MEF Round 46 Grants – December, 2025

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Round 46 Grants – December, 2025

Steam Forward
In the Create Your Own Fiber Optic Lamp STEM activity titled STEAM Forward, kids engage in hands-on learning by designing and assembling their own fiber optic lamps using various materials and tools. This activity introduces them to the principles of light transmission and optics while fostering creativity and problem-solving skills. The purpose is to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by allowing children to explore the fascinating world of light and engineering in a fun and interactive way. By the end of the project, they not only gain a better understanding of how fiber optics work but also experience the satisfaction of creating a functional and visually striking piece of art.
Kesha Walker, Merrillville Intermediate School, Gr. 6, 150 students.
Game On for Growth
Our project, Game on for Growth, aims to motivate and reward students for meeting their weekly iReady goals through a team-wide Celebration Friday initiative. Each week, students work on individualized reading or math pathways with the target of completing 100 active minutes and passing two lessons. Students who achieve this goal earn the privilege of participating in Celebration Friday, where they engage in board and card games that promote problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. This project not only incentivizes consistent academic effort but also builds essential social and cognitive skills, creating a positive classroom culture that supports both learning and personal growth.
Lauren Morando, Pierce Middle School, Gr. 8, 125 students.
Supplies for Project Based Learning
This is a way to improve student engagement in social studies and civics. Students would use materials to create projects and be hands on with the content being taught. The purpose of the project is to ensure each student has the supplies they need to spark an interest in the world they live in. They are fully engaged in these activities.
Melissa Humpfer, Merrillville Intermediate School, Gr. 6, 300 students.
AAC and UDL in Autism Classrooms
Since severing from a special education cooperative two years ago, MCSC has had to restructure our nine classrooms for about 100 students with autism and/or severe communication deficits. This also includes equipment our students had access to when we were still part of the cooperative. It is the desire of the Special Education Dept. to equip our students with the tools needed for them to actively participate in the curriculum, effectively express their wants and needs, and build relationships with their peers. We believe that providing students with communication devices will achieve these goals. It is our desire to eventually equip all these classrooms with devices that will allow them to approach communication from a universal design for learning (UDL) approach so all students can access the curriculum, not just the ones with the ability to do so independently. For this particular project, we are requesting funding for two (2) communication devices in two of our four elementary autism classrooms where 15-25 non-verbal students will have an opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively.
Michelle McGill-Vargas, PK-6 Special Education, 15-20 students.
Mileage Club
Students in 2nd through 4th grade are eligible to participate in this unique club at no-cost to students and families. Mileage Club is simple, leaving flexibility in staff participation as well. During recess, students will run the perimeter of the recess playground (400 meters) while (2) volunteer/staff members monitor. Each student will receive a foot-shaped card indicating 20 laps, or 5 miles. After each lap is completed, an adult will hole-punch their card. Upon completion of their first card, each student will receive a silver, ball-chain bracelet with their first charm. Each card completed after allows for another charm. The purpose of my project is to simply give students a chance to be a part of something while the opportunity may not be presented otherwise.
Savannah Wilgus, Fieler School, Gr. 2-4, 250+ students.
UFLI for All!
The UFLI for All initiative aims to provide Fieler Elementary’s third-grade classrooms with UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) curriculum books and wall sound cards to strengthen students’ phonics skills and address foundational reading gaps. These materials will support whole-group instruction aligned to grade-level standards, while also offering targeted intervention for students needing additional phonetic support. Grounded in the Science of Reading, UFLI is designed to boost literacy outcomes and improve IREAD and ILEARN performance. With these tools, our students will be empowered to read confidently and lead the way in Merrillville.
Abigail Nondorf, Fieler School, Gr. 3, 100 students.
Science of Reading Toolkit
We are seeking funding to continue to grow a comprehensive library of hands-on manipulatives, interactive games, and targeted resources aligned with the Science of Reading framework. These materials will enhance students’ language arts skills by strengthening foundational reading areas such as phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. By making learning more engaging, these tools will support diverse learning styles and promote deeper understanding. Teachers will be empowered to provide differentiated instruction during Student Resource Time (SRT) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), helping to close learning gaps and accelerate student progress. These additional tools being added to the library will serve as a lasting resource, improving literacy outcomes for students across all grade levels.
Rose Matthews, Salk School, Gr. K-4, 560 students.
