Previous Grants
Our grant program provides the means to connect students with the resources, experiences, and opportunities to meet their full potential and enhance learning in our local classrooms.
Here are the Fall 2025 Grantees:
Big Idea Grants. ($1000 - $5000)
Recentering Youth - Bellingham Schools First Annual Powwow
Squalicum High School
Squalicum High School’s Native American Student Union (NASU) is organizing a student-led powwow that will bring culture, learning, and community connection to Bellingham Schools. NASU students are deeply committed to honoring their ancestral traditions and helping classmates and staff learn more about Coast Salish culture. This event will welcome drum groups, dancers, families, and community members from tribes across Coast Salish territories, along with students and families from throughout the district.
A traditional powwow includes sharing a meal with guests, and this grant will help students honor that tradition by providing the food needed to host attendees. Beyond supporting a single event, this project is a powerful leadership experience for students. They are learning firsthand what it means to plan and host a cultural gathering of this scale—developing skills in budgeting, logistics, communication, and cultural stewardship.
By bringing together community members and celebrating Native culture through student leadership, the powwow will serve as a meaningful bridge between cultures and a vibrant reminder that Native traditions are alive, thriving, and central to our community.
The Nest at BHS
Bellingham High School
Bellingham High School is launching The Nest, a new Student Support Center designed to meet a growing need for a dedicated space where students can regulate emotions, practice coping strategies, and receive short-term academic help. The Nest will offer a calm, welcoming environment where students can take brief mental health or sensory breaks with support from trained staff. Research from similar programs shows that most students are able to reset and return to class within 10–15 minutes—reducing time spent hiding in bathrooms, wandering hallways, or leaving campus when overwhelmed.
The Nest will also serve as a consistent, structured location for students who need academic assistance during the school day, such as taking or retaking tests, accessing a reader or scribe, or getting help with assignments. By centralizing this support, the school can better track student needs and ensure more time is spent engaged in learning.
Success means students feel safe asking for help, teachers and staff collaborate to direct students to appropriate supports, and every student receives what they need to return to class ready to learn. Whether practicing a calming strategy with a staff member or completing assignments 1-on-1, students will experience The Nest as a reliable, caring resource.
This initiative represents a meaningful step in BHS’s commitment to creating an equitable, supportive environment where all students can thrive—emotionally, socially, and academically.
En Comunidad Libros Solidarios
Alderwood & Happy Valley
Two district elementary schools are partnering to strengthen language development through a focus on translanguaging—an approach that honors students’ full linguistic identities and supports stronger literacy outcomes. After reviewing attendance, achievement, discipline, and testing data, school leadership teams identified a significant equity gap: Latinx students were the furthest from educational justice, and representation in staffing and classroom texts did not reflect the student population. With more than 20% of students identifying as Latinx and only 1% of teachers sharing that identity, the need for culturally relevant, multilingual resources became urgent.
This grant will help bring bilingual Latine/x voices and experiences to the center of classroom learning. Funding supports virtual author visits with the writers of En Comunidad, a text used by teachers, multilingual specialists, and coaches who are engaging in a yearlong book study on translanguaging. The grant also allows the schools to develop and purchase classroom book collections that amplify Latinx identities and provide authentic Spanish-language materials. In addition, teachers will gain access to the authors’ newest resource, Libros solidarios, which guides K–6 educators in building biliteracy through high-quality Spanish-language picture books and early readers.
Grounded in Dr. José Medina’s assertion that translanguaging is “teaching at the intersection of language and social justice,” this project will benefit all students and staff. By expanding representation in classroom texts and deepening staff expertise in multilingual literacy practices, the project will create more inclusive, equitable, and culturally affirming learning environments across both schools.
Multilingual Library Collections for Literacy, Equity, and Identity
All Elementary Schools
Across Bellingham’s 14 elementary schools, students speak 26 home languages—but our library collections don’t yet reflect that diversity. In many cases, there are only a handful of books available in a language spoken by dozens of students. For example, district libraries collectively hold just 3 Punjabi books for 31 Punjabi-speaking students, and only 14 Vietnamese books for 9 Vietnamese-speaking students. Families and students regularly request books in their home languages, yet our collections often cannot meet those needs.
This grant will help build multilingual book collections that better represent and engage our bilingual and multilingual learners. Research from the National Association for the Education of Young Children shows that access to home-language materials promotes academic success and cultural continuity—key components of equitable learning environments.
