The Special Education Resource Grant program opened the first week of January, and this week we awarded our final grant. We awarded over 200 grants to teachers serving mildly to severely disabled students with a wide spectrum of special needs.

The grant requests we receive for this program are some of the most heartfelt and inspiring requests we receive. Here are some examples of requests we funded:

Refurbished iPad – Cleveland Elementary School, Oakland: Ms. Aiste Solly was awarded funding to purchase a refurbished iPad to use with her 25 special education students.

“iPad technology has been documented extensively to accommodate learning differences and can be used as a tool of assistive technology. It can allow students to overcome communication difficulties, mobility challenges, fine motor impairments, and vision and hearing challenges.”

Gross Motor Materials – Dan Mini Elementary School, Vallejo: Ms. Joan DeWolf requested funding to replace supplies to help students develop language, social and motor skills.

“I am requesting funding so I may purchase materials to meet the needs of my students and classroom. We are still experiencing budget cuts and it affects how I can serve my students. We would like to purchase materials to replace what we’ve been using in all areas of teaching, some of which are over 30 years old.”

High Interest/Low Reader Books – Emerson Elementary School, Oakland: Ms. Marian Woodside requested funding to purchase new books to use with her K-2nd grade students on the autism spectrum.

“As a special education teacher we get very little curriculum provided for us and have to search out and make a great deal of learning materials ourselves for students. I am writing this grant to seek and provide reading materials for my students that is age appropriate, reading level appropriate, and of high interest.”

Rug and Bean Bag Chair – Fairmont Elementary School, El Cerrito: Ms. Jennifer Kelso was awarded funding to purchase a rug and bean bag chair for her 6 wheelchair-bound students.

“Students are often in their wheelchairs the whole day without a place to get out to stretch their bodies and change positions. We would like to purchase a rug and bean bag chair to allow students to lay on their stomach or back in a comfortable position to read books or listen to fairy tales.”

Play Materials – Hillview Crest Elementary School, Hayward: Ms. Julie Francisco is working with 1st and 2nd grade students with Autistism and ADHD to develop their social skills. She was awarded funding to purchase games, toys and books for students to use during group play time.

“It can be difficult for my students to make and keep friends. We hold daily lunchtime social groups and hold weekly social lessons in class. We don’t want them to feel as though this is a sort of punishment, but instead want them to look forward to the group and enjoy the activities.”

Produce Boxes – Ochoa Middle School, Hayward: Ms. Danielle Fleming teaches a functional, life-skills cooking class and was awarded funding to purchase fresh produce for her students to cook with.

“I will be able to teach my students to make healthier choices and how to prepare their own food in order to be ready for independent living when they get older.”

While funding for this program is now exhausted, there is still funding available in several of our other Teacher Resource Grant Programs. If you’d like to keep up-to-date on our open grants, please subscribe to our mailing list.