Grantees

PROPEL Transformation Grant funding will be used to purchase 15 tricycles, creating more inclusive, accessible, and joyful play for TK and Kindergarten students of all abilities. This investment helps ensure every child can belong, connect, and thrive—one ride at a time.

With solar car kits, students can build, test, and refine designs using the engineering design process, take their projects home to share with families, and connect renewable energy concepts to their lives—fostering curiosity, creativity, and a sense of themselves as future problem-solvers and innovators.

STEM materials to engage students in hands-on learning—building, testing, and problem-solving—connecting science to real-world challenges like sustainability and energy, fostering curiosity, collaboration, and a sense of empowerment to make a positive impact on the future.

STEM materials provide hands-on learning and support English learners and students on I.E.P.s in accessing complex scientific language and concepts. By exploring Earth’s crust changes, erosion, and natural disasters through sensory, interactive experiences, all students will develop curiosity, problem-solving skills, and see themselves as future innovators tackling real-world challenges.

The Alternative Energy Class Pack will enhance our TWIG Science curriculum with safe, hands-on, and inclusive learning experiences. Through clear safety protocols, collaborative learning, and culturally responsive lessons that connect global energy practices, students will explore concepts like wind turbines, solar chargers, and fuel cells—deepening curiosity, engagement, and understanding of alternative energy.

Greer Elementary’s diverse, multilingual students bring rich cultural and linguistic backgrounds to the classroom. This PROPEL Achievement grant will help them find and share their voices through Book Creator, an interactive program that lets students record, write, and publish their own digital books. With new class sets of headphones and microphones, students in grades 2–5 will be able to create and reflect in English and their home languages—developing fluency, creativity, and confidence as young authors while connecting their learning across all subjects.

Students will explore alternative forms of energy through building and testing solar cars, reinforcing the “Harnessing Human Energy” unit and the Engineering Design Process, with a special field trip planned to extend their learning.

The STEM Alternative Energy Kit aligns with Amplify’s first unit, “Harnessing Human Energy,” and engages students actively by having them solve engineering problems. While traditional activities like egg drops, bottle rockets, solar ovens, and chemical experiments provide hands-on learning, the unit’s current energy design project is mostly theoretical or computer-based; these kits will let students explore cutting-edge human energy innovations, build a strong framework for understanding energy, and inspire curiosity that carries into future units.

Solar Cell Classroom Kit for second graders to explore concepts about sustainability and natural resources.

Our first unit of the year, Earth’s Features and Processes, is perfectly complemented by the Build a Better World STEM kit, a hands-on project helping students connect scientific concepts to real-world issues. By exploring natural systems and human impacts, students gain a deeper understanding of the planet and are empowered to make informed decisions as responsible stewards of the Earth.

Too often, environmental science focuses on the negative aspects of humans on the environment. This kit provides fun and interesting activities that teach students about alternative energy sources, and with understanding comes empowerment. Students will gain knowledge about solving several real-world energy problems. Through this understanding, they will become empowered to mitigate energy problems affecting the planet.

This PROPEL Achievement Grant project brings a full set of 3D printers to the 9th grade science classroom, transforming how students explore physics and engineering. Through hands-on design and prototyping, students will create their own scientific models—deepening understanding, building creativity, and connecting learning to real-world challenges. Accessible, browser-based design tools ensure every student can participate. The new printers will support interdisciplinary projects and lay the groundwork for future STEM success, empowering students with design thinking, problem-solving, and innovation skills that last a lifetime.

This hands-on 3rd grade PROPEL Achievement Grant project introduces students to the scientific method by comparing hydroponic and aquaponic systems through growing lettuce in the classroom. Students observe, measure, and analyze data while exploring plant biology, nutrition, and environmental science. The project promotes inclusion by inviting students to share their own food and growing traditions, builds critical thinking skills, and inspires curiosity about sustainability. A durable new system will ensure this engaging unit continues for years—helping students cultivate knowledge, creativity, and environmental stewardship.