With funding, the Library Media Specialists (LMS) team will purchase multilingual story and informational books and catalog them centrally, placing them in school libraries based on each community’s needs. The long-term goal is simple and powerful: any student should be able to walk into their library and find books in the language they speak at home.
Success will be measured by representation, access, and the confidence of students and families who can finally say “Yes!” when asked whether their library includes books in the languages that matter most to them.
CT Community Recreation Engagement Extravaganza
Community Transitions
Community Transitions (CT) supports young adults ages 18–22 with disabilities as they work toward their goals for adulthood—Live, Learn, Work, Play. A key part of this journey is developing confidence in community recreation and independent living, yet many CT students face financial and social barriers that limit these experiences. This grant will help create more inclusive opportunities that build real-world skills and meaningful peer relationships.
One highlight of CT is its long-standing partnership with Western Washington University’s Special Education program. For nine years, CT students and pre-service teachers have been paired in a mentorship class focused on communication and relationship-building. However, the class has had limited ability to practice these skills together in community leisure settings. Funding will support off-campus recreation experiences that help students connect, socialize, and grow alongside same-age peers.
The grant will also expand CT’s independent living curriculum, especially cooking and dining skills. While students learn basic cooking at school, the program’s small culinary budget limits opportunities to explore culturally meaningful recipes or experience real-world dining. Many CT students have never had the financial means to eat at a restaurant—missing essential lessons in ordering, interacting with staff, dining in community spaces, and tipping.
By supporting community recreation, cultural cooking, and dining-out experiences, this project will offer CT students equitable access to the kinds of life skills and social opportunities that pave the way toward confident, connected adulthood.
Birchwood Goes to MBT!
Birchwood Elementary
Birchwood’s 1st and 2nd grade classes are hoping to attend a performance at the Mt. Baker Theatre this spring—an experience that many students in the Birchwood community have never had the opportunity to enjoy. With recent cuts to field trip funding at both the school and IB program levels, resources are not available to make this experience possible without support.
The field trip directly connects to the IB units students are studying this time of year, including science- and storytelling-focused inquiries. Seeing a live performance will help students deepen their understanding of these concepts, make real-world connections to their learning, and spark curiosity and creativity.
Success means every Birchwood 1st and 2nd grader can participate, regardless of financial circumstances. With this grant, students will gain access to a meaningful cultural experience, broaden their understanding of the wider Bellingham community, and strengthen their learning through the arts.
Connecting and Belonging at Shuksan Middle School
Shuksan Middle School
At Shuksan Middle School, fostering connection and belonging is central to our mission. We aim to ensure that every student feels seen, valued, and part of a caring community from the moment they enter 6th grade until they graduate to high school. Over the years, we have developed programs that help students build relationships with staff, peers, and the broader community, positively impacting their well-being, engagement, and sense of identity.
Ongoing budget constraints put these programs at risk. This grant will provide the resources needed to continue offering meaningful experiences that strengthen student connections. One example is Queer Prom, the only event of its kind in Whatcom County, which creates a safe and affirming space for LGBTQ+ students to celebrate and feel fully included.
Funding will allow Shuksan to maintain and expand these unique opportunities, ensuring that all students continue to experience a school culture rooted in inclusion, care, and authentic community.
Materials for Equitable Science Education
Cordata Elementary
This project aims to make equitable, hands-on science education accessible to all 2nd grade elementary students. Many teachers face barriers to teaching science due to limited materials, which can prevent students from fully engaging with the subject.
With this grant, the classroom will receive the materials needed to bring science to life—allowing students to explore, experiment, and learn in authentic, engaging ways. By providing hands-on experiences, students will deepen their understanding, build confidence, and begin to see themselves as scientists.
The goal is to inspire a love of science for every student and broaden their perspective of who can be a scientist—helping them envision themselves in scientific roles and fostering curiosity that lasts a lifetime.
Cross Age Collaborations: Legos For Learning
Alderwood & Bellingham High School
Legos for Learning connects high school Teacher Academy students with elementary learners through coding and robotics using Lego Spike kits. These kits look like traditional Legos but include programmable components that can move, light up, make sounds, and record voices—bringing hands-on STEM learning to life.
Currently, this collaboration is limited to two 2nd grade classrooms in partnership with Western Washington University. Expanding the program with ten additional Lego Spike kits would allow Teacher Academy students to mentor multiple classrooms across the district, providing elementary students with engaging technology experiences while giving high school students valuable teaching and leadership practice.
