Programs

Program Areas

Schools

Outdoor Education

School: Mandela International Magnet School

I am requesting $500 to help subsidize the cost of overnight camping trips, specifically for our families who have a difficult time covering the entire cost themselves.

Outdoor, experiential learning opportunities anchored around overnight camping trips support the Mandela’s school-wide goals and allows students to build connections, shared experiences, and strong team dynamics – all of which are critical to the success of a small, demanding, community-minded school such as Mandela International Magnet School.

The objective of our multi-day camping trips is to broaden student experiences, create a shared set of outdoor experiences in which students are reliant, supportive, and accountable to each other. By engaging as many students as possible in these expeditions we help to realize the one of the goals of our International Baccalaureate program in providing meaningful learning experiences outside the walls of our school. In addition, participation over multiple years of their school experience helps to develop active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with all of their differences, can meld into a single community.

Mandela parents and our Parent Teacher Organization are currently able to fund participation for 65% of the student body; however cost is a limiting factor for some additional families' ability to participate. With additional support, we will be able to subsidize the costs for students, thereby bringing our participation rate to a minimum of 75% of the student body.

Endangered Animals

School: Atalaya Elementary School

I am requesting funds to do a project with 5th grade students on endangered species. We are focusing on project based learning and students are passionate about environmental issues related to animals.

The Art Teacher and Classroom teacher will work with students to discuss animals that are endangered species. This year Atalaya Elementary School curriculum is partly focusing on issues related to the environment. Animals, birds and insects are an integral part of the ecosystem. They need clean water and clean air just as much as humans do. Large numbers of birds, animals, fish and insects (such as bees) are dying. Students will make a positive statement about this issue by creating bowls in clay that represent endangered species. These bowls will have food safe glazes and can be used by the students. It is important to study the interaction between the land, animals and the atmosphere to create a healthy environment.

Pamela Messer is a Studio Potter, Ceramic Educator and a visiting Clay Artist in the Santa Fe Public Schools. She has been involved in many public school clay projects for students in grades K-8.

Field Trip to EXPLORA

School: Pinon Elementary School

I would like to be able to have my students experience hands on activities that we have studied throughout the school year. These lessons are aligned with 4th grade Common Core State Standards.

Students will investigate gravity, water, light, air, numbers, sound, Electricity, and more STEM exploration faciliated by Explora educators.

Life Science - Harvest Investigation at McCalls Pumpkin Patch!

School: Cesar Chavez Elementary School

We are requesting $784 for admission and transportation to the McCalls Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty, NM!

This is a great way to extend our learning through our life science unit! We will dig deeper to see the end product of what happens when you plant a pumpkin seed! This is the perfect time of year to learn about the harvest of pumpkins, and having fun at the same time!

EXPLORA

School: Pinon Elementary School

Field Trip Wanted!

I would like to be able to have my students experience hands-on activities that we have studied throughout the year. These lessons are aligned with 4th grade Common Core State Standards.

Students will investigate gravity, water, light, air, numbers, sound, electricity, and more during a two-hour exhibit exploration facilitated by Explora educators.

EXPLORA Field Trip

School: Pinon Elementary School

I would like to be able to have my students experience hands-on activities that we have studied throughout the year. These lessons are aligned with 4th grade Common Core State Standards.

Students will investigate gravity, water, light, air, numbers, sound, electricity, and more during a two-hour exhibit exploration facilitated by Explora educators.

Energy

School: Gonzales Community School

This request is to provide funding for a stipend for a retired licensed elementary teacher to mentor two days a week in each 4th grade class at Gonzales Community School. The mentor will prepare and assist in the presentation of five investigations based on the full option science system (FOSS) module entitled: Energy.

The five investigations focus on the concepts that energy is present whenever there is motion, electric current, sound, light, or heat, and that energy can transfer from one place to another. Students conduct controlled experiments and interpret data from graphs to build explanations from evidence. They learn to make predictions of future events and develop models to represent how energy moves from place to place in electric circuits and in waves.

Biliteracy

School: El Camino Real Academy

I am requesting $500 to be used to support biliteracy projects within the classroom and related field trips.

Bark It Forward

School: (ATC) Academy for Technology and the Classics

This school year, I will teach a leadership class to at-risk 8th and 9th grade students at The Academy for Technology and the Classics in Santa Fe, NM. The goal of the class is to build their interpersonal and self-regulation skills.