Coding Robots
This is my first year teaching Computer Science. I would like to incorporate STEM activities for my students and feel that building a robot and allowing them to Code Robots will not only be fun for my students, but will allow them to incorporate what they have learned this trimester and apply those skills to using the mBlock Apps to control, play coding games and to program their mBot. Hands on activities and projects not only excite the students and also promotes interest in learning, but allows students the excitement of seeing their learning in something tangible.
Kimberly Okeley, Pierce Middle School, Gr. 7, 6 students.
Fidget Fund
We are requesting funding from the Merrillville Education Foundation to provide flexible seating options for a 3rd-grade classroom at Merrillville Community Schools. Flexible seating—including wobble stools, cushions, and standing desks—will create a more dynamic and student-centered learning environment, promoting increased focus, engagement, collaboration, and comfort. This approach supports diverse learning needs and encourages active participation, directly aligning with the district’s goals of fostering innovative teaching strategies, equity, and the overall development of every student. With your support, we can enhance our classroom environment to help students thrive academically and socially.
Abigail Nondorf, Fieler School, Gr. 3, 24 students.
Nightengale Essentials
This is a creative, hands-on Multi-Sensory Learning Lab designed for my Essential Skills classroom serving 14 students with multiple disabilities. The project will provide students with tactile alphabet and number manipulatives, adaptive fine-motor games, visual communication supports, and real-world activities in food preparation and cleanliness. These activities are purposeful in helping students engage with academics while also practicing functional life skills that promote independence. At its heart, this project reflects my belief that every child is uniquely created with value and potential, and with the right support, can flourish. The goal of Nightengale Essentials is to foster meaningful growth in literacy, numeracy, communication, and daily living skills through innovative, student-centered experiences that align with MCSC’s curriculum and mission to prepare all learners for lifelong success.
Roland Nightengale, Salk School, Gr. K-4, 14 students.
Project Calm Down
This project aims to establish a dedicated de-escalation room within our second classroom to support the sensory and emotional needs of our Essential Skills students. The space will be equipped with calming and sensory-friendly items such as a large bean bag chair, a circular ceiling canopy, a soft area rug, backdrop curtains for visual separation, and a lava lamp. These elements have been carefully selected to create a quiet, soothing environment where students can self-regulate and recover from overstimulation or emotional distress. The room will be used daily or as needed by 8–10 students, including those with IEPs that specifically allow for quiet breaks. The purpose of this project is to reduce transitions across the building, increase time spent in learning environments, and support student well-being through accessible, in-classroom sensory regulation.
LaTanya Coleman, Pierce Middle School, Gr. 7-8, 15 students.
ELA Board Games
Through my ELA Board Games project, I will have the materials to offer a different style of learning high stakes ELA standards. This board game set will allow me to both remediate and enrich highly tested standards such as main idea, inferencing, supporting details, cause and effect, comprehension and other skills. Students will buy in to working more on these ILearn tested skills because the game style is retro to them rather than a screen-based game like all of the other games they engage with. Students will build their skills, peer relationships and make gains during their SRT time when allowed access to these games approximately two times a month.
Dayna Bacon, Merrillville Intermediate School, Gr. 5, 100 students.
Sensory support for attention and regulation
The Sensory Supports project will create a series of portable sensory and movement-based activity stations designed to help students develop self-regulation, attention, and motor readiness for learning. Using tools such as wobble stools, balance discs, body socks, weighted lap pads, fidgets, and noise-canceling headphones, students will engage in short, structured activities to calm or energize their bodies as needed throughout the school day. The purpose of this project is to integrate evidence-based occupational therapy strategies directly into classrooms, empowering students to independently recognize and meet their sensory needs, improve fine motor control and focus, and enhance overall participation and success in academic and functional activities.
Kirsten Bovee, PK-12+ Special Education, 250+ students.
Grip and Grow: Building Fine Motor Foundations for Academic Achievement
The purpose of this project is to support MVSC students in achieving their individualized goals related to fine motor development. Fine motor skills are essential for daily functioning across all age groups, impacting tasks such as writing, typing, opening food packages, and managing clothing fasteners like zippers and buttons. By engaging students in targeted, hands-on fine motor activities, this project aims to strengthen the foundational skills necessary for greater independence both in the classroom and in everyday life. Ultimately, our goal is to empower students to build confidence and improve their ability to complete daily tasks with increased ease and autonomy.
Kylie Wegner, PreK-12+ Special Education, 250+ students.
