Community Grants Report

Community Grants Report
June 2020

USD 273, 3D Printers for STEM
Class and Student Business

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund,
$2,499, Awarded 8/22/2019

Project Summary: We want to add 3D printers into our classrooms so
that students can design and build objects using 3D printers and to run
a student led business by selling 3D printed objects to the community to
raise funds for our STEM classroom supplies each year.

Use of Funds: We purchased three NWA3D A5 3D printers which
included a rolling storage case, 10 colors of filament, and a 3D printing
tool kit.

Impact & Results: My students have benefited from this grant in more
ways than I could have ever imaged. They learned entrepreneurial
skills, 3D printing design skills, and printing skills on the actual printers.
Before this grant, they were only able to design their object, but had no
idea what it would actually look like in real life, but now they do. It is so
rewarding to see their faces light up when they see their objects come to
life. They are motivated to learn the design skills because they know they
will be able to print out a final product. They also wanted to show their
appreciation by printing objects for our teachers. They researched what
would benefit our teachers the most and voted on what they wanted to
print for them.

We accomplished more in the first year with our printers than I ever
could have imagined. We were able to use them with all 105 junior high
STEM students and 20 high school STEM students. We reached the local
community by having two fundraisers throughout the year. At Christmas
time we were able to personalize Trojan ornaments for community members and sold 70 ornaments to our
community. The students took pride in organizing the fundraisers and learned more lessons from running this STEM
store business than I could ever teach them in the general classroom. They communicated with customers, took
orders, organized the orders in a Google Sheet, designed and printed the orders, and packaged them up for delivery!
They loved giving back to the community!

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Waconda Cultural Association,
Waconda Springs Replica Viewfinder

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund,
$3,545, Awarded 02/15/2019

Project Summary: The project is buying a viewfinder, installation, and directional
signage for using the viewer at the Waconda Springs Replica Pool in Glen Elder
State Park. It would also purchase a floating buoy to mark the original location of
the Springs.

Use of Funds: To purchase the Viewfinder, base, donation plaque, concrete,
hardware, and shipping costs, the chain for the historical buoy in the lake, design
and printing of viewfinder directional sign, metal stand, shipping and base.

Impact & Results: Purchasing the viewfinder would not have been possible
without this grant. It is an important part of giving visitors and residents a way
to appreciate the Waconda Lake and Glen Elder State Park as an important
part of Kansas history. The historical buoy that has been placed in the Waconda
Lake to mark the original location of the Waconda Mineral Springs will be a new
destination for those boating the lake, or climbing the bluff to the Waconda
Springs Replica to use the viewfinder to discover the location of the Springs next
to the original channel of the Solomon River. The question most asked about the
Waconda Springs has been, “Where was it located?” Now, we have a visual answer
and a way to view it from a high point in Glen Elder State Park.

We have already raised awareness of the area’s history by publishing pictures in
the local newspapers, and posting pictures on the Waconda Cultural Association
facebook and the MCC&Tourism Facebook. The viewfinder and buoy will be part
of a re-dedication ceremony in Summer, 2020, as additional educational signage
has been added at the Waconda Springs Replica with the viewfinder. Glen Elder State Park has an attendance
of over 250,000/year. We hope to raise that number with this attraction. To secure feedback from visitors, we have
added a QR code, and website address linked to a short questionnaire about the Replica experience. We plan for
this feedback to help us continue to enhance sharing the history of the springs.

USD 273, Virtual Reality (VR) in the Classroom

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, $1,000, Awarded 8/22/2019

Project Summary: With this project USD 273 Beloit Elementary would like to incorporate Virtual Reality in the
classroom. For this project to be successful we would need VR 10-Student Kit. With Virtual Reality you can travel to
explore the world and much more.

Use of Funds: The grant funds were specifically used to buy virtual reality sets that were used in our elementary
technology classes. Students used the virtual reality sets to complete assignments, projects or just fun classroom
work.

Impact & Results: In February of 2020, Unified School District #273 Beloit was fortunate enough to be one of four
districts chosen to travel to Topeka, Kansas to showcase what we are doing with our school redesign as part of
Public Schools week. The students and teachers that took the trip met with a number of State Representatives

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and Senators. The students that attended brought along many different items including our virtual reality set. The
students even got some of the State Representatives and Senators to try out the virtual reality sets. It was so cool
to watch them ask our students questions about the VR in the classroom and to watch them be in astonishment
of what can be done with the headsets. It was fun to watch the students interact with the Representatives and
Senators and listen to them explain how they use them in their classroom. We are very fortunate! Thank you
Solomon Valley Community Foundation.

North Central Kansas Technical College,
NCK Tech Beloit Campus AED Save Lives Project II

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, $4,900, Awarded 2/28/2020
Project Summary: Part of the College’s Strategic Plan is to “Foster a safe and
respectful culture of inclusion and engagement, increase campus security and
emergency preparedness.” Having AED’s placed in every building will help the
college meet this goal.
Use of Funds: The grant funds were utilized to purchase four Powerheart AED G3
Automatic Plus AED machines.
Impact & Results: This grant was awarded during the economic shut down
related to COVID 19. During this time the AED units were purchased and installed, but campus staff have been
working remotely. NCK Tech has an initiative to get an AED in each building on campus and the purchase of these
four AEDs helped get the College closer to that goal. We are excited to have the new units in place when students
return in the Fall.

USD 272, Robotic Engineering @ Lakeside (RE@L)

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, $2,471.70, Awarded 8/22/2019
Project Summary: Lakeside Elementary and the supporting communities want to foster student growth and
learning to be prepared for the 21st century. Through robotics our students will learn to turn obstacles into
opportunities for growth.

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Use of Funds: Funds were used to purchas equipment for the robotics students at Lakeside Elementary.
Impact & Results: Robo Knights were created and took off this year! As a result of this project students have found
a new interest and talent that they were unaware of before. The robotics club has given students an opportunity to
work together to build and code robots to solve a mission. Through this opportunity we saw students learn so many
new skills from coding, engineering to important soft skills of working together in a group.
To be a part of Robo Knights students need to have assignments completed and be a good representative of the
school. This encouraged students to do and be their best so that they could be a part of the Robo Knights. This
year our school was able to participate in our first robotics competition and the community was ecstatic when the
students walked away with an award. The community support and appreciation for the Robo Knights was amazing.
We even had a community member (and official bus driver) volunteer to drive us to the competitions unpaid
because they were so excited the students at LES had this new opportunity. It is essential that our community
knows that our students have access to the same opportunities as students in the larger schools.
As a direct result of this project the Jr. High is now offering Robotics in the schedule for next year because they want
the students transitioning from LES to be able to continue with these essential skills they have learned. Without
funding this opportunity for our students wouldn’t have been possible.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church / School, St. John’s Students Meet the Masters

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, $2,100, Awarded 8/22/2019
Project Summary: Meet the Masters is a multi-media art education program for elementary school students.
Use of Funds: All grant funds were spent towards the purchasing of the Meet the Masters curriculum and oil
pastel paints. Our school was able to order the other needed materials to implement the program throughout our
Elementary building.
Impact & Results: The introduction of the Meet the Masters program in our building we feel was very successful and
well received by both our teachers and students. One specific change that has been seen in the building is having
great student produced artwork on the walls. This has been great for everyone! Our students are proud to show
off their learning and artistic creations, and our visitors love seeing it on the walls. We have also seen our students
able to recognize the difference in artistic styles when looking at paintings and can even pick out artists they have
learned about by their specific style. We really look forward to continuing the program next year and want to
maintain the goal of one unit per every nine weeks.

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