Fund for Beaver Dam schools chalks up $21,000 in donations

One of the latest donations of $500 was given to the fourth-grade classroom of Heidi Graff at Prairie View Elementary School.

“The grant money from the Beaver Dam Educational Fund has provided my classroom with many new and exciting learning games and activities,” Graff said.

The new items in Graff’s classroom includes: math puzzles, logic puzzles, speed cubes, Legos, building kits, kinetic sand a variety of other games.

“These games and activities have allowed my students to excel in areas that aren’t always easily accessible in our day-to-day activities in the classroom,” Graff said. “Students’ creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills have been visible while engaging in the games and activities.”

The students are also working with others they have not worked with in the past and trying new games and activities that they had not done before.

“It’s really cool to play with some of the things we have here now,” student Olivia Heinbuch said. “They are very unique.”

Classmate Patrick Aschebrook agreed with Heinbuch that the new toys made coming to school fun for them.

“This grant has provided my students with fun and exciting learning games, all of which have a positive impact on their academic and social emotional growth,” Graff said.

Tom Heffron, the president of the advisory board for the Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation, said that during the second year of the program, eight mini-grant projects were awarded that ranged from $500 to $2,500.

The projects this year included a cancer drug research project at Beaver Dam High School and an outdoor seating classroom at Prairie View.

Last school year, steel drums and wood drums were purchased for the music department and an outdoor classroom at Beaver Dam High School.

The educational fund provided grants to eight Beaver Dam Unified School District projects in the fall of 2021 and six grants in the fall of 2022.

Those who want to donate to the program may do so at beaverdamfc.com. Donors should note that the donation is going to the BDUSD Education fund.

Donations may also be sent by mail to Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 721, Beaver Dam, WI 53916.