The DPS Foundation is excited to announce the 2013 A to Z Fund Recipients for the fall 2013 cycle! The A to Z Fund provides grants to individual schools for programs and activities that go beyond the school’s limited budget. The Fund ensures all DPS students have equal opportunity to participate in enriching learning experiences. This competitive grant application is open to all DPS teachers to apply for twice per school year in the fall and spring semesters. Since the Fund’s inception in 2006, the DPS Foundation has awarded over $1 million in support via 790 A to Z Fund grants. The fall 2013 cycle awarded $68,151 to 44 DPS schools.
This year’s funding will support projects including:
- DSST-Stapleton will use A to Z funds to cover the start-up costs of “Smart Girl,” a well-established, evidence-based after-school program that trains high school girls to lead groups of middle school girls through a curriculum of social-emotional intelligence and critical thinking.
- Doull Elementary is implementing a Science Friday program to provide students with opportunities to engage in science investigations outside the regular curriculum. A to Z funding will allow the school to purchase a variety of materials to explore topics including air and water pressure, battery-building robotics, fossils, and owl pellets, DNA and chemistry.
- Edison Elementary fourth graders will go on an overnight field trip to Denver Discovery Camp at Grant Humphreys, providing an experiential opportunity to learn more about Denver’s history.
- Gilpin’s first through fifth graders will attend “Nutcracker in a Nutshell“, an educational presentation of “The Nutcracker,” which also involves a behind-the-scenes narrative from ballet experts.
- Place Bridge Academy will purchase drums for its middle school students to learn about West African drum, song and dance traditions.
- Funds will be used to support a new Stagecraft/Theatre Arts program for Thomas Jefferson students. Local theatre professionals will teach: Carpentry, Set Design & Modeling, Set Building; Theatre Sound Design & Concept; Theatrical Hair & Make-Up Design; and Theatre through Puppetry.
The A to Z Fund has an immediate, direct impact on students. View a full list of schools and the projects they received funding for in the first cycle of A to Z Fund Grants. Congratulations to the many grant recipients!
Stay tuned! Over the next several weeks we will be highlighting a few stories about how A to Z Fund grants are making a difference for our students.
The next cycle for the A to Z Fund will be due January 30th. Visit our website for further details.
Ely’s Story
Ely Merenstein loves music; specifically piano, guitar and singing in choir. His love for music inspired him to do something very special for other children. In 2012, 12-year-old Ely raised money through his Mitzvah Project for the DPS Foundation’s A to Z Fund, specifically to support music education in Denver Public Schools. “Music is a very important part of my life, and I wanted to help bring it to the lives of other kids who might not have the same opportunities.” Ely’s commitment didn’t end there. Now, he sits on the A to Z Fund grant committee, volunteering his time to review applications and help ensure the funding goes where it will be most beneficial for the students. “It makes me very happy to see music connected to kids through this process,” says Ely. “I believe it’s very important to give back, especially to something that means a lot to you, as music does to me.”