Help us fund innovative classroom projects
The Foundation is proud to invite the community to participate in the funding of teacher grants through this website.
Please review these grants and consider making a safe online donation. Your support will extend the funding the Foundation was able to provide to 15 grants that scored among the highest.
These grants are listed alphabetically by elementary, middle and high school. Please take a moment to scroll down the page to read the amazing ideas our teachers would like to implement in their classrooms.
If you have any problems making a donation, please do not hesitate to contact
Linda Aschenbrener at (512) 464-5003.
If you prefer paying by check, please make it out to RRISD Partners in Education Foundation and inform us in the Memo field as to what project you would like to fund. Checks are to be mailed to RRISD Partners in Education Foundation, 1311 Round Rock Ave., Round Rock, TX 78681.
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Elementary Schools
Bluebonnet: Real World Science
Students will develop a deeper understanding of science and its applications in the real world as they meet and interact in person or virtually with curators, staff, and special scientific guests from around the world.
These outreach programs are designed to integrate subject areas such as science, math, language arts, and the use of technology.
This project will benefit 505 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Karen Lovelace, Darlene Henson and Pamela Elmendorf.
For more information on this project, please contact
Karen Lovelace.
Brushy Creek ES: Enhancing Problem Solving and Reasoning Skills through Math Pentathlon
‘Math Pentathlon’ games integrate three types of mathematical reasoning (spatial, computational, and logical), develop active problem solving, stimulate creative thinking, stimulate spatial visualization and reasoning, and provide hands-on math manipulative for children to conceptualize and visualize solutions to problems.
Children love to play games and Math Pentathlon games motivate them to learn.
This project will benefit 116 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Nicole Wakefield, Mary Jane Flynn, Noelle McBride, Krista Henderson, Erin Boor and Lynn Stobinski.
For more information about this project, please contact
Nicole Wakefield.
Cactus Ranch ES: Poor, Poor Pluto - A Planet No More
Through these funds, students will answer the question, “Why is Pluto no longer a planet?”
As a part of their research, students will participate in the distance learning program, Journey through the Solar System by Space Center Houston.
Through the interactive videoconference, students will learn about the planets and even interview the Space Center representative.
Using the videoconference and additional research notes, students will write a paper answering the essential question. For a final product, students will adapt their information into a script and use Logitech headsets and webcams, to create a video with a space avatar.
This project will benefit 150 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Lindsey Jones, Krista Peake, Amanda Carson and Robert Heard.
For more information about this project, please contact
Lindsay Jones.
Canyon Creek ES: Building Blocks for Math Success
Young children start learning math skills by using concrete objects to discover, practice and develop their mathematical skills.
The Kindergarten and 1st grade teams would like to build math tool kits that can be used year after year and will contain items to keep student actively engaged during math instruction.
This project will benefit 160 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Marcia Bates, Shannon Benoit, Lisa Clarke, Cindy Huttenhower and Katrine Kohls..
For more information about this project, please contact
Marcia Bates.
Fern Bluff ES: Flipping Out Over History
This project allows students to use “flip-cameras” to create videos depicting Round Rock history. Students will also and a website and movies from slide based projects, produced in earlier year, to innovative technology.
The finished product will not only demonstrate their knowledge of history, but allow their expertise to be shared all over the world.
Students will become producers of information - not just consumers - and raise the campus’ level of technology readiness.
This project will benefit 152 students in Deidra Floyd and Mark Kania's classrooms..
For more information about this project, please contact
Deidra Floyd.
Fern Bluff ES: POP Technology 101
POP Technology 101 will introduce BrainPOP, an award-winning, online education resource, to teachers and students at all grade levels.
Brain POP uses multimedia concepts like animation, voice, characters, eye-catching graphics and diagrams to motivate and engage learners in hundreds of topics within Math, Science, Social Studies, English, Technology, Arts and Music.
The grant will be used to purchase a one-year subscription to BrainPOP and 24-hour home access for students and parents to use the resource at home.
This project will benefit 883 students at Fern Bluff ES.
For more information about this project, please contact
Kathy Dalton.
