Lexington One Educational Foundation awards $25,000 in Innovation Grants for K-8 Schools for 2024-2025 school year

The Lexington One Educational Foundation recently awarded a total of $25,000 in Innovation Grants for K-8 Schools to six schools in Lexington County School District One.

These Innovation Grants, valued at up to $5,000 each, advance existing or future cutting-edge educational efforts at the elementary or middle school level. Each school had to commit to a 10% match in order to apply. This Educational Foundation investment will positively affect 2,265 students in Lexington District One during the 2024-25 school year, which is when the grant projects will be implemented.

Congratulations to the following Lexington District One schools for their 2024-2025 Lexington One Educational Foundation Innovation Grant award:

• Carolina Springs Elementary School – $4,415 Innovation Grant Award – The “Computer Science with Lego Robotics” project will purchase LEGO Spike Kits to provide hands-on learning experiences while reinforcing engineering design process and computational thinking for 3rd-5th grade STEM-Related Classes.
• Forts Pond Elementary School – $5,000 Innovation Grant Award – The “Innovation Phonics Frenzy: Boosting Literacy Skills through Differentiation” project will purchase decodable books, hands-on activities, and reading/phonics skill games needed for small group instruction to support the LETRS program in 3rd Grade classes. The goal is to create focused differentiated instructional groups that teach the specific skills that each child needs.
• Lake Murray Elementary School – $4,415 Innovation Grant Award – The “Enriching STEAM Opportunities with LEGO SPIKE” project will Purchase 17 LEGO SPIKE sets and the curriculum in order to engage and encourage strategic innovations, critical and creative thinking, and peer collaboration while students make and code different builds. The focus for this project is access and opportunity in STEAM education for 3rd-5th graders.
• Meadow Glen Middle School – $1,755 Innovation Grant Award – The “Life Skills Learning Lab” project will develop a life-skills classroom to simulate daily living for students with disabilities. The lab will promote strategic innovations through inclusive curriculum design, adaptive technology integration, and collaborative learning environments.
• Pleasant Hill Elementary School – $4,415 Innovation Grant Award – The “Spiking Learning Through Robotics” project will purchase a set of Lego Spike kits to introduce students to coding and computational thinking as early as kindergarten, as well as ensure that more students have access to computer science and STEM education.
• White Knoll Middle School – $5,000.00 Innovation Grant Award – The “Makers of Tomorrow” project will purchase items to expand the Maker Space in the school library, so students have opportunities to create personalized designs using the latest design technology and processes and learn entrepreneurial skills. Students will also learn job skills regarding safety, production technology, and proper handling of equipment.

Foundation Executive Director Julie Anderson Washburn stated, “Our Allocations Committee loves the project presentations of our Innovation Grant applicants, as they are always unique educational projects that open our students’ minds to new ways of learning important subjects and skills. We ask that each Lexington District One school project impact a significant portion of the school’s population, so that the project has a wide reach and educational effect. We are thankful to our donors who invest in the foundation and make these grants possible!”

This is the Lexington One Educational Foundation’s 10th year of offering these grants. During this time close to $200,000 has been invested in Lexington District One schools and almost 29,000 students have benefitted and learned from these projects. The Educational Foundation’s Board of Directors are so pleased to support such inventive educational opportunities for our elementary and middle school students. In addition, the board and staff are very thankful to individuals and businesses that invest in Lexington District One through charitable gifts to the Educational Foundation.

About Lexington County School District One Educational Foundation

Established in 1994 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Lexington One Educational Foundation is a source of growth and support for Lexington County School District One. Its mission is to support the district’s educational programs and enrich the quality of life in the Lexington community by raising and managing funds. Annually, the Foundation works to build partnerships with individuals, corporations and foundations in order to benefit Lexington One students, teachers, and schools. We plant seeds in our district that bloom into amazing educational opportunities for our students! To learn more about our mission and how to give, visit: Lex1EdFound.org.