This project equips students with the skills needed for a technology-driven future and supports the district’s commitment to creating skilled, confident users of technology. Success will be seen when students of all ages are actively experimenting, coding, and problem-solving, building curiosity and confidence in STEM.
NSEA Students for Salmon
All Elementary Schools (4th grade)
The Students for Salmon Program turns 4th graders into stream scientists, giving them a chance to investigate salmon habitat and learn about Pacific Northwest ecology. The three-part program includes a classroom visit aligned with the district’s marine life curriculum, a full-day field trip, and a student-led restoration project.
Previously offered at no cost to schools for over 25 years, the program now requires support because NSEA lost more than 85% of its funding due to cuts in the Washington State budget and reductions in federal education grants. This grant helps cover program fees for schools without the budget or PTA funds, ensuring all students can participate.
Through this experience, students deepen their understanding of science, explore the outdoors, and actively contribute to protecting local watersheds—building curiosity, environmental stewardship, and lasting connections to their natural world.
Enrichment and Innovation Grants ($100 – $1000)
Sensory and Play Based Learning Materials
Roosevelt Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary’s special education teachers are seeking resources to better support students with complex and significant needs across K–5. Many of these students spend part of their day in specialized classrooms, where play-based learning and sensory breaks are essential for engagement and regulation.
This grant will provide age-appropriate toys and sensory materials to enhance learning and create a calm, supportive environment. With these resources, students will be able to self-regulate, engage more fully in lessons, and benefit from play-based activities that promote both social-emotional growth and academic success.
Supporting the Whole Child with OT
Whatcom Middle School
This grant supports students at Whatcom Middle School who receive occupational therapy to develop sensory processing, fine motor skills, emotional regulation, and social-emotional learning. These students often face challenges that limit their participation in academic and social settings.
Funding will provide hands-on, project-based learning materials—such as cooking tools, craft supplies, and daily living items—along with sensory supports like movement equipment, weighted blankets, and calming bean bag chairs. These resources allow students to practice real-world skills, manage overstimulation, and build independence and confidence in a safe, supportive environment.
Success means students can fully engage in therapy activities and access learning opportunities throughout the school day. By enriching both project-based learning and sensory spaces, this grant fosters inclusive environments where all learners can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Inclusion Tools for Para Educators
Bellingham High School
Bellingham High School’s special education paraeducators play a vital role in supporting students with cognitive and learning needs, often moving across eight different classrooms or spaces each day. This grant will provide essential tools to help paraeducators be fully prepared to support students wherever they are, improving access to curriculum and co-regulation strategies.
With resources like fidgets for sensory needs, portable whiteboards for curriculum modifications, and other adaptive tools, paraeducators can respond immediately to student needs. This ensures more efficient inclusion, reduces time spent searching for materials, and allows students to engage fully in learning. While primarily supporting students receiving adaptive services, these tools will also benefit teachers, paras, and the wider school community, fostering a more inclusive and responsive learning environment.
Engaging Equipment for Options Early Learning Center/GRADS
GRADS
At the start of the school year, our toddler and preschool program lost access to bikes in the gym, one of our primary large-motor activities. This grant will provide new indoor equipment to help students continue developing essential motor skills such as eye-hand coordination, throwing, swinging, and kicking.
Beyond physical development, the equipment will also support social-emotional growth by encouraging teamwork, sharing, and cooperative play. With these resources, all students in the program will have opportunities for active, engaging, and skill-building experiences in a safe indoor environment.
AVID UW Field Trip
Shuksan Middle School
Shuksan’s AVID program empowers students to close the opportunity gap by building the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed for college and career readiness. Through rigorous academic experiences—including note-taking, public speaking, Socratic Seminars, Tutorials, and Philosophical Chairs—students develop agency, organization, and leadership skills that prepare them for success beyond middle school.
A highlight of the program is the spring college visit to the University of Washington. For many AVID students, this is their first opportunity to set foot on a college campus. During the trip, students tour the campus, hear from admissions counselors, and experience campus life firsthand in the dining hall. These visits provide real-world context for the lessons learned in AVID, inspiring students to envision their future possibilities and reinforcing the purpose behind their hard work in the classroom.
This grant helps ensure that all AVID students can participate in these transformative experiences, connecting academic preparation to tangible college and career opportunities.
