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March 6, 2024
Awarding $25K for Teachers’ Innovative Ideas
Helping Children
Overcome Many
Challenges
We know not all kids learn the same
way, but education budgets don’t usually
include a line item for innovation.
That’s where Northwest Regional Edu-
cation Service District’s Foundation comes
in. The nonprofit distributes about $25,000
every year to educators in northwest Ore-
gon. The funding gives educators a chance
to test out ideas, equipment, supplies and
curricula with their students. If the project
works, that class or concept will grow and
become part of the yearly budget.
That’s been the case with a therapeutic
learning garden at Levi Anderson Learn-
ing Center. What began as a $2,500 grant
about 10 years ago has become a mainstay
for students at the social emotional learn-
ing school located on the St. Mary’s Home
for Boys campus in Beaverton.
The foundation recently announced this
year’s winners -- they include 19 educa-
tors and therapists who work in Beaver-
ton, Gaston, Hillsboro, Knappa, Seaside,
Sherwood, St. Helens, Tigard, Tillamook
and Tualatin. The funding totals just over
$25,000, and the projects range from $260
to $2,500.
The majority of the projects will help
students who are experiencing develop-
mental, physical, behavioral and/or mental
health challenges. Other projects support
language development.
The NWRESD Foundation awarded a $2,500 grant to NWRESD's blind and visually
impaired program for an end-of-year carnival and community celebration. Children
and families like the one pictured above participated in a day of fun, games and
connection.
This year’s grant projects include a
weekly cooking class that blends nutrition,
culture and food exploration for middle
and high schoolers. Books, graphic nov-
els and reading/language resources for
students learning english and attending
dual-immersion schools. Video camera,
laptop, video editing software and acces-
sories for a media class. Low-tech supplies
such as piping, velcro and moldable plastic
to make art accessible to children who use
walkers or wheelchairs or who have trouble
gripping art supplies. An indoor play struc-
ture for a preschool in Tillamook County.
A Sensory equipment such as compression
vests and weighted shoulder/lap pads for
preschoolers who have autism and other
sensory challenges. Uniforms and sports
equipment for a unified sports team that
brings together athletes with disabilities
and typically developing peers and ther-
apeutic swings for specialists to use with
young children and their families
Benjamin Spofford, a special education
teacher at Levi Anderson, received a grant
for a media production class. The school
is located on the St. Mary’s Home for
Boys campus in Beaverton and provides
specialized mental and behavioral support
to sixth through twelfth graders.
With the funding, he’ll purchase a
video camera, laptop and video editing
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software for the class. Students will learn
about storytelling within the context of
their own lives. They will create videos
about school and sporting events, inter-
view friends and teachers and highlight
music and comedy performances. In ad-
dition to the technical skills they gain,
they’ll also think about how stories are
told and by whom.
In his application, Benjamin wrote:
“We feel that it is essential now more than
any time in the past to teach media liter-
acy and media ethics. We want students
to have media production skills but also
the ability to gauge the reliability of me-
dia and how to make ethical decisions so
that the purpose of their media is clear and
transparent to viewers.”
“Every year we are delighted to see such
energy, passion and creativity coming from
our applicants. All of the proposals are de-
signed to provide new experiences that
adapt ways children can participate in their
learning and education,” says Karen Foley,
foundation president. “It is our foundation
mission in action.”
Karen has served on the grant selection
committee for many years and says the
committee always takes such care in delib-
erating how to spend the dollars raised for
these grant projects.
See below for a description of the grant,
name of the recipient and their school
district. Sign up for updates from the
NWRESD Foundation to get notified about
the next opportunity to apply for a grant at
nwresd.org/foundation. The foundation
typically accepts applications in the fall
and awards grants in the winter.