Building Community to Support Our District
The Peninsula Schools Education Foundation plays a vital role in securing community resources that fund diverse and exceptional enrichment opportunities for students across all schools in the district. By harnessing local support, the Foundation ensures that students have access to a wide range of experiences—such as innovative classroom projects, extracurricular programs, and advanced learning tools—that go beyond the standard curriculum. These resources help to foster creativity, critical thinking, and personal growth, allowing students to explore their interests, develop new skills, and reach their full potential. In doing so, the Foundation strengthens the overall educational experience and enhances the future success of every student in the Peninsula School District.
Education Innovation Grants
Funding from PSEF allows educators to explore creative and innovative teaching while providing pathways to extend and expand student learning.
Community Partner Grants
Through relationships with other non-profit educational partners, we have provided support to grow many of our district’s most popular programs.
District Direct Grants
Each year presents new challenges and opportunities. PSEF works with the district to respond to student and educator needs as they arise, in ways that promote equity and maximize impact across all schools.
CLASSROOM INNOVATION GRANTS
SPARKING CURIOSITY TO BRING LEARNING TO LIFE
Funding from PSEF allows educators to explore creative and innovative teaching while providing pathways to extend and expand student learning.
GRANTS IN ACTION!
- “ANATOMY ALIVE” | Peninsula HS: Virtual imaging T-shirts
- “GARDENING FOR LIFE” | Goodman MS Options: Greenhouse, seeds & supplies
- “NATIONAL HISTORY DAY” | Kopachuck MS: Travel & supplies for regional competition
The Education Foundation’s Enrichment Spotlights
National History Day
National History Day is a nonprofit education organization dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of history. NHD’s core program is its competition in which students ranging from 6th to 12th grade choose a topic and dive deeply into the past by conducting research in libraries, archives, and museums. They then present their conclusions and evidence through papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, or websites, moving through a series of contest levels where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators (learn more at www.nhd.org).
Since the exhibit category remains the most popular format for National History Day, grant funding from PSEF provided Kopachuck Middle School teacher Kayla Frank the money needed to purchase over 70 exhibit boards, ensuring that every 7th and 8th grader could participate without barriers. The grant was also used to purchase NHD guidebooks for each middle school in our district with the hope that it will encourage more teachers to feel prepared to join this meaningful program in the near future.
70 advanced to regional in Kent, WA
13 advanced to State in Olympia, WA
2 REACHED THE NATIONAL COMPETITION in Washington, DC!
Planting Seeds
Using a grant award from PSEF, Options teacher Kari Hyatt was able to purchase an indoor greenhouse to facilitate hands-on horticulture learning in her Goodman Middle School classroom! The lessons from the indoor greenhouse led to a very successful Plant Extravaganza Sale over the 23-24 holiday season. The students themselves then used the money earned from their sales to purchase additional greenhouse supplies including an aquaponic and hydroponic station, as well as several more shelves and grow lights. The class was able to grow even more fresh flowers to sell at their Spring Bazaar! Following the program’s roaring success, Ms. Hyatt and her class are eager to dive back into horticulture studies again, creating even more opportunities for students to share their knowledge and love of plant care.
Communicating Without Words
Using a grant from PSEF, thirty pictorial communication boards were designed and displayed across every elementary school playground in our district (3 per school, beginning at Harbor Heights). The foam-core weatherproof signs contain a series of simple images that children can point to in order to communicate with both adults and peers. For example, a student might point to a series of five images to say “I-want-friend-play-ball,” among hundreds of other possible combinations.
Originally intended for non-speaking special needs students, these boards have been remarkable for students who are learning English, students who are upset, and shy students, as well! Following Harbor Heights’ impressive lead, the other 9 elementary schools are now training teachers and playground staff to effectively communicate with any student using these boards. The students themselves have even provided their own feedback regarding the boards, suggesting that some be moved so that they are easier for them to access during active play. As Ali Shepard, our district’s Assistant Director of Special Education summarizes, “Inclusion rocks!”
Peninsula Hands-On Art
This past year, PSEF provided a grant to purchase supplies for the Matisse Collagraph Printmaking project, designed and taught by local artist Vanessa Lanza. Students designed a nature-inspired collage art piece on a printing plate using a variety of textures, then used water-based block printing ink to transfer their image to paper using artist quality printmaking rollers. PSEF is proud to support the work of Peninsula Hands-On Art and we are looking forward to many more years of working together to provide exceptional enrichment opportunities to Peninsula School District Students!
We’re excited to share an update from one of our amazing partner non-profits, Peninsula Hands-On Art. This well-established local non-profit offers students quality artistic experiences, with each project designed by a local Pacific Northwest artist. Four unique projects are brought into our district’s elementary classrooms each year.
COMMUNITY PARTNER GRANTS
EXPANDING ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Through relationships with other non-profit educational partners, we have provided support to grow many of our district’s most popular programs.
PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION!
- Peninsula Hands On Art
- C.A.P.E – Career and Pathway Expo
GRANTS IN ACTION!
- Playground Communication Boards – Supporting inclusion and independence
- “College in the High School” – Removing barriers for dual-credit classes
- Remote Learning Technology – Rapid response to COVID-19 pandemic closures
DIRECT DISTRICT GRANTS
RESPONSIVE, FLEXIBLE FUNDING TO EMERGENT STUDENT NEEDS
Each year presents new challenges and opportunities. PSEF works with the district to respond to student and educator needs as they arise, in ways that promote equity and maximize impact across all schools.
DIRECT DISTRICT GRANTS
RESPONSIVE, FLEXIBLE FUNDING TO EMERGENT STUDENT NEEDS
Each year presents new challenges and opportunities. PSEF works with the district to respond to student and educator needs as they arise, in ways that promote equity and maximize impact across all schools.
GRANTS IN ACTION!
- Playground Communication Boards – Supporting inclusion and independence
- “College in the High School” – Removing barriers for dual-credit classes
- Remote Learning Technology – Rapid response to COVID-19 pandemic closures