT), a pre-k handwriting curriculum that adheres to developmental principles to ensure success for special needs preschool children at the ESD's facility serving children and families in Western Washington County in the areas of early childhood disabilities and autism. ($460) Monica Barrett, The Positive Advancement Center for Education (P.A.C.E.): Team sports equipment for the program for 50 high-risk students aged 9-18 with a wide range of intellectual and emotional disabilites that severely impact their ability to learn. PACE is an ESD program serving special education students with emotional disorders, who have a wide range of disabilities such as schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. ($1,000) Sharon Meeuwsen, NWRESD Long Term Care & Treatment Programs: 30 protective cases to prevent damage to iPads used by the special needs students for social communication programs across four programs serving students from Washington County school districts. ($1,000) Vicki Clark, Vision Specialist: iPad and protective case to support 25 visually impaired students in acquiring visual attendance and hand/eye coordination skills. ($700) - BANKS SCHOOL DISTRICT Tim Eggleston, Banks High School: Hydroponic equipment for growing fruits and vegetables year-round in school greenhouse. (Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water, rather than soil.) ($1,000) - BEAVERTON SCHOOL DISTRICT Christine Morris, Highland Park Middle School Special Education: Hand-held magnification device (Ruby®), for a visually impaired student with a form of macular degeneration (Stagardt’s Distrophy). ($545)
- FOREST GROVE SCHOOL DISTRICT Jill Hertel, Forest Grove High School: Sets, costumes, and advertising posters for a Unified Theater production. Unified Theater combines students with and without disabilities who practice and perform a play together, providing youth with disabilities the opportunity to participate in the arts. ($1,000) Alexandra Thomas, Cornelius Elementary School: Power adapters for augmentative communication devices. ($132) - GASTON SCHOOL DISTRICT David Beasely, Gaston Elementary School: Vocal amplification technology to assist all students to clearly hear the voice of the teacher and better understand the tasks and directions – benefiting both hard of hearing students, as well as those with attention deficit difficulties. Sixteen percent of Gaston students currently have some disability. ($1,000) Marie Kolstad, Free Orchards Elementary School: Tuition for students to attend Outdoor Science School who otherwise could not afford to participate. ($1000) - SHERWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT Patina Fieken, Hopkins Elementary School: Team sports equipment for students in the ELL program, giving them an opportunity to play on a team, and be exposed to physical activities they are not typically a part of. ($600) - TIGARD-TUALATIN SCHOOL DISTRICT Carrie Leander, Tualatin High School: Tracker Pro® to help student with severe orthopedic impairment. The Tracker Pro® is a computer input device that takes the place of a mouse for people with little or no hand movement. ($995) |
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