KGrant Application Efforts and Partnerships

After the September board meeting that provided information on the Competitive Grant Applications Efforts of KPBSD Staff, the school board requested information on what grant opportunities the district is pursuing. Attached is a document that identifies all grants applied for since August 1, 2017. The majority of applications have been applied for by school staff. Huge thank you to all those who make the extra effort to apply and congratulations to those that have received awards. In particular, thanks to Carrs Safeway for awarding 4 out of 7 of KPBSD's applications at $5000 each. Awardees and brief description of what they applied for and why:

·         Jonathan Dillion, Mountain View Elementary School proposes to purchase 16 - 32 Apple iPads to improve student learning outcomes in our Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade classrooms. "The iPads will be used to personalize instruction in a number of ways, such as the use of digital student portfolios, the implementation of “Genius Hour” activities, and additional student access to learning opportunities in computer science and coding. Personalized instruction has proven to be an effective model to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. Mountain View Elementary would like to ensure our primary students are involved in this shift toward personalized learning in their education."

·         Julie Doepkin, Seward Elementary.  “The intent of my application would be to purchase more STE(A)M materials to use during library classes and to make kits available for check out. This would support personalized learning as well as math skills in our school.”

·         Dawn Edwards-Smith, River City Academy.  “The grant is for innovative teaching practices. We are requesting $5,000 for backpacking gear for 30 students. The gear will include tents, backpacks, sleeping bags and sleeping pads. The gear will be used for a number of student backpacking trips in the local area. These trips will be a part of our Environmental and Earth Science courses. This supports our school goal in getting students out of the classroom to meet their standards. Although these trips would focus on science content, students would also be able to meet standards in Personal and Community, Careers and Technology. Currently we have no equipment to take on such field excursions and my new science teacher is eager to put his outdoor guiding experience to use with our students.”

·         Cheryl Tolman, Razdolna School.  “My grant proposal is for a school habitat improvement and outdoor classroom project. Its goal is to involve the K-12 student body in surveying our grounds, researching the habitat, researching outdoor classroom purposes and designs, and planning improvements to our outdoor school-space. The grant includes professional development resources in high-quality project-based learning, books on local habitat for students, tools for observing and studying the habitat (measuring tapes and binoculars), and estimated cost for gravel and wood to construct an outdoor learning space (benches, tables, easel). Our school and district is tailoring educational offerings to the personal interests and goals of students. This proposed project would engage students in hands-on exploration of their local habitat, give them ownership of a research and planning phase, provide them opportunities to interface with local experts, and finally let them design and help construct a learning space that they will be using through years to come. Throughout, there will be opportunity to apply math, science, art, and language skills in a relevant and rigorous way.”

As a district we have submitted five applications to Andeavor (Tesoro) for a grand total of $277,857 and are awaiting notification. Three of the applications target expansion of STEAM opportunities for students by adding Upstream academies. One application duplicates the Title VI Native funded academy targeting struggling middle school students and would allow any student to attend. A second application for Upstream Ultra would create a second level for those who have attended level one in an effort to keep them motivated. And the third Upstream Life application would target upper high school students in an effort to address several of the concerns identified in the recent graduate survey. The other two Andeavor applications focus on Project Lead the Way STEM/Career Technical Education (CTE) course expansions and STEM/CTE focused after school opportunities.

We will likely apply for Title I-D competitive grant (qualifying rules vary from year to year) opening this spring with a focus on CTE courses and Restorative Justice for at-risk students in Marathon School.  We will likely apply for an Alaska Community Foundation Grant to continue the focus on youth training for leadership, resiliency and Sources of Strength implementation for more schools in the district. We will continue to partner with other entities on grant application efforts and continue to provide letters of support for organizations applying to funding sources that do not require a Local Education Agency partner.

Current district competitive grants being implemented:

·         GCI Alaska Community Foundation – Suicide Prevention = $20,000 – Grant cycle completed Fall 2017 that funded Sources of Strength (SOS) training, and attendance to UpStream Conference

·         SAPP Grant – 3 years - $25,000 (minimum per year) – We are in the second year of implementation

o    Year 1 – (16/17) Fourth R training of Trainers; Four Schools – SOS training ($28,000)

o    Year 2 – (17/18) Refresher Training and Initial Training for SOS and we will likely fund another two schools this spring if funds available. ($31,000 plus any carryover state sends our way)

o    Year 3 -- (18/19) Training of Trainers for SOS and training for students to support SOS

·         Project Aware is a five year grant targeting Youth Mental Health supports and we are in year four. This is a partnership grant with the state Department of Education and two other districts (Anchorage and Mat-Su).

o    Salaries (.25% of Coordinator, 1 counselor Kenai Alt and 1 counselor Homer Flex), training and supplies $237,680

o    At this time, there is no plan at DEED to continue, but there is hope that another grant opportunity will become available. Alaska has solid and compelling data to apply for more grants and topics of future meetings will be planning for sustainability if another grant is not awarded.

Significant partnerships:

·         Chugachmiut

o    Grant provides development and exhibition of Heritage Kits for Seward schools, Port Graham and Nanwalek.

o    Headstart in Nanwalek and Port Graham.

o    Language Grant provides training to develop Sugt'sen language teachers with goal of two for Nanwalek and one for Port Graham. Provides Sugt'sen language speakers in the schools.

o    Behavioral Health services.

o    Nanwalek and Port Graham teacher culture training.

o    Ongoing coordination of projects and grant pursuits.

·         North Pacific Rim Housing

o    Work with us to provide teacher housing in Nanwalek.

o    Currently working to expand and improve Headstart facility in Nanwalek.

o    Working with us on funding application and plan for additional teacher housing and possible long term plan for instructional space in Nanwalek.

