In the 2008 - 2009 School year we had 115 applications for MAD Grants. More than 2,000 students benefitted from the 17 projects. (Because of an administration glitch, no announcements were made in the Portland Schools district. We apologize for not awarding any grants in Portland, but are doing our best to get the word out to EVERYONE this year in many different ways!) 

Highline School District 401

Marketing ACE/TEC & Small Schools
Academy of Citizenship & Empowerment
Carrie Howell, IA/Film/Mass Media Teacher

Students will use a new hard-drive digital camcorder to produce promotional DVDs and documentaries about the unique learning environment at the Tyee Educational Complex.

Engineering Young Minds
Aviation High School & Midway Elementary
Scott McComb, Robert Steele and Keitha Bryson, Teachers

High School students will work with elementary students, using K’NEX and LEGO sets to demonstrate basic physical and mathematical principles.  

AHS Mars Rover
Aviation High School
Nikhil Joshi, Math & Science Teacher

Astronomy and Robotics students will work together to build a Mars Rover robot to explore a simulated Martian landscape, searching for an environment hospitable to life.

Olympic National Park’s Creature Feature Traveling Trunk & Adaptation Show
Bow Lake Elementary
Carlyn Roedell

Fifth- and sixth-grade students will use the Olympic National Park trunk to learn about native animals such as Townsend’s chipmunks, Stellar’s jays and mountain beavers.

Trebuchet Catapult (Flinging Projectiles)
Bow Lake Elementary
Brett MacDonald, Sixth-grade Teacher

Sixth-grade students will fling marshmallows using a medieval catapult kit while studying inertia, counterweights, friction and velocity.

Painting Animals onto Real Canvas Frames with Acrylic Paints
Bow Lake Elementary
Brett MacDonald, Sixth-grade Teacher

Sixth-grade students will paint enlarged animal eyes, learning to enlarge drawings to scale and mix paints with the canvases and paints provided by the MAD Grant.

Student Composition Recordings & CD Making
Cedarhurst Elementary
Bianca Smith, Music Specialist

Fifth- and sixth-grade students will write songs for different instruments, perform and record the songs, design CD labels and discuss copyright laws using CDs, cases, labels and markers from the grant.

Culture Club
Chinook Middle School
Emily Ausema, Americorps Worker

Students will learn about different cultures represented at Chinook during an after-school Culture Club program where students cook, make crafts, play games, dance and go on field trips.

Tutor Team
Highline High School
Dwayne Olson, ELL Tutor

Students in the Tutor Team program, where students tutor fellow students, will receive supplies, as well as tee shirts to support the program.

Wildlife Discovery: Owl Pellets
Hilltop Elementary
Terre Salzer, Librarian

Students will dissect owl pellets purchased through MAD Grant funds to learn about the barn owl, its habitat and the food chain. This is an on-going lesson, using a DVD and bone-sorting charts awarded through a 2007-2008 MAD Grant.

Sprucing Up Computers
Madrona Elementary
Katie Yore, Sixth-Grade Teacher

MAD Grants funds will buy new computer mice and headphones for existing computers to make them more useful to students.

Writers’ Notebooks
Madrona Elementary
Michael Hecklinger, Literacy Coach

MAD Grants funds will be used to purchase writers’ notebooks for students in the lower levels of the school, so that every student can participate in the school’s writing program.

Family Homework Night
Midway Elementary
Jessica Ma, ELL Kindergarten Teacher

Midway ELL teachers will host a Family Homework Night to teach parents literacy and math activities they can do at home with their children. Funds will be used for materials and supplies.

Science Fair
Mount Rainier High School
Sam Garson, Science Teacher

Tenth-grade Science students will use materials supplied by the MAD Grant to produce tri-fold posters of their projects. In addition a permanent trophy will be purchased, engraved and put on display.

Science Fair
North Hill Elementary
Stephanie Nichols & Nancy Becker, Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Teachers

MAD Grants will fund demonstration boards, awards and certificates for the Science Fair.

A New Heritage in a New Land
Seahurst Elementary
Mimi Krsak, ELL Teacher

MAD Grants will fund ELL students’ visits to Camp Waskowitz.

Audio Slideshows
Technology, Engineering & Communications School
Michael Ko, Language Arts/Graphics Teacher

Students will produce their own audio slideshows using new digital cameras and audio equipment provided by the grant.

Portland Schools

Unfortunately, there were no MAD Grants awarded last year in the Portland Schools.