Switch Access for Independence: Empowering Students with Limited Mobility
The Switch Access for Independence project will provide adaptive switches and switch-activated toys that enable students with limited mobility to interact with and control their environment. Students will use a variety of switch types to activate lights, toys, music, or computer interfaces—learning cause and effect while increasing engagement and independence. This project’s purpose is to enhance access, participation, and inclusion for students with significant physical disabilities by integrating assistive technology tools that foster communication, control, and joy in learning.
Lisa Donahue, PK-12+ Special Education, 10-15 students.
Literacy and Vocabulary Booster Initiative
The Sixth-Grade Literacy and Vocabulary Booster Initiative is a 10-month project designed to enhance nonfiction comprehension and Tier 2 academic vocabulary acquisition for identified struggling 6th-grade readers, directly supporting Merrillville Community School Corporation’s core goal of providing high-quality, inclusive learning experiences. The project’s activities involve implementing a systematic, weekly curriculum utilizing subscriptions to Scholastic News and Storyworks magazines. The process is divided into four phases: establishing a data-driven baseline through pre-testing; a core instructional focus on explicitly teaching nonfiction text features and academic vocabulary; a phase of deep integration that requires comparative reading, synthesis, and student-led presentations; and concluding with a final post-test and comprehensive grant report to measure student growth and the project’s success in fostering essential critical reading skills.
Melissa Bushnell, Merrillville Intermediate School, Gr. 6, 110 students.
Current Kids: Building Knowledge One Headline at a Time
The Current Kids project brings Scholastic News magazines into 4th grade classrooms to strengthen nonfiction reading and real-world learning for 60 students. Throughout the school year (January–December, with June and July off), students will read, analyze, and discuss engaging current event articles that connect directly to Indiana standards in reading, writing, science, and social studies. Activities include identifying text structures, summarizing information, exploring vocabulary in context, connecting articles to classroom lessons, and completing end-of-year reflection projects. The purpose of this project is to inspire curiosity, build critical thinking and comprehension skills, and help students understand how reading connects them to the world around them — turning every classroom into an active newsroom of young, informed learners.
Michelle Robinson, Miller School, Gr. 4, 60 students.
Building Literacy One Letter at a Time
Building Literacy One Letter at a Time is a great way for students to work from the basic skills of letters to build cvc words to them more complex words. Students will strengthen reading skills such as blending and segmenting which will then strengthen them as readers!
Rose Matthews, Salk School, Gr. 1, 21 students.
Lift Up for Robotics Success!
The title of this grant is Lifting up for Robotics Success . The title of this comes from the kits/parts that the robotics team is requesting which allows the robot to lift its frame up off the ground and allow another robot to park underneath it during the final phase of the First Tech Challenge Robotics competitions. Every year the robot design has included some mechanism that separates the top robot designs from the bottom robot designs. Being able to lift the robot up in the final phase will be one of the design factors that separates these robots. The robotics team has had success designing parts with current inventory, but at this past year’s state competition, they realized their components are out of date and need to be upgraded. This grant will allow the team to be more efficient with their design and be even more competitive if they were to make it to the State championship again. The purpose of this project is to help improve STEM concepts to include more efficient designs to accommodate the programming. Robotics is all about STEM improvement and design challenges. This grant will allow improvement in all phases of the design concept.
Joseph Hussey, Merrillville High School, Gr. 9-12, 15 students.
Amphitheater Bench Seating in the Courtyard (Rebuilding broken benches)
Amphitheater Bench Seating in the Courtyard (Rebuilding broken benches) Project: This grant proposal requests $1200 to rebuild broken benches in the centralized space of the John Wood Amphitheater Courtyard. Librarians and teachers use this space to impact the lives of nearly 225 students across grades K-4. Safety and academic success are key in the securing of this grant. Historically, this space has been a place of creativity, imagination and inspiration. With broken benches, student and teacher use of this space is being hindered. By investing in this project, we expect an increase in student and teacher engagement. Subsequently, this impacts students’ increased motivation for reading and demonstrates a better understanding in the areas of comprehension, vocabulary development and fluency. Moreover, we believe this project would be of great benefit to many students, teachers, and individuals not only at John Wood, but in other parts of the district as well. While the primary purpose is to promote Reading/Language Arts goals, this project is unique in that it will also benefit CTE students by giving them real-world experience and leaving a notable impact in the Merrillville School District. Under staff guidance, CTE students would provide labor that includes but is not limited to: measuring, cutting and staining the boards needed for the project. It is our hope to revitalize the courtyard amphitheater to support learning and help our students grow in greatness!
