Latest Grants Awarded

ZEF 2021 Spring Classroom and Imagine Grants Announced

On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, ZEF announced $28,424.63 in grants to ZCS teachers and schools. Fourteen ZEF 2021 Spring Classroom Grants totaling $21,351.63 and seven ZEF Imagine Professional Development Grants totaling $7,073 were awarded to 45 ZCS educators across the district. These grants fund a wide variety of projects both in and out of the classroom giving teachers the tools they need to dream big for their students and the opportunity for professional growth and continued learning.

The 2021 Spring Classroom Grants fund projects in STEM, literacy, special education, foreign language, wellness, and the arts. Guided reading library texts will give teachers access to books with diverse characters and those created by authors and illustrators from diverse backgrounds; lab materials will give middle school teachers the tools they need to expand a successful pilot program to use the argument driven inquiry method in science classes; novels in Spanish will strengthen skills for foreign language learners; updated technology in the Zionsville Community High School choir room will expand opportunities for students; and creative tools for teaching geometry take learning from the abstract to the concrete.

ZEF Imagine Professional Development Grants provide growth and renewal opportunities for ZCS educators with a minimum of three years full-time experience. The 2021 Imagine Grants awarded provide professional development opportunities for twelve educators at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Cutting-edge technology tools for high school science instruction, research-based social and emotional learning practices at the elementary level, and middle school educators’ further exploration of Universal Design for Learning are just a few examples of the extra work being done by ZCS educators for their students.

Detailed descriptions of all 2021 Grants can be found here:
2021 Spring Classroom Grants
2021 Imagine Professional Development Grants

Congratulations to the 2021 ZEF Spring Classroom Grant recipients:

Equipped for Inquiry – Shannon Eaton and Angie Miller, Zionsville West Middle School ($384.04)

Creating Cultural Understandings Through Holidays – MacKenzie Luse, Boone Meadow Elem. ($345.55)

Nuestra Pequeña Biblioteca – Kristen Travers, Zionville Middle School & Zionsville West Middle School ($769.72)

Tweener Weights for Tweener Lifters – Juli Speer, Amy Emkow, JR Howell, Scott Turnquist, David Williams, Zionsville Community High School ($126.84)

Acceptance of Other Book Club – Kim Lalley, Zionsville Middle School ($537.72)

Identity and Inclusion: Teaching Tolerance Begins with Sharing our Stories – Emily Wleklinski and Angela Parker, Zionsville Middle School ($605.85)

Enhancing Choir Instruction with Technology – Sam Chenoweth, Zionsville Community High School ($2,155)

Building Z-West One Student at a Time! – Trisha Smart, Zionsville West Middle School ($934.83)

Making Math Class Memorable with Magna-Tiles – Liz Ferrand and Shannon Eaton, Zionsville West Middle School ($719.94)

Engaging our Kindy Readers with Engaging Reader Text Sets! – Jill McCune, Tina Boudreau, Megan Fischer, Grace Gardner, Amanda Hassen, Jen Hilton, Alyssa Kayes, Pleasant View Elementary ($2,823.44)

Finishing Cart – Amanda Lucas and Spencer Cassin, Zionsville Community High School ($1,732)

Mirrors, Windows and Doors – Learning about Ourselves and Others through Books – Kellie Valentine, Allyson Knue, Lynne Munley, Jodi Burns and Jen Raycroft, Union Elementary ($3,500)

Decodable Texts for Growing Readers – Emily Clare, Melisa Benefiel, Kyla McDaniel, Tammy Westin, Melinda Strawmyer, Stonegate Elementary ($3,658.60)

STEAM-Powered Learning: Bringing Designs to Life with 3-D Printing – Grace Fletcher and Cassidy Spencer, Zionsville Community High School ($3,058.10)

Congratulations to the 2021 Imagine Professional Development Grant recipients:

Katherine Carter – Exploring 50 of the Best Strategies for Enhancing SCIENCE Instruction Using Cutting-Edge Tech Tools, Zionsville Community High School ($279)

Michelle Peltier – Bringing Self-Paced Learning Technology to the Classroom, Zionsville West Middle School ($495)

Melinda A. Strawmyer – Readers Workshop for Teachers!, Stonegate Elementary ($850)

Amanda Hassen and Marissa Diemer – Responsive Classroom – Elementary Core Course, Pleasant View Elementary ($1,658)

Stephanie Barrientos and Shannon Eaton – Understanding UDL: Improving Access, Engagement, and Expression of Learning for All Students, Zionsville West Middle School ($897)

Julina Speer –American Fitness Professionals Association Health and Wellness Coaching Certification, Zionsville Community High School ($749)

Evan Schroeder, Josh Weirich, Chris Murray, and Ashley Carney – The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, Zionsville Middle School ($2,145)

Past Grants Awarded