This year’s theme at the NKCHS Media Center is “We All Have a Story.” Art students will have the opportunity to create a tunnel book to display in the media center, allowing them to share their own stories through visual literacy.

Stay in Your Lane - Brain Highways! is an interactive unit that helps students develop self-awareness through applied educational neuroscience. This program empowers students to take ownership of their educational and social-emotional journey inside and outside the classroom.

The DIY Ukulele project provides students the opportunity to learn through hands-on experience by building and painting their own ukulele. Students will gain an understanding of the instrument's design and function while also learning to play. This project fosters creativity and engagement in music education.

Calming corners are sensory-friendly spaces designed to help students manage their emotions. These areas are equipped with soft textures, sensory tools, and visual aids that encourage self-soothing. Breathing exercises and grounding activities promote emotional regulation and independence. Additionally, professional development for teachers will ensure they can effectively guide students in using these spaces.

Recess Over the Rainbow provides students with developmental delays the opportunity to engage in gross motor activities in a safe environment. Using developmentally appropriate adaptive equipment, students will enhance their problem-solving abilities and social skills through play. This initiative fosters interaction between special education and general education classrooms during indoor recess.

This grant will be used to purchase materials that support teachers and staff in implementing the routines and rituals of Conscious Discipline. Our goal is to build confident, empathetic learners who feel safe and welcome in their school community, leading to both academic and social success.

Top Dog News is a student-led broadcast journalism club that delivers daily news to the community. Students collaborate to write scripts, operate audio and visual equipment, problem-solve on air, and create and edit video interviews. This project enhances student leadership and communication skills while promoting school culture.

Hand to Mind provides students with social-emotional development opportunities through mindfulness, empathy, and self-regulation activities. Collaborating with teachers and staff, we offer sensory tools and experiential learning experiences that enhance self-awareness, relationship skills, and problem-solving abilities in Winnwood and Crestview classrooms.

Introducing chess at an early age provides lifelong benefits, enhancing critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Chess promotes patience, focus, and resilience while fostering adaptability, empathy, and sportsmanship. Participation in chess has been linked to improved academic performance in math and reading, as well as increased self-confidence through strategic thinking and challenge resolution.

This program equips students with stress-management techniques to improve their overall well-being. Juniors and seniors will participate in training sessions provided by Serenity on the Square, where they will learn and practice stress-relief strategies. Each participant will receive a journal as a tool for continued stress alleviation and self-reflection.

This project allows students to explore ecosystems, biodiversity, and the importance of sustainability. Through hands-on experiences in gardening and composting, students will gain a deeper understanding of environmental responsibility. The project was inspired by the joy students experienced when they harvested and shared their first season's lettuce crop with school staff.

The Antioch Jazz Band explores multi-cultural music through jazz performance. African-American and Latin-American influences helped shape the music of the Jazz Big Band. Styles including swing, blues, rock, ballads, and Latin jazz are performed for audiences around the school district. This diverse musical experience reflects the richness of our student population.

Shop club offers students hands-on experience in woodworking and metalworking. The program emphasizes practical skills and safety practices, allowing students to design, construct, and finish projects. By fostering creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving, this initiative prepares students for future careers or vocational training while enhancing their technical competencies and confidence.

This project integrates literature into physical education and health curricula, fostering student engagement, critical thinking, and holistic well-being. By incorporating mentor texts, students will develop health literacy, lifelong learning skills, and a deeper understanding of the connection between physical and mental wellness.

The Vocational Skills Lab provides students in special education classes with opportunities to learn real-life job and daily living skills. This project increases students' independence upon graduation by providing hands-on instruction in essential workplace and life skills.

This grant funds a 36-hour intensive training on the Orton-Gillingham approach, equipping educators to support struggling readers, particularly those with dyslexia. The training will benefit students at Northview Elementary, classroom teachers, reading specialists, and families across the NKC district.

This project establishes a sensory garden to stimulate and relax the brain while encouraging mindfulness and awareness of one's surroundings. Gardening engages all senses—sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch—helping students process sensory information and improve executive functioning.

New equipment will allow for greater flexibility in adapting physical education activities to all students. It will also support before and after school programs, helping students practice and apply individual skills in structured games and activities.

This project provides journalism students with an opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge by attending the JEA/NSPA convention. Students will engage with professionals, educators, and peers, gaining insight into the role of journalism, reporting, design, technology, law, ethics, and industry challenges. Upon returning, they will share their knowledge with classmates, enriching the school’s journalism program.

This initiative addresses a key barrier to employment for young adults with disabilities—transportation access. Currently, no Project SEARCH interns have their driver’s license, limiting their job opportunities. This program will provide training and resources to help interns navigate transportation options, empowering them to achieve financial independence and broader career prospects.

This project will establish a wildlife observation station where students can collaboratively create habitats for birds, squirrels, butterflies, and bees. By observing the life cycles of animals and native plants, children will gain hands-on experience in environmental science and develop a deeper appreciation for nature.

Many autistic students struggle with processing sensory input, leading to dysregulation, behavioral challenges, and missed learning opportunities. This grant will support the development of a sensory room with structured activities designed to help students self-regulate, allowing them to return to the classroom ready to learn.

This project aims to create a sensory-friendly learning environment using sensory bins, task boxes, and alternative seating. These tools will promote hands-on learning, enhance focus, foster independence, and help students engage with academic and life skills through structured, flexible, and sensory-rich experiences.

This project integrates science, history, and math through a bowling field trip. Students will explore scientific concepts like force, energy transfer, and momentum through hands-on experiments and data analysis. The experience will also reinforce social studies and language arts learning while fostering teamwork and problem-solving skills.

This project fosters literacy and cultural exchange by connecting ELL students as pen pals. Throughout the year, students will write letters, culminating in a field trip to Wonderscope, where they will meet, interact, and strengthen their relationships through shared experiences and collaborative activities.

ELL Outreach is a peer-to-peer mentoring program that pairs high school ELL students with elementary ELL students in feeder schools. The program fosters social-emotional, linguistic, cultural, and academic development, promoting meaningful engagement between older and younger students.

Bus drivers play a vital role in creating a safe, positive environment for students. This project fosters stronger student-driver relationships by providing books and structured activities during bus rides, promoting literacy and behavior management while building trust and connection.

This project includes a field trip to the Children’s Peace Pavilion, where Pre-K students will engage in interactive exhibits focused on collaboration, empathy, conflict resolution, and sustainability. The project also includes purchasing calming tools for classroom use to reinforce lessons in social-emotional learning and self-regulation.

This project introduces students to coding and problem-solving through hands-on experience with robotics. Students will explore different coding platforms, collaborate to design solutions, and apply the engineering design process to execute their ideas. The project encourages teamwork, critical thinking, and technological literacy.