Foundation bestows small amounts for purchase of supplies, other classroom uses

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

It’s that time of year: Teachers at Benicia public schools can supplement their classroom supplies by securing Solano Community Foundation Education Plus! Mini-Grants.

Since the mini-grant program was created in 2000, hundreds of the grants — up to $1,000, but often for a couple hundred dollars or less — have been awarded in what the foundation calls an effort to develop learning and increase awareness of education as a vital force in the community.

The first year of the program saw only a few grants awarded because of low funding.

That is no longer the case, said Stephanie Wolf, foundation president and CEO.

“It was the very people who were putting the community foundation together who thought, ‘You know, let’s put this together as our inauguration,’” she said. “We fundraise for this all year long, and we’re always looking for partnerships with folks who are interested in education to help support this.

“The more money we have, the more grants we can make.”

The foundation has awarded 626 mini-grants, and almost 18,000 Solano County students have participated in special projects related to the grants, she said.

The program is for kindergarten through 12th grade. Grants are awarded to support innovative, student-based educational projects in academic mentoring, financial literacy, performing arts, science and technology and social media.

Teachers are responsible for applying, and with the grants now up to $1,000, “that’s a good chunk of change for a teacher to really make a difference in the classroom,” Wolf said.

She said the mini-grants are designed to provide funding for projects that enhance learning, with the goal to improve student achievement and enhance the students’ educational experience.

Selection for the grants is based on how the proposed projects provide creative and innovative solutions to a stated problem or issue of one of those five program areas.

Benicia Middle School has had three mini-grants awarded for math learning and enhancement. Other Benicia schools have had success getting mini-grants too, Wolf said.

One of the more unique submissions that Wolf mentioned came from Dixon High School.

“Dixon High has received a grant for the past several years for a program called Carnival Del Mundo,” Wolf said.

The event involves students researching a particular country — its culture and history. “Then they put on a day for whatever that is. It’s really quite wonderful,” Wolf said.

“It’s fun, it’s interesting, the kids love it.”

Deadline to apply for an Education Plus! Mini-Grant is Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. Applications are available from school principals, on the school websites, and on the SCF website.

The applications can be hand-delivered or mailed to SCF’s office at 470 Chadbourne Road, Suite D (second floor), Fairfield 94534; by fax to 707-399-3849; or applicants can email the signed and scanned application as a PDF document to scfadmin@solanocf.org.