Carlita Echols, Wood School, Gr. K-4, 225 students.
Lettuce Grow!
This hydroponic gardening project offers an engaging, hands-on learning experience for all grade levels at John Wood Elementary. In addition to supporting core academic standards, it promotes community building, collaboration, nutrition education, and lifelong healthy habits. Through hydroponics, students can grow in greatness their understanding of science, sustainability, and wellness.
Danielle Rizzo, Wood School, Gr. K-4, 225 students.
The Science Supply Lifeline: Empowering 6th Grade Labs
This request is fundamentally about transforming theoretical instruction into immediate, hands-on scientific reality for every 6th-grade student. By providing The Science Supply Lifeline, your donation will directly enable the rigorous, inquiry-based learning that our new curriculum demands. This crucial investment will empower our students to move from reading concepts to executing complex investigations, such as quantifying photosynthesis, analyzing the difference between inhaled and exhaled air, modeling the cycling of carbon through the ecosystem (Movin’ Matter), and examining the ecological implications of sediment runoff (It’s Sedimentary, My Dear Watson). This short list represents just a fraction of the critical thinking and practical lab experiences that will be unlocked. We urge your support to ensure that every young person in our program has the essential tools to activate their curiosity and develop into the critical thinkers and innovators of tomorrow. Thank you for this opportunity to express our need and enthusiasm to develop and carry out an innovative and fun science curriculum for our 6th grade students.
Leilani Pierce, Merrillville Intermediate School, Gr. 6, 450 students.
Building Strong Foundations in Early Literacy
This project is designed to strengthen kindergarten students’ English Language Arts skills through creative, hands-on learning activities that build alphabet recognition, phonemic awareness, and word-building strategies. Using engaging and interactive materials, students will practice identifying letters, connecting sounds, and forming words to develop a strong foundation in reading and writing. These activities will not only enhance literacy skills but also foster confidence and a love for learning. The purpose of this project is to support students in meeting the Indiana Kindergarten Standards for English/Language Arts while laying the groundwork for future academic success, benefiting current and future kindergarten classes for years to come.
Glenda Knight, Salk School, Gr. K, 20 students.
STATE OF THE ARTS: Performing Together at All Costs
When students participate in a Merrillville High School Spring musical production, they learn so much more than lyrics to songs, lines of dialogue, and a few dance steps. They learn, cultivate, practice and hopefully master numerous life skills throughout our journey in rehearsals. From auditions through 8 weeks of rehearsals and 5 lives performances over two weekends, we will strive for excellence onstage and in life as we work together and learn together to perform our roles in our musical theatre production.
Melinda Reinhart, Merrillville High School, Gr, 9-12, 30-50 students.
ELA Resources for SRT
Our grant proposal, ELA Resources for SRT, is a way to help our students improve their listening and problem-solving skills while also improving their letter names and sounds in order to be able to blend them into words. This also helps keep Merrillville School Corporation a step ahead of the state and what Indiana expects of their students. Our main purpose in requesting this program is to not only provide our students with essential tools, but also help them prepare for the future. Helping our kids build problem solving skills and independence is not only practical, it is vital to their success in life.
Stacie Anderson, Wood School, Gr. K, 45 students.
Rhythms of Culture
The Sound of Connection – This project will introduce a rotating collection of handheld percussion instruments to Dual Credit Spanish classes, allowing students to explore the rich musical and cultural traditions of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Through rhythm-based activities, cultural lessons, and brief classroom celebrations, students will strengthen Spanish vocabulary, build cross-cultural understanding, and experience the joy of learning through movement, music, and community.
Monica DaCostaGomez, Merrillville High School, Gr. 10-12, 120-150 students.
G.E.M.S. (Girls Empowered Motivated & Strong)
G.E.M.S. is a group I created because I strongly believe that elementary school is the Foundation for learning. This group will help encourage, engage and empower interdisciplinary learning by combining STEM exploration with literacy, leadership, and emotional growth. The program promotes innovation, confidence, creativity and collaboration — preparing girls to become future leaders in their schools and communities.
LaToya Carter, Miller School, Gr. 3-4, 50 students.

TOTAL ROUND 46 GRANTS: $10,261.10

Return to Awarded Grants Directory…

MEF Round 46 Grants – December, 2025

All Awarded Grants