Category: Teacher Mini Grants

Teen Mental Health

Jodi McCarthy and Her Perspective on Teen Mental Health

by Eleanor Hahnel, The Echo (Encinal Jr/Sr High School News Site)
March 24, 2026

Read the original article here.

Teen mental health is an important topic to discuss, yet it is not talked about often due to social stigma, and because it is deeply personal. Many teens struggle with their mental health, though this can appear in different forms. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing,

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AHS Counseling Enriched Classroom Program

Making a Difference in Daily Life at School

Counseling Enriched Classroom Program (for grades 9-12) counselor, Emma Elliott recently received an AEF Teacher Mini Grant and wrote:

“The students in the Counseling Enriched Classroom (CEC) program at Alameda High School have greatly benefited from the Educator Mini-Grant provided by the Alameda Education Foundation. Our students face a range of mental health challenges that can make it difficult for them to make it difficult to come to school, interact with peers,

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EHS Students Tour Sac State

Encinal High Students Visit Sacramento State

For many of our students, visiting a college campus is not always an option. Having the opportunity to tour a campus often has a transformational impact on students’ knowledge and awareness of college life, and helps inspire their future educational path.

Lee Kaplan, Encinal High School College & Career Counselor wrote:

“Forty-four Encinal students visited Sacramento State on March 4th. We were able to take a campus tour, visit the recreation center,

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Paden Rubber Ramp Tower

Rubber Ramp Tower

My name is Mike Holman and I am a TK Teacher at Paden Elementary. I received an AEF grant to purchase a Rubber Ramp Tower set for my new TK classroom. Please see below for photos of some students using the new awesome material!

The Rubber Ramp Tower set has allowed my TK students to explore and experiment in so many unique and interesting ways! They have learned how to work together to setup the rubber ramps on the tower.

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1st Grade classroom library at Love Elementary

A Classroom Where Students Feel Valued

I am a first-year teacher at Love Elementary. I’m applying for a mini-grant to continue setting up my classroom. My goal is a culturally responsive classroom setting where all students feel represented, valued, and academically and emotionally supported. I would use the funds to purchase books and materials that represent the diverse group of students in my classroom and our district. My goal is a culturally responsive classroom setting where all students feel represented, valued,

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Maya Lin students with new texts 2025

New Texts for Early Readers

Assia Day, 2nd & 3rd Grade Teacher at Maya Lin School, applied for a Teacher Mini Grants for decodable texts for her classroom. Decodable texts are books or reading materials specifically designed to help early readers practice their phonics skills. They are designed JUST for early readers, and follow a very explicit sequence. Students are taught the phonics skill explicitly, then expected to practice applying the skill in texts. These texts are made to be easy for beginners,

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New classroom library at Ruby Bridges

Students Love Their New Classroom Library

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your generous support of our classroom library at Ruby Bridges Elementary School. Thanks to your grant, my third-grade students are now enjoying a welcoming, well-stocked, and engaging library space that has quickly become the heart of our classroom.

The new library rug and comfortable seating have transformed our reading area into a cozy, inviting environment where students are excited to gather, read independently, and share books with one another.

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