Innovative Teaching Grants
NLRPEF has supported a variety of learning initiatives to enhance classroom instruction. Innovative teaching grants have provided over $185,000 in additional funds to classroom teachers across the North Little Rock School District. These grants allow teachers to extend beyond traditional budgetary constraints. This encourages innovative and creative teaching on all grade levels throughout the district.​
Congratulations to our 2022 Grant Recipients
Lakewood Elementary
A $1000 grant was awarded to Jamie Freyaldenhoven, Art Teacher with Kindergarten teachers Kristy Matthews, Katie Stalcup and Tiffany Bullock. Their collaborative grant will help fund costumes, set materials, decor, advertising, transportation and more for Lakewood’s Fine Arts Night. This event is a critical tool for parent engagement with student learning and Lakewood is excited to continue their tradition of excellence in this endeavor.
$974 was awarded to Nancy Simpson and Elena Reyes-Lovins (not pictured), Gifted and Talented Facilitators for their project entitled “Quest for Learning.”’ This project addresses several needs for Quest students to have more STEM and hands-on learning opportunities. In cooperation with Amboy Elementary, funds from this grant will go towards purchasing items to participate in a Lego league explore challenge, stock market simulation and technology opportunities utilizing a 3-D printer.
Lisa Hoggard, Music teacher, is launching a ukulele group and will regularly use ukuleles in the music classroom thanks to her $500 mini entitled “Ukilions.” Exposing all students to string instruments and the experience of learning and performing a song on an instrument is invaluable. A further impact is giving those students who are drawn to music another way to be involved and have something to look forward to at school.
Cortney Hastings, Library Media specialist was awarded a mini grant of $448 for the Lakewood Makerspace in the media center. Students will work collaboratively and use literacy in makerspace challenges through read alouds, articles for students to digest or literature used to research.
Congratulations to Lakewood Elementary and to Mrs. Freyaldenhoven, Mrs. Matthews, Mrs. Stalcup, Mrs. Bullock, Mrs. Simpson, Mrs. Reyes-Lovins, Mrs. Hoggard and Mrs. Hastings.
Ridgeroad Elementary
The North Little Rock Public Education Foundation was proud to present an Innovative Teaching grant to Ridgeroad Elementary on Tuesday, October 4.
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A collaborative grant for $929 was presented to Lisa Mitchell, Meredith Shipman and Robin Arendt,ESOL teachers. These instructors wrote a grant for a project entitled “Let’s Give ‘Em Something to Talk About.” This project will encourage ESOL students in the specific areas of speaking and listening. The teachers will implement the use of desk top dry erase boards, microphones, a classroom video “set” and a buzzer system to encourage students to use their voice in the classroom setting. Many ESL students are hesitant to speak in the classroom but the instructors hope that the students will become even more enthusiastic about using their voices in this multi faceted and engaging project!
Congratulations to Ridgeroad Elementary and Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. Shipman and Mrs. Arendt.
North Little Rock Middle School
6th Grade Campus
The North Little Rock Public Education Foundation was proud to present an Innovative Teaching grant to NLRMS 6th grade campus on Tuesday, October 4.
A collaborative grant for $930 was presented to Carrie Monroe, Library Media Specialist and David Mitchell, Project Lead the Way instructor. These teachers will be using the grant money to help in their makerspace environment and to provide additional resources and opportunities for students to use technology in fun and exciting ways. This grant will aid in funding programming robots, motor kits, K’Nex model building sets, stik bots, foam sheets, and other craft items. The long range benefits of this grant will provide hundreds of students hands-on opportunities to explore technology.
Congratulations to NLRMS 6 and Ms. Monroe and Mr. Mitchell.
North Little Rock Middle School
7th and 8th Grade Campus
The North Little Rock Public Education Foundation was proud to present an Innovative Teaching grant to NLRMS 7/8 on Tuesday, October 4.
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A collaborative grant for $250 was presented to Lisa Harrison and Rosie Bartholomew, ESOL teachers. These instructors will be using the gifted money to help purchase classroom materials that represent and honor native countries, as well as games, maps and read-aloud books that elicit English language practice and conversation.
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Congratulations to NLRMS 7/8 and Mrs. Harrison and Mrs. Bartholomew.
