MINI & MEGA GRANT AWARDS FOR the 2025-2026 YEAR - $83,450

This year between the Mini (less than $1500) and Mega grant programs, the Harvard Community Education Foundation (HCEF) awarded funding for 14 Mini grants & 8 Mega grants totaling $83,450.

The HCEF is pleased that the grant process brings to the forefront needs that teachers and other D50 staff have to better support the educational curriculum and process for the students enrolled in the district’s schools.

Congratulations to the teachers and other Dist. 50 staff who took the time and made the effort to submit a grant application and who received D50 or HCEF funding for their request. A sincere thank you for all you do for your students.

The Harvard Community Education Foundation’s Mini grant committee & Mega grant committee are pleased to announce the following winners for the 2025-2026 academic school year:

MINI (UNDER $1500) GRANT AWARDS-$13,163.00 TOTAL AWARDED:

Tricycles at Washington- Washington School: Ainara Garcia, Whitney Scott, Kelley Crone, Kellie Ringle, & Alyssa Andrea- $1000- As part of their daily routine, preschool students engage in 30 minutes of gross motor activities designed to enhance their physical development. Students at Washington school will have access to tricycles multiple times throughout the school year, especially on days when outdoor play is not feasible. Additionally, during the “Wheels” study unit, students will engage in guided learning experiences where they explore concepts related to movement, force, and transportation through hands-on interaction with the tricycles.

Robotics Curriculum Enhancement- Harvard Junior High: Ryan Read-$355- This project aims to add Perler Bead activities into the technology and robotics curriculum, reinforming key concepts such as graphic design, project management, early 3D modeling, and conditional formatting in spreadsheets. Through this initiative, students will gain practical experience in planning, executing and analyzing their designs, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Light Table for Primary Life Skills- Crosby Elementary: Jodie Moore- $125- Students in the Life Skills program have access to a light table in their classroom, but minimal access to manipulations and toys for the light table. This grant will fund the addition of transparent shapes, letters, numbers, counters, and blocks, which will increase the effectiveness of the light table.

Noise Cancelling Headphones for Spanish Reading Class- Crosby Elementary: Maria Mercado- $615- This grant will implement noise-cancelling headphones and Spanish chapter books for independent reading time in the classroom. The headphones can minimize distractions, improve concentration and reading engagement, promote independent learning, and support diverse learning needs, particularly for those students with attention deficits or sensory sensitivities.

3D Printer Upgrade- Harvard High School: Mike Wargaski- $1435- This grant will fund an upgrade to the 3D Modeling/Industrial Design and Fabrication printer which is used in the following classes: Sculpture, Photography, AP Studio Art, Digital Imaging 1 and 2, and the Incubator Program. This will positively impact 100 students each year among the 6 classes.

Hornet’s Nest Fund- Harvard Junior High: Taylor Koester- $1200- The purpose of the Hornet’s Nest Fund is to provide different forms of supplemental financial assistance to students in need, ensuring they have access to essential resources. Whether it is fees for activities, school supplies, physical education uniforms, cold weather essentials, emergency situations or other critical expenses, this fund helps bridge the gap so students can focus on their education without financial barriers holding them back.

Board Games- Jefferson School: Monica Murillo- $1000- This grant will fund the purchase of new board games for the 5 th grade classrooms to be used during recess inside. The use of board games allows students to creatively work with others and develop problem-solving strategies, as well as reinforce interactivity with others. It can also help students develop better communication skills and teamwork. This can help keep students engaged during their indoor recess.

Expand Hot Topic Articles- Harvard Junior High: Mark Winter- $199- This project will expand access to a useful tool in reading intervention classes. A new set of Hot Topics articles will be introduced to the classroom, offering diversity in the articles available to the students. The goal of this project is growth in student reading.

Digital Art Portfolio Computers and Printers- Crosby Elementary: Dr. Carol Bristol- $1500- This project will fund the purchase of 2 computers and 2 printers for the digital cameras previously purchased. One computer and a printer will be set up in each of the art rooms. This will allow students to upload their pictures more easily into their google slide presentations.

Connect to an Artist Project- Harvard High School- Suzanne Hereley- $1000- This project is designed to enhance students’ understanding and engagement with the professional art world. By combining a visiting artist program with field trips to local museums and galleries, this project provides students with opportunities to connect with practicing professional artists and experience the environment where art is created. Students will benefit from hands-on workshops, in-person interactions with working artists, and immersive visits to art institutions.

Hornets Celebrate Heritage; Supplies for Heritage Expo- Harvard High School: Armando Valdes, Dr. Alba Gutierrez Martinez, Eva Ibanez Fernandez, & Myriam Martinez Sanchez- $1500- This project fosters cross-cultural understanding among students, teachers, and families. As part of the objectives of the Dual Language Program at Harvard High School, students make use of their Spanish skills in a real-world setting as well as other skills such as research, teamwork, public speaking, critical thinking, and creativity. This grant will fund various materials for the exhibits and performances, food samples, decorations, printing and promotional materials, and more to ensure an engaging and successful Heritage Expo.

3D Printers for Science Department- Harvard High School: Stephanie Wittstock- $1384- This project will fund the purchase of 3D Printers for the science department at the High School. The use of these printers will be incorporated into the science curriculum across multiple relevant science courses. Students will have the ability to apply their learning in practical, hands-on projects, improving problem solving skills, and encouraging creativity in their design and work.

Telling in Colors: Our Story with Carmen Lomas Garza- Harvard High School: Dr. Alba Gutierrez Martinez and Armando Valdes- $1050- This project, inspired by the work of Carmen Lomas Garza, allows students to explore the importance of family stories, writing narratives in Spanish and illustrating their experiences. Students will engage in research, discussion, creative writing, and artistic expressions to reflect their own cultural identities. The project culminates in the creation of a collaborative book displaying student artwork and narratives, drawing connections between personal experiences and cultural heritage. This grant will fund the art and classroom supplies and the printing and binding of the books.

