The Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 Educational Foundation recently approved three mini-grant awards, totaling almost $5,000, for projects that will help drive student success. These grants empower educators to implement innovative initiatives that enhance student learning and engagement.
Project proposals that received the award include Spheros (coding robots) at Covington, a CASE sensory space at Kolmar, and Districtwide Enrichment field trips. To celebrate the recipients of the mini-grants, members of the Ed Foundation, the D123 Board of Education, and District Administration traveled to the schools for a surprise balloon brigade, complete with a big check and even bigger smiles.
Read more about each of these projects below…
Spheros at Covington
Spheros are programmable robots that students can code using visual, block-based programming as well as more advanced coding options as they grow, creating hands-on STEM experiences for students. Through guided challenges and open-ended exploration, students learn foundational skills in coding, problem-solving, engineering design, and computational thinking.
At Covington, Spheros will be used in the library media center to assist students in collaborating, testing ideas, making mistakes, and revising their thinking, all essential components of authentic STEM learning. This initiative helps make abstract concepts more concrete and allows students to be creators, not just consumers, of technology.
“I am incredibly grateful to the Ed Foundation for supporting this grant and for investing in innovative learning opportunities for our students,” Beth Keblusek, a D123 Media Specialist, said. “STEM experiences like Spheros give students the chance to think critically, collaborate, and build confidence while learning through play. These hands-on experiences spark curiosity and help students see themselves as problem-solvers and creators, which is a powerful foundation for future learning.”
CASE Sensory Space at Kolmar
The proposal for a sensory room was created to help manage sensory challenges for Kolmar students with special needs. The sensory room will help provide a structured, therapeutic environment equipped with tools and activities to promote regulation, sensory integration, and focus. Many students in the CASE program benefit from tools that promote self-regulation, focus, and emotional well-being. Students benefit from sensory supports that include deep pressure input or proprioceptive input, reduced sensory overload, and a low-stimulation space.
“Providing these resources will not only help students access the curriculum more effectively, but also foster a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment,” CASE Teacher Colleen Reidy said. “We are so excited for our students that we were awarded the sensory room grant. This resource will significantly support students' self-regulation, emotional well-being, and readiness to learn in the classroom.”
Enrichment Field Trips
The Enrichment Team requested funding through the Ed Foundation’s Mini-Grant program to provide transportation for the educational field trips planned for the Literacy and Math Enrichment students districtwide.
Math students in 3rd grade will visit Oak Lawn Bank and Trust and Oak Lawn Village Hall to learn about financial literacy and meet Oak Lawn and Hometown's Mayors. Math students in 4th grade will visit Ancestral Oven in Oak Lawn for a baking lesson involving fractions. For 5th-grade math students, they will teach math lessons to the preschoolers at the Early Learning Center and engage in a Career Day at the District Office. All levels of Literacy classes will visit Wolfe Wildlife Park in Oak Lawn for a "Pen Pal Picnic" in the Spring to culminate their Pen Pal writing unit.
"The D123 Enrichment Team and I are very grateful for the funding provided through the Ed Foundation,” Krysten Altenburg, Enrichment Teacher at Sward School, said. “This Mini Grant will provide our students with beneficial learning experiences through application, during community-driven events.”