GRANT TITLE
Out in the Garden

GRANT AUTHOR, SCHOOL, IMPACT & FUNDING
Nichole Perez – Merrillville Intermediate School Gr. 5-6 – 900 students – $483.64

GRANT PERIOD
Round 36 for Spring 2020; implemented in school year 2020-21

GRANT APPLICATION
Students will have the opportunity of an outdoor learning component for their Math and Science classes where they can apply the skills that they learned in the classroom to the gardens. Students will grow their own seedlings in the classrooms and monitor their growth (Math). Students will see first-hand how plants grow and thrive (Science). By having the opportunity to grow their own plants and work outdoors, students will see if a career in the Environmental & Agricultural Systems career pathway is something they would like to pursue in the future; students will learn about various careers in the Environmental & Agricultural Systems career pathway and how those careers tie-in to the vegetable gardens (College & Career Readiness). The hope is to give students the opportunity of a hands-on experience to apply what they have learned in their classrooms and therefore help them to have a lasting impression of what they learned.

GRANT OUTCOMES
The group was planning on starting up the gardens last Spring, but had to postpone due to the pandemic shutdown. The team was able to purchase the materials needed for the raised garden beds and were able to put them together on Saturday, October 31st. One of the volunteers helped to find a better price for materials so four raised garden beds were created instead of the two raised beds proposed in the grant. In the Spring, the team will purchase additional items, such as a garden hose, rakes, etc. to complete materials for the garden.

PHOTO GALLERY

GRANT TITLE
Crazy Traits

GRANT AUTHOR, SCHOOL, IMPACT & FUNDING
Cheryl Austin – Merrillville High School, Biology Dept. – 500 students – $1218.84

GRANT PERIOD
Round 29 for Fall 2016; implemented in Fall 2016

GRANT APPLICATION
“Crazy Traits” is a hands-on, modeling kit that engages students while teaching them the role that chance plays, in an organism’s inherited traits. Additionally, it gives students an opportunity to model things they can’t see, such as the genotypes of parents and the alleles inherited from each, and those of the offspring resulting from parent crosses. Student engagement level will increase because they will be having fun while using “Crazy Traits” to study how traits are passed from one generation to the next. They will benefit by seeing the results of genetics crosses that can only be done, currently, using paper-based activities. These 3-D models should significantly enhance understanding and retention of genetics concepts that are often difficult for students to comprehend.

GRANT OUTCOMES
Biology 1B students discovered that there are two types of traits: dominant and recessive. Using “Crazy Traits” kits, purchased via a Merrillville Education Foundation grant, students developed a model for how probability influences genetic variation. Students flipped coins to determine which alleles a Crazy Creature offspring would inherit from its parents. Students then built their creature and compared them to the creations of their classmates. They discovered how genetically diverse the population can be even with just 14 traits, all while using “Crazy Traits”! The program has been successful for two years now and continues to give Freshmen students a hands-on model that enriches their concept of genetics.

PHOTO GALLERY

GRANT TITLE
The Great Kindness Challenge

GRANT AUTHOR, SCHOOL, IMPACT & FUNDING
Kara Bonin – Merrillville Intermediate School – 950+ Gr. 5 & 6 students – $553.17

GRANT PERIOD
Round 32 for Spring 2018; implemented in Fall 2018

GRANT APPLICATION
Every month, we create activities and projects to promote kindness, respect, empathy, and unity throughout the building. Our PBIS team, along with our Student Council and STAND club collaborate to create these themes and projects together, and staff members including the PBIS team, the Therapeutic Counselor and Social Worker, create monthly lessons focused on the theme.  Students are also able to write “Acts of Kindness” that are announced on morning announcements.

Research shows that kindness is learned not just be talking about or thinking about it, but by feeling kindness so we can reproduce that emotion and feeling to others by sharing kindness. The feel-good experience also produces endorphins in the brain that are associated with pleasure, social connection and trust. When our brains are in this state, our students can learn better and concentrate more on schoolwork. This project will also help to teach relationships and meaningful connections with other human beings. By doing this, our peer acceptance will likely increase leading to a reduction in bullying and behavior referrals. Finally, being intentional in focusing on kindness, we will continue to develop happy, confident, well-rounded individuals who will be able to collaborate, cooperate, and accept differences in other human beings. These skills are needed for our children as they become adults to help change our world.

GRANT OUTCOMES
We have been working hard to create a Culture of Kindness at MIS.  So far, we have demonstrated 5,775 acts of kindness since the inception of the program.  Every month we set a goal as a school.  We celebrate every month with the “Act of Kindness MVP” award. When a staff member recognizes our students demonstrating acts of kindness, the students are given a Kindness Coin. The coin is turned in for an entry into a drawing.  Students and teams have been recognized for their acts of kindness with rewards and prizes. Every month, we draw one name for 5th grade and one for 6th grade as our MVP. That student receives a trophy, and they have their picture on our Kindness Wall of Pride.