Crestwood Elementary
The North Little Rock Public Education Foundation was proud to present an Innovative Teaching grant to Crestwood Elementary on Tuesday, October 4.
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A mini grant for $500 was presented to Heather Theodore, Gifted and Talented Facilitator for her project entitled Economics is Elementary.
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Economics elementary is created to bring economics and entrepreneurship into the classroom. Students will have the opportunity to learn about supply and demand, scarcity, productive resources, investments, and owning a business this project will include food trucks, business plans, not-so-famous entrepreneurs, and economics for all ages. Congratulations to Crestwood Elementary and to Heather Theodore!
North Little Rock High School
The North Little Rock Public Education Foundation was proud to present two Innovative Teaching grants to NLR High School on Tuesday, October 4.
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A collaborative grant for $672 was presented to Michael Klucher, Josh Shipman and DeAndre Lewis, Drama teachers and Alvaro Sela, Television Teacher. A collaborative grant for $600 was presented to Stan Whisnant, EAST Facilitator and Meredith Moore, Science Teacher, along with EAST student leaders Nicholas Sela, Gavin Moore, Mason Fitzgerald, Jessica Degler and Wes Mobley.
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The grant written by the EAST Students in cooperation with their Biology teacher, Mrs. Moore and their EAST facilitator, Mr. Whisnant entitled “Growing that Green.” This project will explore growing plants through hydroponics. Students will be setting up multiple styles of hydroponics including deep water culture aeroponics, ebb and flow and a drip system. They will grow several types of food including bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes, roma tomatoes, lettuce, etc. Funds for the grant will pay for grow lights, water pumps, containers, seeds, fertilizer, missed heads, fountain pumps, ph and ec meters, and much more.
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The grant written by the team from the Drama department in collaboration with the Television department will give students an opportunity to problem solve! The challenge to create a powerful wizard for the musical The Wizard of Oz is one that requires intense thought, collaboration, artistic ability and engineering. This project will utilize puppetry, practical smoke effects and animation to make the wizard seem to be alive!
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Congratulations to NLRHS and to Mr. Klucher, Mr. Shipman, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Sela, Mr. Whisnant and Mrs. Moore.
Indian Hills Elementary
The North Little Rock Public Education Foundation was proud to present two Innovative Teaching grants to Indian Hills Elementary Tuesday, October 4.
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A collaborative grant for $851 was presented to Michael Stell, Music Teacher and Olivia Zimmerman, Physical Education teacher. A collaborative grant for $962 was presented to Jennifer Sullivan, Kimberly Stafford and Sandra Parker, all First Grade teachers.
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Mr. Stell and Mrs. Zimmerman will be combining music and physical education by using stability balls with the drumsticks and then aerobic exercise routine put to music. This will engage kids in both subjects and then in energetics and fun way combining both disciplines will give students a new way to experience music and physical activity.
The First grade team of Mrs. Sullivan, Mrs. Stafford and Mrs. Parker will be utilizing their grant funds for literacy-based centers. Students will have the opportunity to practice skills such as decoding, writing and reading daily they will be able to learn and reinforce specific skills by playing engaging and hands-on activities. They will also learn decision-making, cooperation, sharing, staying on task, and problem-solving skills. Items such as rhyming word dominoes, pebble word building trays, letter cubes, how much more will be paid for through the collaborative grant.
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Congratulations to Indian Hills Elementary and to Mr. Stell, Mrs. Zimmerman, Mrs. Sullivan, Mrs. Parker, and Mrs. Stafford!
Glenview Elementary School
The NLR Public Education Foundation was proud to award an Innovative Teaching Grant to Glenview Elementary on Tuesday, October 4.
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Tracy Penland received a $500 mini grant for her project entitled “Outdoor Classroom:Nature Enhanced Learning.”Ms. Penland is an ESOL Specialist at Glenview (and Meadow Park). This grant will help in paying for an outdoor retractable pergola, patio stones, a rain gauge, a wall thermometer, clipboards and more. Outdoor education has been proven to improve mental health, attendance, social development, test scores and attitudes towards learning. Harnessing energy through getting outdoors will be a great technique for engagement and Glenview is excited to incorporate this into their school!
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Congratulations to Glenview Elementary and Tracy Penland.
Meadow Park Elementary School
The NLR Public Education Foundation was proud to award an Innovative Teaching Grant to Meadow Park Elementary on Tuesday, October 4.
