Dysart Education Foundation Awards Laird Mini Grants

The Dysart Education Foundation (DEF) recently announced 12 recipients for the 2024 Laird Mini Grants.  Funding for this year’s DEF mini grants, totaling more than $16,000 was provided by the City of Surprise Community Outreach Program, Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE), Subaru Superstore of Surprise, and other donors from the community.   Mini Grants were awarded based on projects that incorporate arts, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, student need, and creativity in student learning. 

DEF is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Laird Mini Grants:

Noelle Downs from Canyon Ridge School will use her funds to purchase tools, robotics, and materials for her Kindergarten through 4th grade students, giving them the opportunity to code with robotics, participate in STEAM projects, and use the Design Process.

Lucy Blanco from El Mirage Elementary School will purchase robots to use in her Kindergarten through 4th grade classes, providing the opportunity to experience problem solving skills through computational thinking with unplugged and robot coding.

Mikaella Belsan from Countryside Elementary School requested a variety of Little Spot Box Sets to help students with their social skills. 

Krystal Dickinson-Sophiea from El Mirage will purchase some new hands-on materials for math, literacy, and science centers to meet the needs of students at different learning levels. 

Madeline Kidd from Luke Elementary School will buy music materials to help foster patriotic spirit, provide essential items for students who can't afford them, and equip students with tools that promote proper technique and help maintain their instruments.  

Sarah Sartor from Shadow Ridge High School will use her funding to establish a classroom library for her 12th grade students, aimed at enhancing their literacy skills and fostering a love for reading. Books will include a diverse selection of contemporary and classic literature.

Ramona Arizmendez from Thompson Ranch Elementary School will be buying multi-sensory and engaging materials that allow her students to work in literacy stations and centers.

Karyn Kelley from Western Peaks Elementary School will purchase interactive STEM kits and digital resources used to explore real-world concepts within the classroom for hand-ons inquiry based learning activities. 

Hilde DeNoma from West Point Elementary School will be receiving costume and set building materials and equipment for a series of student performances this Spring including a Romeo & Juliet theatre performance, a musical theatre review, dance concert, and a dance performance at the Festival of the Arts.  

Alesha Wisbey from Dysart High School plans to use her funding to help pay for transportation to take her AVID students to Northern Arizona University for a campus visit. Many students in the AVID program are going to be first-generation college students and touring a college campus will be beneficial as they are deciding on plans for the future.

Debby Cruz from Mountain View School will purchase additional music stands as well as a variety of sheet music to ensure students have the resources needed to improve their skills.  Some of the sheet music will be STEM themed to support the school’s STEM nights.

Jennifer Carleton from Dysart High School will buy materials and equipment for a coffee cart.  Students from the Structured Teaching Classroom (STC) will serve the staff members at Dysart High School and learn basic job skills to include; cleaning, prepping, taking and writing orders and social skills related to the job world.

Dysart Education Foundation is a non-profit organization whose volunteers are committed to enriching the education of students in the Dysart Unified School District by providing scholarships to students and mini grants to teachers.  For more information about the Dysart Education Foundation, visit https://dysarteducationfoundation.org.