Forest North ES: LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Project
LEGO Mindstorm Robotics kits uses LEGO building blocks and software to expand enrichment opportunities to a broad group of diverse learners and to improve their preparation for mathematical, scientific and technological careers.
The kits will be used weekly as part of an afterschool class using parent volunteers and student mentors.
This project will benefit 253 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Prairie James, Kathy Potral and Julie Haney..
For more information about this project, please contact
Prairie James.
Live Oak ES: Language, Interests, New Experiences through Growing Opportunities (LINGO)
Language, Interests, New Experiences through Growing Opportunities (L.I.N.G.O.) provides a way to enhance language and vocabulary of our economically disadvantaged students.
Language and vocabulary have consistently proven to be a major stumbling block in reading, math word problems, writing and science comprehension.
The project will also involve the community and parents as speakers who will help improve students’ vocabulary and life experiences to close the achievement gap.
This project will benefit 175 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Johanna Friedel and Jeanne Balkman.
For more information about this project, please contact
Mary Morris.
Purple Sage ES: A Glass Act - Science and Art
This project will enhance teaching and learning for 3rd-5th grade students by providing engaging lab activities that focus on the states of matter.
Specifically, these activities will show students how the states of matter are associated with glass and how that affects an artist’s use of glass as a media for creating works of art.
This project will benefit 203 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Emily Thurman, Negina Kolesar, Nydia Cantu and Erinn Henrichs..
For more information about this project, please contact
Emily Thurman.
Sommer ES: Teaching 4th Grade Science and Math through LEGO Robotics
The LEGO Robotics program provides hands-on learning experiences while teaching problem-solving, critical thinking and teamwork skills.
These important skills will prepare students to be more successful in Math and Science and potentially prepare them for a future in Engineering.
Funds from this grant will be used to purchase 8 LEGO Mindstorm Robotics Kits.
This project will benefit 96 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Revathi Balakrishnan, Amy Stearns and Kelly Coggin..
For more information about this project, please contact
Revathi Balakrishnan.
Union Hill ES: Developing and Improving Reading Fluency using iPods
Through this project, struggling readers will record, listen to and comment on their own reading fluency using an iPod.
One on one mini-lessons will take place to address specific problems hindering the student’s fluency and with immediate, prescriptive feedback, students will have a better understanding and examples of how to remediate their area of need.
This project will benefit 60 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Donna Wise, Chris Garz, Elizabeth Hodges, Kay Lynne Diamond and Odalid Guerra.
For more information about this project, please contact
Donna Wise.
The Chemical Interactions FOSS kit will be implemented in science classrooms at all grade levels to provide engaging activities and provoke inquiry learning by students.
The kit will also help the school meet state mandated requirements for all grade levels.
This project will benefit 1,000 students in Courtney Engelke's classroom.
Funds from this grant will be used to establish a Science Literacy Library for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students.
Science Literacy Libraries allow students - regardless of reading ability - easy access to appropriate science reading materials, resources or research projects and up-to-date scientific information not found in traditional textbooks.
This project will benefit 660 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Jennifer Barnett, Semsinur Yazicioglu, Alisia Colombi, MaryJo Fatke, Thomas Allen, Teresa Milliger and Marilyn Petkovsek..
Students have expressed a desire to learn how to live more sustainable lives. Utilizing an already existing self-sustaining garden, students will test soil and water quality, solar energy, water collection systems, natural bioremediation, and density-dependent factors on plant growth.
This project will give students hands-on experience with approaching a problem engineering possible solutions, and working together to produce a product.
Because students will be coming up with their own questions and experiments, this project will have a much more profound impact on our students than the traditional “cook-book” method of labs.
This project will benefit 311 students in the following teacher's classrooms: Joan Gambrell, Leslie Lopez, Trey Nobles, John Hallmark and Danielle White. .
Each year productivity-improving technology becomes a bigger art of the workplace and our world.
Exposure to such technology will help engage students, improve their educational performance, and prepare them for the workplace of the future.
Funds from this grant will be used to purchase three (3) SMART Boards to augment the ones already on campus and make available this cutting edge technology for more students.
This project will benefit 450 students in the following teacher's classrooms: David McCarroll, Renee Keough, Jonathan Arenaz, Chad Kingsbury and Denise Blomquist.