·         Kenaitze

o    Yaghanen tutor at Mt. View Elementary

o    Kenaitze Construction Academy

o    Bussing provided to students to participate in tutoring from Kenai Middle School

o    Individual Service Providers (ISPs) coordinated at several central peninsula schools

o    Native Youth Community Projects (NYCP) grant provides four tutors to KPBSD schools

o    Kenaitze Indian Tribe Counseling Program provides services to central peninsula

o    Kenaitze Headstart

o    Ongoing coordination of projects and grant pursuits

·         Nanwalek IRA Council

o    Provides environmental education lessons (i.e. Recycling, marine debris, trash pickup)

o    Sugpiaq value lessons (assemblies or individual teachers/classrooms).

o    Health initiatives in cooperation with Chugachmiut (i.e. anti-tobacco, health lessons).

o    Partnership with Connect Ed Grant.

·         Ninilchik Village Tribe

o    Sponsors Red Ribbon Week.

o    Provides ongoing wellness presentations.

o    Coordinates information with Ninilchik Tribal Council Health Services.

·         Seldovia Village Tribe

o    Provides Chapman school Healthy choice lessons.

o    Coordinates Seldovia open gym (BB, VB, Swimming), targeted programming/activities, Ch’anik’na Children’s House.

·         Port Graham Village Council

o    Provides guest speakers to school on health initiatives through Chugachmiut. Substance abuse and health talks with students. Environmental education and community cleanup.

o    Partnership with hatchery, tribe, and school.

o    Eggs to Elders program

·         Project GRAD Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula (PGKP) is a comprehensive educational support non-profit that has worked in partnership with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) since 2003 to enhance educational experiences for students in some of the most remote and isolated communities on the Peninsula.

o    This partnership focuses on improving graduation rates, reducing the dropout rate, increasing academic achievement and postsecondary awareness and readiness, building leadership skills, and supporting youth development through positive and productive adult/youth connection.

o    PGKP coordinates the Kenai Peninsula Native Youth Leadership (KPNYL) program. KPNYL programming and activities help students build Native and cultural pride throughout the district.

o    PGKP provides academic support coaches for students and teachers, assists students with postsecondary enrollment, transition, and completion, and helps students connect their strengths, skills, and interests to further educational training and career pathways.

o    Funding from KPBSD, the US Department of Education Alaska Native Education Program and GEAR UP grants, and corporate and private donations allow Project GRAD to contribute talent and expertise to students, schools, and families.

·         Qutekcak provided NYO instruction to students at Skyview MS with PE teacher for one week.

·         Tebughna Foundation

o    Provides school supplies for students.

o    Funds educational activities such as bringing guest speakers to Tyonek to speak with the students, i.e. recently brought out several guests from different branches of law enforcement to educate students on their jobs, what happens when someone gets in trouble, etc.

o    Ongoing coordination of projects and grant pursuits.

·         Tyonek Native Corporation works with Tebughna Foundation (TF) by providing funds that TF uses to support students.

·         Native Village of Tyonek supports Tebughna School by volunteering to work with students. Works with Tebughna School to put in various activities (i.e. Halloween Carnival, Christmas Program).

·         Tyonek Tribal Conservation District-“Since 2014, TTCD has coordinated regular visits to the Tebughna School throughout the school year to provide science education through hands-on activities on topics such as the salmon life cycle, watershed ecology, the plant life cycle and plant anatomy, and all aspects of gardening and now a hydroponics unit in the school. TTCD also coordinates educational opportunities during the summer months to coincide with youth camps.”

Seaview Community Services transitions children with disabilities as infants to school based services.

·         Project Search is a collaboration with the hospital to develop postsecondary transition skills.

·         Department of Vocational Rehabilitation is a collaboration that accesses and provides postsecondary transitional skills.

·         Kenai Peninsula College

o    Supports student credit acquisitions through Jumpstart, Dual Credit, Concurrent Credit, and Tech Prep articulated agreements.

o    Supports professional development opportunities for teachers through articulated course offerings.

·         University of Alaska Anchorage

o    Supports professional development opportunities for teachers through articulated course offerings.

o    Supports Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) that KPBSD has sent students to for several years.

·         Seward Community Foundation provides several funding opportunities for the expansion of learning.

·         Seward Wellness for All – Volleyball - Seward High

·         Exxon Mobil grant that provides transportation for Title I schools to educational locations SeaLife Center, Islands and Ocean, Alaska Coastal Studies.

·         Conoco’s support of educational opportunities.

·         AK Council on the Arts provides funding for Artists in the Schools.

·         University of Alaska Fairbanks provides educational opportunities for students and staff.

·         Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (Prince William Sound Council) provide field trip opportunities for learning.

KPBSD staff (Homeless Liaisons) participate in these groups in an effort to both increase awareness of the local homeless issue and related community needs, and to obtain information about available activities and supports that could benefit the students and families of the Students In Transition (SIT) Program.

·         Continuum of Care is a regional planning group that coordinates housing and funding for homeless families & individuals

·         Central Peninsula Children's Team coordinates information and resource sharing of local supports that are geared towards the children and youth of the Kenai Peninsula (Public Health, DJJ, OCS, KPBSD, Frontier, etc.), providing opportunities for awareness, collaboration, and partnership.

·         Sources of Strength Adult Advisor at Soldotna High School for the school-based, student-driven, Up-Stream suicide prevention and wellness program.

·         Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) is a networking team discussing the needs (physical, mental, economic, educational, cultural, and environmental) of the greater Homer community, including vulnerable youth populations.

·         Homelessness Task-force is a group working to find solutions to Homer-area homelessness, with a direct focus on homeless youth

·         Homer-area Service Provider Forum member – information and resource sharing meeting of local supports, providing opportunities for collaboration and partnership.