Fall 2022 Grant Projects

Investing in innovative
student, educator & family-led projects

DPS Foundation Innovation Grants fund projects aimed at increasing equity, accessibility, resources, and opportunities within DPS schools. Available in the fall of each school year, Innovation Grants are open only to DPS students, teachers, staff, administrators, and family members for projects that directly center and impact their school or school communities.

In addition to our Innovation Grants, we were able to offer additional funds specifically for projects related to mental health as part of our WHOLE Schools Fund.


Congratulations to our fall 2022 recipients!

This year, we awarded $61,315 in Innovation Grants across 25 schools - plus one grant to the DPS Hub Farm. Read on to learn about the projects we are funding this year. To read about WHOLE Schools Fund recipients, click here.


“Bethesda Bulldogs Bountiful Learning Garden” - $2,500

Bethesda Elementary School

This grant will focus on the expansion of the Bethesda school learning garden to ensure access for all students. Expansion will include: building new garden beds and repairing old ones; constructing a small greenhouse to grow seedlings; purchasing supplies, equipment and tools for garden maintenance and watering; and purchasing supplies and materials to aid student learning in the garden.

“Brogden Middle School Jazz Band - A New Standard” - $2,500

Brogden Middle School

The Brogden Middle School (BMS) Jazz Band is a new endeavor that seeks to create an extension of BMS’s music program by providing opportunities for students to continue their growth as musicians. Students will be encouraged to express their musical creativity through new techniques and to foster an appreciation for diverse genres of music. Funds will be used to purchase amps, guitars, microphones, stands, cables, and miscellaneous materials.

“Ram Coffee Club” - $1,425

Burton Elementary School

The aim of the Ram Coffee Club is to give students an opportunity to learn and practice important skills while creating a greater sense of community in which students with special needs feel like and are recognized as a vital part of the school community and are treated as such. Every Thursday, the Ram Coffee Club will distribute order forms to staff members who will pre-order their morning coffee for students to make and deliver on Friday mornings. This initiative will provide these students with an opportunity to learn and practice social skills, functional and communication skills, and future job skills.

“Improving Master Teacher Retention at High Need Schools” - $4,000

Glenn Elementary School

Funds will be used to enable master teachers at Glenn to pursue National Board Certification over the next year. By providing teachers with the opportunity to participate in high-quality professional development and reflection as a team, this will help to retain effective teachers.

“Ignite Online Academy Student Leadership Center” - $1,500

Ignite Online Academy

These funds will help transform one of Ignite Online Academy’s trailer classrooms into a Student Leadership Center (SLC) that is a safe, welcoming space where all students take ownership of their educational experience. The SLC will be an accessible environment where students who are struggling with the online learning model can learn skills for success and supporting the growth of our fledgling student organizations.

“Providing Free Yearbooks to Graduating EL Students” - $1,000

Jordan High School

This project will help provide some of Jordan’s graduating English Learner seniors with a free or subsidized yearbook.

"Creating Spaces Schools Where All Students Succeed" - $2,000

Lakeview School

Lakeview will be using these funds to implement family engagement practices, school wide achievement, and school based incentives for positive behaviors. The PBIS program will seek to increase attendance among grades 6-12, decrease peer conflict and fighting, decrease suspensions within the school setting, and increase family engagement and parental involvement.

“Focusing on Field Trips: A School-Wide Initiative To Promote Equity, Community and Inclusion” - $2,800

Lakewood Elementary School

Funding will help provide opportunities for Lakewood students to attend field trips this school year. Field-trips are known to increase a child’s knowledge base and support hands-on learning experiences, all while providing opportunities for social-emotional learning.

“Books for ALL” - $1,000

Mangum Elementary School

Funds will be used to purchase identity affirming and bilingual books for the Mangum Elementary’s library. This is a proudly parent-led grant, and these parents hope to support the school in their ongoing equity work.

“Equity and Inclusion School Library” - $1,600

Oak Grove Elementary School

Oak Grove will be using these funds to create a library of diversity and inclusion books for the school library. Funds will offer different grade levels a library to introduce students to diverse books and allow students to see themselves reflected in book. It will also allow teachers to use the books to teach about equity and inclusion based on the monthly themes.

“Building a LGBTQ+ and Gender Inclusive School”

Parkwood Elementary School - $2,000

Southwest Elementary School - $2,000

Parkwood and Southwest Elementary will be partnering with Rainbow Collective for Change to establish a Rainbow Club at both schools - a safe space for LGBTQ and gender diverse students (and allies) to build connection with one another and explore topics. These topics include: self identity (including gender identity and expression, race, abilities, and diverse family representation); recognizing similarities and differences; recognizing unfairness; and developing advocacy skills to speak up for themselves, peers, and others. Rainbow Clubs are student run and staff or parent/guardian supported groups that provide students a safe and supportive place to connect and discuss topics around diversity and inclusion. Rainbow Collective for Change (RCC) will provide the materials to support the Rainbow Club, training for Rainbow Club advisors and interested staff, and family workshops to engage families in these discussions.

