Tag Archives: mini grant

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MidMinEDU Student-Powered Conference Mini Grant Report

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Try something new!

This is a guest post from Audrey Thornborrow, Tech Integrationist at Mississippi Heights Elementary School. Read more mini grant reports on our page.

In February of 2020, when the world was still spinning normally, MidMN Edu put on their 3rd annual Student Powered Conference. Nearly 200 students from area districts (Albany, Sauk Rapids-Rice, Sartell, St. Cloud). The conference was open to 4th-12th-grade students and consisted of a keynote address and breakout sessions. 

The keynote speaker this year was Sauk Rapids-Rice’s very own senior Maddie Bittman. She spoke about opportunities for everyone to get involved in STEM activities. She shared her experiences and inspired others–especially other young girls–to get involved in STEM related learning in and outside school. 

The breakout sessions were created by students. They took their passions and created a presentation sharing their passion with their peers. We saw sessions on how to play the guitar, how to make jewelry and start your own business, how to do experiments with dry ice, and global warming. These kids were so excited to share their passions and all participants enjoyed seeing their enthusiasm as they presented. 

One thing that was new this year was the addition of selfie-stations. The purpose of the selfie station was to have the kids collaboratively help make a piece of art that could be shared with all the schools in attendance. We had the kids take pictures of themselves or their groups and are putting them together in a collage that creates the Student Powered Conference logo. 

As with each year MidMN EDU has helped put on this conference, the kids MADE the conference. This conference wouldn’t exist without the students, their hard work, or their willingness to share their passions. We are so thankful to be able to provide this day to students and are so grateful to CMLE for providing us with the funds to host this conference. 

Below is an account of the day as told by a middle school student: 

This year, I was able to present at the Student Powered Conference instead of just attending it. I taught others how we code and drive Spheros at school. We created a dance to music that the Spheros followed and changed colors with. I learned a lot about coding and working as a group while we got our presentation ready. When we showed others how to use the Spheros it made me feel proud.

I learned a lot at the conference too. The Breakout Room looked like fun but I was unable to go. I really liked learning about the Care Closet that Little Falls created in their school. I think it was great to see students helping others. I liked visiting all the stations in the gym and learning about all the things students were sharing. I was bummed because I couldn’t see it all. I can’t wait to go again next year!

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CMLE Mini Grant: Nonfiction Books for LPGE Elementary Media Center

This is a guest post written by Lisa Schurmann, Elementary Librarian at LPGE Elementary School. Read more reports from past mini grant recipients on our page.

Our elementary library has purchased the ‘How is it Made’ books from ABDO and ‘Awesome Dogs’ from Bellwether.

I’ve been amazed how these new easy reader non-fiction books have attracted our students. With our students being curious, enthusiastic and eager to learn new information, these books have been a hit. The pictures are colorful, the pages inviting, and all around amazing books for young readers. I even have fifth and sixth grade students checking out the ‘How it is Made’ books.  

Having non-fiction books that are in their reading level and that they are able to use for AR testing is a plus. I find many students gravitating to the non-fiction area of our library as they enter the doors. It is fun to watch the interest in these series increase as others learn about the new books. 

The great part is they don’t realize they are challenging themselves and improving their reading skills! It is a joy to see the reading levels improve as they pick out their books. 

 I had a mother stop in and tell me her son checked out the new books and it was the first time he did not ‘buck’ about reading before bed. 

Thank you for helping us update our library with books that interest the students.

Guest Blogger, School Media Specialist

CMLE Mini Grant: PaperBackSwap.com

This is a Guest Post from Tammie Walker, Library Designee, Staff Development and Assessment chair and Advisor at Jane Goodall Environmental Sciences Academy in Maple Lake. Want to read more reports from CMLE Mini Grants? Check out our page.

We are elated at the support an organization such as yours could be to our small rural Charter School. Our Library team consists of an advisor, two parent volunteers and seven students. We serve a student body of 110, so having a fully functioning library has been a goal of ours for some time now.

Deciding how to best use the $300.00 gave us an opportunity to discuss ways to use the funds in the most beneficial way. Our consideration was two-fold: One, filling gaps in our library book kits. And two, the environment. We have decided to use the money to subscribe to a program called PaperbackSwap.com.

This site allows us to purchase books to fill out our library book kits, and also to share books that we no longer need.
How this works: 1. We list books we no longer need so that we can swap them for ones we do. 2. Once the book is requested we send it to the recipient for the cost of Media Mail. 3. In return, we gain points to have the book we need sent to us free of charge.

It is a win for us, a win for those who receive our books, and a win for the environment, keeping unused books out of landfills. It is a win all around.

The grant will be used to fund the Media Mail fees as we fill our kits. The first titles we will request will be some of Shakespeare’s plays along with Of Mice and Men ​and ​Animal Farm. Some contemporary selections will be Hunger Games ​ and ​Out of the Dust.

Once again, thank you so much for this grant. One of our “take-a-ways” is: when multiple organizations work together and pool resources, a small win becomes a bigger win.

Tammie, Vicky, Janis, Yuli, Sam, Belle, Bayley, Zane, Matt and Drew

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CMLE Mini Grant: Adventure Book Series

This is a guest post from Karen Miller, school librarian at Bertha-Hewitt School. Want to read more about the exciting materials our members have purchased with their mini grants? Read past mini grant reports here.

I first would like to say thank you for accepting my grant submission!
I purchased 5 book series for our school library.

I had a 6th grader read the first book from each series and give an “advertisement” for their book during Character Building which is a program for K-6 that happens every Friday morning. They presented their advertisement and they all were very happy with the book series they chose.

The most exciting thing to me was all my library classes on Friday as the kids came in they asked to check these books out! I actually have a waiting list on a couple of the series that have to be read in order.

I think it made a difference to have students present to their peers with their book reviews. That is exactly what I was hoping would happen after doing this!

Now I am hoping to do book “advertisements” monthly with different books in our library. Sometimes that is all it takes to get students interested in different genres that they might not normally read.

Some of the students who volunteered to do the advertisements were not ones I thought would be interested in it. So it also was a huge learning experience for me!

Once again I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity!

Check it Out:, Guest Blogger, Materials, School Media Specialist

CMLE Mini Grant: Tech Reading Resource: RAZ-Plus kits

Try something new!

This is a guest post from Mike Barton, Media and Digital Learning Specialist at Cokato Elementary Media Center. Read more mini grant reports on our page.

From our EL Teacher, Shannon Otto: I am very appreciative to have been granted money towards the subscription of RAZ-Plus with the ELL edition. I’m utilizing these resources with my caseload of English Language learners.

I’ve printed off ABC books as the students are learning the American alphabet. These books help students develop vocabulary while also practicing the sounds of each letter.

I’ve also used the high-frequency books to help build reading skills. The ELL comic conversations are a great structure for students to see dialogue modeled. In groups, students read the speech bubbled dialogue and then role-play to practice their oral language.

As of now, I’ve only used this resource with my newcomer groups. However, I know that I’ve only scratched the surface with the resources found in this subscription.

My next steps are to explore the library of leveled books to use with my other groups. There are also vocabulary sets that break down harder concepts into visual supports and key vocabulary.

I’m excited to explore this subscription further and to continue implementing this tool within all of my EL groups. Once again, I thank you for the monetary support that provides all these wonderful tools and resources for my students.