The fourth and final blog post of this series is a wrap up of the remaining grants we awarded for 2018-2019. In total, we awarded $30,000 in grants to students and teachers in Lake Dallas in support of innovative enrichment projects!

Mindfulness Boxes

A $1,000 grant will be used to purchase mindfulness boxes for students at Shady Shores Elementary School. The boxes aim to build on skills the students have already acquired by learning and practicing the principles of, “7 Habits of Happy Kids”. By aiding students in the development of self-regulation strategies, the mindfulness boxes will help to further shape academic, social-emotional, and career development skills of Shady Shores students. The grant will be directed by teacher Deborah Gladen.

Equipping Students to be Future Ready Leaders and Communicators

Led by Deanna Smith, Yearbook Advisor and Tyler Hardin, 4H teacher at Lake Dallas Middle School, this $5,000 grant will be used to purchase advanced multimedia tools. Through the creation of content such as commercials, public service announcements, and a range of copy related to their curriculum, students will not only learn how to use digital movie and still camera equipment, they will further refine their communication and leadership skills. This initiative will also represent the first time the Lake Dallas Middle School yearbook includes video content.

Leveraging the Power of TED Talks and Green Screen Technology to Give English Language Learners a Voice and a Vehicle to Refine Newly Acquired Language Skills

Funds granted to Lake Dallas Middle School will enable the purchase of technology to launch a green screen video project inspired by the TED Talk Series. Intended to help english language learners develop fluency and confidence with the English language, the class will view a range of TED Talk examples before having the opportunity to produce their own talk on a well-researched topic. They’ll also develop technical skills when using software to record and edit their talk.