At Dallas Independent School District (DISD), six schools were recently given over $50,000 in educational grants to be used on upgrading classroom materials and enhancing STEAM education.
“These grants will open opportunities for students of all ages to really apply what they’re learning in their science and math classrooms and turn that into something real,” said Michael Ruiz, executive director of STEM at DISD, according to a district news release.
Only 41% of DISD students scored at grade level on their exams across all subjects in the 2021-2022 academic year. In math and science, however, they scored a bit worse, with 39% and 37% performing at grade level, respectively, according to the most recent Texas Education Agency accountability report.
The grants were awarded on Halloween during a ceremony held by the grantor organization, TEXAS YES Project, an education-focused nonprofit working to help support students in the Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Dallas-Fort Worth areas.
Danielle Gunter, the executive director of TEXAS YES Project, said she was excited to be able to support the district.
“We’re very excited to bring those grants to these Dallas ISD schools and help support the district’s future leaders,” she said.
The six schools that received the TEXAS YES Project grants were Clara Oliver Elementary School, N.W. Harllee Early Childhood Center, Stephen C. Foster Elementary School, Seagoville High School, Leslie A. Stemmons Elementary School, and the STEM Environmental Education Center.
Some of the grant money will be used to purchase library books, iPads, microscopes, and other types of materials students can use to further their education.
In the news release, Clara Oliver Elementary’s principal, Cheryl Freeman, shared her plans to use her school’s grant to build a STEAM lab.
“Having this facility will allow our kids to do hands-on experiments and activities to ensure they understand how science works,” she said.
The lab could also help prepare students for their STAAR tests, suggested Freeman, something DISD has been struggling to keep up over the years.
It is unclear whether the grants from TEXAS YES Project will have a meaningful impact on student performance while the district remains mired in crisis after crisis.