“Sidekicks/Lady Warriors Leadership Academy” - $3,000

R.N. Harris Integrated Arts/Core Knowledge Magnet School

This project will help support Sidekicks at R.N. Harris Elementary. Sidekicks is a martial arts program for students, and is open to any student nominated by school leadership. Sidekicks has a special focus on students of color and the distinct roadblocks that hamper their success, but understands that supporting any student in its core program areas of academics, mental health, and social justice boosts the morale and strength of entire school communities.

“Upgrading Riverside’s scholastic media programs” - $2,000

Riverside High School

Riverside will be improving and enhancing student media programs. Updated tech will add curricular resources to some of Riverside’s other electives as well, such as intro to journalism, sports marketing and mass communications, as well as make an offering an entirely new elective - broadcast journalism - a real possibility. Funds will be used toward tech such as computers, monitors, keyboards, and mice.

“Equitable Achievement: Educate, Empower, Encourage” - $1,500

Shepard IB Magnet Middle School

This grant will assist 8th grade scholars gain early career and college exposure through field trips, community outreach events, and partnerships with community stakeholders. The project will support students’ future plans so that they can continue to have positive impacts in their community and in their postsecondary endeavors.

“Building Inclusivity in the DPS Hub Farm’s Vegetable Garden” - $4,500

DPS Hub Farm

Funds will support the Hub Farm in their plan to build an ADA-accessible vegetable garden and learning space, using principles of Universal Design. By building out the new garden, the Hub Farm will not only address nutrient and water issues, but will also better engage EC students and students with disabilities in farm management and job skills development.

“Reigniting the Mozarts Program at Eastway Elementary School” - $2,000

Eastway Elementary School

Eastway will be working with Kidznotes on this grant. Mozarts is open to students in Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades, and classes are co-taught in a group setting by a district general music teacher and a Kidznotes applied strings instructor. Students learn the basic elements of general music, are introduced to violin technique, develop the foundation for their future musical education, and have critical skills fostered that will aid in their development as young musicians and individuals.

“Latinx Literature Club/ Club de Literatura Latino” - $2,500

EK Powe Elementary School

This Latinx parent-led project will help create a Latinx Literature Club at E.K. Powe Elementary. The club will support the academic achievement and wellness of Latinx students by having a space where they can learn with other kids who look like them and with books that mirror them and their experiences.

“Courtyard Pollinator Garden” - $3,000

Eno Valley Elementary School

These funds will help support a pollinator garden at Eno Valley. Each grade level will be responsible for growing and maintaining flowers and/ or vegetation in their respective areas of the garden. Students will be exposed to the garden throughout the school year and learn about different things that grow in the various seasons as well as the contributions of rainwater and natural light.

“Design and creation of Community Resource Room and Teacher Lounge update” - $2,500

Fayetteville Street Elementary School

Fayetteville Street Elementary will be creating a Family-Community Resource Room. This space will give the families and staff at FSES the opportunity to have a meeting area, use desktop computers, have a community meeting space as well as useful and available resource materials and books.

“Creating Supportive Environments for Students with Disabilities: A Whole School Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Universal Design for Learning” - $4,000

Forest View Elementary School

Forest View will be supporting students with disabilities (SWD) with this grant. The school will be partnering with Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities to implement and evaluate a three-pronged approach capable of creating whole-school change that supports SWD. The goal is to support these students in need while providing expert skills-building training to all Forest View educators. This whole-school approach is equity-focused and, furthermore, many of the tools used to support SWD help all learners reach their full potential.

“Pearsontown PTA DEI Minecraft: Education Edition and Social-Emotional Learning Content to Students” - $1,000

Pearsontown Elementary School

Pearsontown Elementary School will be bringing Minecraft: Education Edition to Pearsontown students via Pearsontown Elementary PTA DEI Committee. This initiative offers a number of learning frameworks supporting critical thinking, inclusion, wellness, and digital literacy. The mission centers on closing the opportunity gap for historically marginalized students by funding opportunities for anti-racist education, organizing culturally-inclusive events, and establishing supportive contexts to foster wellness for historically marginalized students and their families.

“ELL Family Center After School Program” - $2,500

Sandy Ridge Elementary School

Funds will be used toward developing a cohesive curriculum for a K-5 ELL (English Language Learner) after school program. The curriculum will support listening and speaking activities with engaging cooperative and independent activities.

“Science Club, Science Olympiads” - $2,000

School for Creative Studies

This project will bring the Science Olympiad to the School of Creative Studies. Science Olympiad is an international non-profit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. The bulk of funding will be allocated to the stipend for the science educator, the additional funds will be used to provide snacks for students, for transportation when needed and any additional materials needed.

“Spartan Voices Amplified: Using Theatre and Chorus To Support Creativity and Social Justice” - $5,000

Southern School of Energy and Sustainability

All funds will go towards the purchasing of a sound system and microphones for Southern High School's Theatre Department and Choral Department. Through an improved sound system, Southern Spartan Theatre and Chorus will be able to produce productions that our audiences can hear clearly, and ultimately celebrate Southern’s community of incredible student performers.

“Equitable opportunities and exposure for elementary students of color into the workforce” - $1,500

Y.E. Smith Elementary School

This project will focus on exposing students to career exploration and workforce systems through expanding community partnerships. Students will have the opportunity to explore various career fields and the workforce through field trips, virtual interviews and guest speakers.

For questions about Innovation Grants, email grants@bullcityschools.org

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