Once a week, I will partner with Assistance Dogs of the West. We will have students train assistance dogs for clients in the community with specific needs. These impairments include mobility, autism spectrum, seizures, anxiety disorders, disabilities, diabetes, and post-traumatic stress. With supervision from Assistance Dogs of the West, students will train dogs with upwards of 90 commands while reinforcing behavior for clients’ specific needs.

Working with these dogs, students will build leadership traits, including confidence, self-esteem, disability awareness, community involvement, assertiveness skills, and empathy. Most importantly, they will have the opportunity to see their hard work result in the betterment of others’ lives.

I am seeking $500 in funding to go directly to Assistance Dogs of the West and pay for transportation of dogs to and from school, teaching students how to properly train dogs, and supervision of student-to-dog relationships. Cost for this program is $2,475 a semester.

Master Musician Workshops and Private Instruction

Schools: New Mexico School for the Arts and Mandela International Magnet School

I am requesting funds to support String Orchestra programs at both NMSA and Mandela International Magnet School.

Middle and High School students will benefit greatly by engaged participation in workshops and private lessons presented by guest artists - master musicians - from both the classical string orchestra arena, as well as the world music stages.

Diversify Classroom Library

School: Amy Biehl Community School

I am seeking funds to purchase quality literature for my classroom library that celebrates diversity and allows students the opportunity to engage in books that relate to them while also giving them the opportunity to explore cultures worldwide through picture books, poetry, and biographies.

Books will be available to students to read on their own as well as used in a whole group setting as we explore different cultures throughout the world.

Math Manipulatives

School: Acequia Madre Elementary School

I would like to encourage my students to problem solve through math manipulatives to extend their learning.
Math will be used during RTI time to support students through learning groups.

Classroom Library for Growing Readers

School: Atalaya Elementary School

Readers need need lots of books to keep them growing! I am requesting funding to grow a classroom library with just right books for the 2nd graders at Atalaya Elementary School.

I am requesting $450 to be used to purchase grade appropriate books in literature, information, poetry, and fairy tales. Your contributions will benefit all the 2nd graders at Atalaya and future students too!

New Teacher in Need of Enticing Books!

School: Carlos Gilbert Elementary School

I'm a new teacher (!) and in need of funds to establish a diverse and welcoming classroom library for a newly added second grade class. My ultimate goal is to collect at least 1,500 thoughtfully selected books with a variety of genres, formats, topics, and levels, thus creating a community of learners who are excited about and engaged in the process of reading and critical thinking.

I’ll be teaching reading comprehension and analysis through a "workshop" approach, which allows students to choose their own texts while exploring different genres, authors, themes, etc.
The reading workshop approach is based on the premise that when children choose books that interest them, they are more motivated to read and work harder to make sense of the texts. A reading workshop classroom is one in which the classroom library is the heart of the environment, and children’s choices are valued. Therefore, quality books- and lots of them- are essential to my students' success.

Destination Imagination!

School: Mandela International Magnet School

Destination Imagination: Nine months of teamwork, learning, planning, design, application, culminating competition
Our first year: MIMS took six teams to the NM DI State Tournament, and left with three 1st place teams, three 2nd place teams.
Globals: We now head to the Global DI Tournament in Kansas City, MO, to compete with teams from all over the world, and need to raise $16,500 JUST for the registration fees.

YOU can help us reach our goal - We are hoping to raise $1,000.00 from the Dollars4Schools website.

Destination Imagination Topics/Skillsets: STEAM, extra-curricular, here at MIMS, teamwork, critical and creative thinking, competition,
MISSION: To engage participants in project-based challenges that are designed to build confidence and develop extraordinary creativity, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills

Destination Imagination Principles:
Fun learning: Explore STEM/STEAM concepts in a hands-on environment
Creative problem solving: Learn how to think, not what to think
Kid powered; team driven: Energize students to own all decisions, creations, and results
Friendly competition: Motivate teams to reach for the stars, while also rooting for each other Global diversity: Encourage and celebrate differences in each other, and differences in ideas

Volunteer Background Check Assistance

School: Multiple Santa Fe Public Schools

As the SFPS Volunteer Coordinator, and in an effort to encourage a more diverse volunteer population, I would like to offer paid background fees for up to 50 volunteer applicants to distributed throughout 5 different schools within the Santa Fe Public School District. Certain demographic criteria, including a residence radius of applicants who live within 6 blocks of the schools' attendance area will be required to be eligible for usage of the background check funds.