Book Sets for the Modern Junior High Classroom- Harvard Junior High: Andrew Nicky, Ryley Horner, & Gisela Sande Garcia- $800- Independent reading has been a revived focus for 7 th grade students at the Junior High School. This project will fund 100-150 books to be split amongst 3 classrooms, reaching all 7th grade students. This will focus on topics of pre-teen and teen life as told through the eyes of underrepresented stories and cultures. The pre-packaged book sets will contain stories that have the potential to connect to all students, and will connect to our content themes of Generations, Facing Adversity, and Turning Points. The books will bolster the texts our students already access, increasing their language development, background knowledge, and their connections to well-written literature.

MEGA (OVER $1500) GRANT AWARDS-$70,287.00 TOTAL AWARDED:

Tuition Support for the DUO Program-High School; Maura Bridges-up to $26,450-This grant continues tuition support for the 2025-26 year to 26 junior & 21 senior high school students accepted into the DUO program. The DUO program allows students to earn college credits toward an Associate of Arts degree from McHenry Community College (MCC) while still in high school and while still earning credits toward their high school diploma. This grant helps to pay for some of the tuition costs of the students enrolled in this program, along with D50 and MCC support, so that there is no tuition cost paid by any student or student’s family when the student is enrolled in the DUO program. The DUO program is, in essence, a scholarship program. In May 2023 the first cohort of 15 Harvard high school seniors graduated with both a high school diploma from Harvard School District 50 & an Associate of Arts college degree (2-years college equivalent) from McHenry County College!! Since its inception, the DUO program has continued to attract even greater numbers of dedicated and hard-working high school students and the HCEF is delighted to be involved with its financial support.

Laser Machine-High School-Mike Stumpf-$16,932-This machine is for the high school industrial technology program. It expands the available sophisticated equipment that Harvard high school students can be exposed to and work with to make them more able to meet the needs and demands of the real job manufacturing world. The total cost of this equipment is $43,925, funded in combination with the Harvard Community Education Foundation, the Career Technology Education grant funds, and District 50.

One School, One Book-Jefferson School; Sarah Wargaski & Tegan Beese-$3750- This grant supports a literacy “Read to Them” program which partners with schools to promote family literacy by increasing family involvement and strengthening home school connections. With this money each Jefferson school student and teacher will receive a copy of a previously “Read to Them” vetted book, selected by D50 teachers and administrative staff from a list, in either Spanish or English, based on their family’s primary language. The program will incorporate book-themed activities, virtual read-aloud sessions, trivia, and classroom discussions to enrich the literacy curriculum. This initiative specifically targets family literacy engagement through shared reading experiences both at home & at school. A culminating activity will be a Jefferson school whole body assembly which will include a virtual or actual live visit by the book’s author. The ultimate goal of this project, repeated over several years, is to build sustainable reading habits, develop stronger emotional and social bonds within families and the school community, and enhance academic success through improved literacy.

Mathematics Tile Sets/Kits-Crosby Elementary-Kelly Garay-$2450- This grant would purchase 5 or 6 sets of KP Mathematics Ten Frame Tiles for 2 nd graders to actually see 10 ones forming ten and 10 tens forming one hundred and understanding that 938 is actually 9 one hundreds + 3 tens + 8 ones. Snapping the tiles together assures no more “toppling towers” and/or no more large blocks which are hard for small hands to manipulate.

Music Equipment Stands-Crosby Elementary-Christine Ruggles-$5140-This grant will get expensive Orff musical instruments off the floor and also make the instruments more moveable, for example getting them to the gym for performances. Over the past several years the foundation has awarded approximately $17,500 to purchase Orff instruments for Crosby elementary. Because these instruments are so foundational to students’ early music education, this award will ensure the instruments’ longevity for decades by putting them on stands specifically made for these instruments and off the floor daily and out of cabinets in the summer.

Embroidery Machine-High School-Michael Wargaski & Suzanne Hereley-$8065-This grant provides funding for purchase of an embroidery machine, initial supplies, and training for teachers. This machine will add the ability for students to apply their ideas and designs to fabric through embroidery. Students will be able to make high quality professional products that are industry standard for graphic design. Harvard students are currently making designs & merchandise for boys & girls wrestling, the soccer program, band and choir, etc. and this machine will impact classes in digital imaging, digital imaging 2, graphic design, fibers & glass, AP studio art, and the Business Professional Assoc./ Incubator classes. This machine teaches students industry standard skills that could lead to entrepreneurship. They are being exposed to branding, fashion design, and merchandising.

Support for Business Professionals of America (BPA) State & National Competition-High School-Amy Meza & Kyle Valkema-$5000-This is the 3 rd consecutive year that the foundation has contributed to support the BPA program. BPA enrolled students can apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings. State & national BPA competitions allow students to engage in real-world business scenarios, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These competitions help shape attendees into confident, skilled, and socially responsible individuals. Additionally these students are involved with supporting the Harvard Community Education Foundation with its social media marketing & public relations efforts as part of their real-world experiences.

Hearing the Titanic’s Stories to Help Tell Our Own-Jr. High-Sarah Hiteroth and Andrew Nicky-$2500– This money, in conjunction with D50 fieldtrip funding, will allow approximately 185 7 th grade Jr. High students to embark on a fieldtrip to the Volo auto museum to view the new exhibit featuring stores from the Titanic. After listening to stories told about survivors and victims, the students will return and immerse themselves in a school-wide cross-curricular educational event. Students will adopt a historical character and research and design artifacts to help tell the story. A museum will be constructed to display during parent-teacher conferences.