Seastar Science and Art
Carl Cozier Elementary
All 46 fifth graders at Carl Cozier will benefit from a full 12-hour art enrichment program led by Allied Arts Instructor Rachel Potter. Previously, budget constraints had limited participation to just three hours, restricting students’ ability to fully explore creative expression through art.
With this grant, students will complete three comprehensive projects:
Ocean Ecosystem Composition – Using colored pencils on tagboard, students research habitats and explore line and shading techniques to depict textures and depth.
Seastar Watercolor Study – Students create a detailed close-up of a seastar, capturing color variations and textures with watercolor.
Abstract Ocean Canvas – Using acrylic paint, students create imaginative ocean scenes inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
Through these projects, students discover how different art mediums allow them to express their perspectives on the natural world. The program combines science and creativity, helping students appreciate the wonders of the local Salish Sea while developing confidence, skill, and artistic curiosity.
Handwriting for All: A Collaborative & Inclusive Curriculum for Student Success
Cordata Elementary
At Cordata Elementary, many students continue to struggle with handwriting despite exposure to the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. This grant will fund the Size Matters Handwriting Program, a research-backed intervention designed to provide targeted support for students who need more intensive instruction.
The program will directly benefit students who have not responded to existing interventions, helping them improve letter formation, build confidence, and participate more fully in classroom activities. It also equips teachers with practical strategies and resources, supporting both general and special education staff in delivering effective, inclusive instruction.
Implementation will begin with small groups and expand through co-teaching, creating a sustainable model that can be integrated into classrooms long-term. By filling a critical gap in available resources, this grant ensures all students at Cordata have the tools they need to succeed academically and develop essential handwriting skills.
Yarnies Crochet Club
Fairhaven Middle School
The Crochet Club provides 6th–8th grade students with a fun, engaging space to build creativity, patience, and fine motor skills while fostering friendships and community. Students learn to follow patterns and create handmade items, developing concentration and skills that support academic success.
Beyond the craft, the club offers a safe, screen-free environment where students can express themselves, practice mindfulness, and celebrate each other’s progress. The grant will provide essential supplies—yarn, needles, and patterns—ensuring that all students can participate free of charge, removing financial barriers and promoting an inclusive, supportive experience for every member.
Middle School Spanish Curriculum
Kulshan Middle School
Fairhaven Middle School
At KMS and FMS, middle school Spanish students range from first-time learners to those repeating the class multiple times. Currently, there is no standard curriculum, requiring the teacher to create all lesson materials from scratch. This six-year effort impacts roughly 230 students each year and presents significant challenges in organization, consistency, and student engagement.
This grant will provide a research-based, comprehensive curriculum—Spanish Curriculum for Middle School, Grades 7–8, aligned with ACTFL standards and paired with a photocopiable workbook. Developed by curriculum experts, it includes short stories, vocabulary practice, writing and listening activities, grammar instruction, and visually engaging materials that are more effective and efficient than self-created resources.
By providing this curriculum, students will benefit from structured, high-quality instruction, while the teacher can focus on facilitating meaningful learning experiences instead of spending hours creating materials. This investment ensures a more consistent, engaging, and successful Spanish learning experience for all middle school students.
Advancing Equitable Science Education and engineering
Northern Heights Elementary School
Northern Heights 5th graders are participating in the Explore the Salish Sea (ESS) curriculum, a place- and project-based science program grounded in both Western science and traditional ecological knowledge from Indigenous communities. As part of this program, students engineer and test remote-operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) to carry out real-world missions, such as collecting marine debris, surveying sea life, or testing water quality.
Last year, limited water depth at Camp Kirby prevented students from fully completing their missions. This grant will fund transportation to Taylor Dock in Whatcom County, which offers deep water, abundant marine life, and opportunities to study human impacts on the environment. Around 75 students will benefit, each team engineering their ROV to meet design criteria and execute a meaningful mission.
By participating in this project, students gain hands-on engineering experience, build problem-solving and teamwork skills, and see the real-world relevance of science. They will document their findings and share results with the community, fostering curiosity, environmental stewardship, and pride in their work.
Outdoor Access through Orienteering
Whatcom Middle School
The Orienteering Club at Whatcom Middle School helps students explore the outdoors while learning to navigate with maps and compasses. With 22 students currently participating, the club meets weekly on campus for practice courses, but students are eager to apply their skills in real outdoor settings.