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A collaborative grant of $1000 was awarded to Adhley Eaton and Jennifer Coleman for their grant entitled “Love of Literacy.” Mrs. Eaton and Mrs. Coleman are the Dyslexia Interventionists. This grant will make it possible to purchase higher interest decodables for older readers at MPE. Grant funds will cover ten series of books from High Noon books. This will provide 100 new books for Meadow Park Elementary scholars!
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Congratulations to Meadow Park Elementary and Ashley Eaton and Jennifer Coleman!
Boone Park Elementary School
The NLR Public Education Foundation was proud to award an Innovative Teaching Grant to Boone Park Elementary on Tuesday, October 4.
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A mini grant of $500 was awarded to Xiomara Bran-Vasquez for her grant entitled Secret Garden. Mrs. Bran-Vasquez is the STEAM lab facilitator. This grant will make it possible to enhance and add to an existing garden where the students from Boone Park will work to plant, explore and learn. Funds from the Innovative Teaching Grant will cover building material, seeds and more.
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Congratulations to Boone Park Elementary and Xiomara Bran-Vasquez!
Previously Funded Grants
Fall 2021
Amber Peck
Bilingual Book Library
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Peggy Watson, Emily Peterson, & Angela Brazell
Teach Around the Room
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Brittany Beshears and Donna Batte
Handchime Ensemble
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Ruth Peterson
The Edible Schoolyard
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Shanon Neumeier
Sublimation Station
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Lisa Harrison
The Gift of Gab
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Vicky Booth and Tammy Reeder
Each 1 Read 1
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Evelyn James
Hand on the Earth
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Melissa Maxson and Christy Duncan
Help our students succeed
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Jamie Freyalderhoven, Kayci Hardnet, & Haley Colclasure
Sticker Super Store
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Michael Klucher
Building to Scale!
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Evelyn James, Tellisha Brown, Stacy Fulton, Silas Nellums, & Eboni Heaggans
Science is Lit!
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Mindy Bassett and Jessica Cobb
Gowing Out of this World
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Peggy Watson, Larissa Robinson, and Megan Anthony
Equitable Technology Learning Made Fun
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Amy Woodsmall and Adrienne Durham
Extra Hand Please
Leslie Stacy and Stefanie Arnold
This is Me
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Courtney Hastings
Inquisitive Engineers
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Claudia Moran and Ashley Hanan
Life-Size Peg Board
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Ruth Peterson
Blooming Schoolyard
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Angie Haustein
Visual Learning in a Digital World
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Heather Theodore and Lindsey Harvey
Watch Our Garden Grow
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Jamie Freyanldenhoven
Baskets Galore
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Rachel Hritz and Meredith Shipman
Ear Buds for Our Buddies
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Lisa Harrison
Creative Tech Spin with Blended Learners
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Danniell Homan, Jess Anthony and Maribel Siems
I Like Big Books and I Can Not Lie
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Nevaeh McFelson (EAST Student) and Stanley Whisnant
EAST for Elementary
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Melissa Cannon and Marcia Dean
WIAT-4 for School Psychology Specialists
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Melanie Holmes
Middle School Enrichment
North Little Rock Middle School 7&8 Campus
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Kim Barton
College Visits
Boone Park Elementary
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Heather Theodore
Quirkles - Exploring Science Through Phonics
Crestwood Elementary
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Lisa Harrison
Collaborative Coding in the Creative Classroom
Ridge Road Elementary
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Lori Hart
First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege
Crestwood Elementary
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Ashley Richison
Books in Spanish
North Little Rock Middle School 7&8 Campus
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Charity Tuberville and Sarah Harrell
Little Library for Little Learners
Glenview Elementary
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Amanda Garlington, Bailey Abels and Marla Edwards - 4th Grade Teachers
Ecosystem Explorers
Lakewood Elementary
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Nancy Simpson and Elena Reyes-Lovins
A Quest for Science
Lakewood and Amboy Elementary
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Brittany Privett and Stephanie Orbona
STEAM Creations to the Max
Amboy Elementary
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Patrick Thames, Alicia Weatherford, Wende D’Andrea, Gail Jones and Randy Box
Building Community by Making Musical Instruments with Kids
Meadow Park Elementary