This grant provides compasses for all club members, giving each student the essential tools needed to engage fully in orienteering activities. By equipping students with compasses, the club ensures hands-on learning, promotes teamwork, encourages physical activity, and gives students the skills and confidence to explore the outdoors safely and independently.
The funding supports the growth of this new program and helps remove barriers so that all students—regardless of prior experience or access—can participate and enjoy the benefits of outdoor learning and adventure.
French Class Library and Class Novel Set
Sehome HS
The Sehome French Program seeks to provide equitable language-learning experiences for all students by creating classroom libraries with books and teacher guides, similar to grants previously awarded to Spanish classes. Research shows that free-choice reading and comprehensible texts are highly effective for acquiring language and cultural knowledge.
Due to budget constraints, the department currently prioritizes basic supplies, leaving little funding for enrichment materials or curriculum resources. This grant will allow French students to access engaging, physical books that foster a love of reading while supporting language acquisition. The materials also provide meaningful activities for fast finishers, keeping all students engaged in the target language.
Success will be seen as students enjoying reading in French, looking forward to language activities, and building broader reading habits that contribute to academic achievement. This grant ensures all students have access to high-quality language-learning resources, promoting equity and enthusiasm in the classroom.
We Need Diverse Books!
Alderwood Elementary
At Alderwood, 4th grade teachers are committed to supporting literacy and language development by honoring students’ cultural and linguistic identities. While classrooms have large libraries, many texts lack representation that reflects the diverse backgrounds of the students they serve.
This grant will help expand classroom libraries to include books that provide mirrors (reflecting students’ own experiences), windows (offering insights into others’ lives), and sliding glass doors (inviting students to step into new perspectives). By providing diverse, culturally affirming texts, students will see themselves, their classmates, and the broader community reflected in the stories they read.
Success will be measured by students feeling represented and included in classroom reading, fostering a deeper understanding of themselves, their peers, and the multicultural world around them. This project supports both academic growth and social-emotional development through inclusive, engaging literature.
Equity & Diversity Book Studies
Roosevelt Elementary
This grant provides class sets of Brown Girl Dreaming, I Can Make This Promise, and Inside Out and Back Again, giving all students access to award-winning literature that authentically represents Black, Indigenous, and Vietnamese experiences through young protagonists’ voices.
By addressing gaps in classroom library representation, the grant ensures students can see themselves reflected in the stories they read while developing empathy for experiences different from their own. Students will engage in whole-class reading, literature circles, and creative writing activities inspired by the authors’ techniques. They will explore themes of identity, belonging, resilience, family, and finding one’s voice, making meaningful connections between historical experiences and contemporary issues.
Success will be seen in increased engagement in reading discussions, deeper comprehension through comparative analysis of cultural narratives, and enhanced cultural awareness. This project supports literacy development while fostering empathy, critical thinking, and cultural competency—skills essential for students to thrive as thoughtful, engaged citizens.
Storytelling: Residues, Revisions, and Reconciliation
Sehome HS
This grant supports 58 Mythology students in a year-long course, many of whom are first-generation, multilingual, or have individualized learning plans. The project centers student voices and experiences, empowering them to see themselves as collaborators, contributors, and changemakers.
Students will work with local artists in textile and printmaking to create large collages that reimagine and challenge harmful storytelling tropes and archetypes. By connecting myths and folktales to real-life experiences, students will explore themes of representation, identity, and social justice. The collaborative project will be curated with support from the Western Gallery and exhibited in both the gallery and the Viking Union.
Success will be seen as students engage creatively, articulate their perspectives through art, and share their voices with the broader community—highlighting youth expression, resilience, and the power of storytelling to foster understanding and change.
Shuksan Middle School 8th grade Service-learning
May Fridays at Shuksan Middle School bring excitement as 8th graders engage directly with their community through Service-Learning (SL). This program allows students to make a tangible difference, develop civic skills, and expand their understanding of themselves and the world around them. The grant would help pay transportation costs, a current barrier in the program.
Through SL, students practice real-world communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and innovation while contributing to local social services, environmental projects, and educational initiatives. The program helps students feel connected and empowered, transforming their thinking from “Someone should do something about this” to “We did something about this.”
Success is measured by the number of students actively participating and applying their skills in meaningful community settings, helping SL return to its pre-COVID reach. Ultimately, the program fosters compassion, inclusiveness, and civic engagement, demonstrating that together, we achieve more than alone.