Bullard Eduction Foundation awards more than $58,000 in innovative teaching grants

The Bullard Education Foundation recently visited all six Bullard ISD campuses to award more than $58,000 to fund innovative teaching grants. 

Each year, teachers across the district apply for grants to help them initiate fun and innovative programs not covered in the regular operating budget. 

This year's grants include virtual reality projects, floral design programs, classroom learning materials, STEM materials, and more! Below is a list of winning grants by campus.

Grant Day 2023
$58,235.69

Campus Wide

• Jennifer Carlile
  • Swivl: A Reflective Practice to Promote Research Based Instructional Techniques. Allow teachers to reflect on their instructional practices through technology & data.

High School

• Stu Dildine, Jamie Dildine, Diana Russell, Jacy Brown, Stephen Hindman & John Harden
  • The Dapper Pelt & Co - This will show the value of leatherworking as an additional way to use agricultural byproducts & turn that into a potential money maker.
• Meagan Harris & Andrew McCorkindale (Food Culinary Science)
  • On Fire for Learning - Utilizing outdoor spaces and cooking with grills to provide alternative spaces to hone culinary skills.
• Jamie Dildine & Stephen Hindman
  •  The Prickly Pear Petites - This would allow students to create flowers ready-made for purchase for staff, students & parents. 
• Stephen Hindman
  • Bee’s Knees Sunflower & Pollinator Research Garden - Ag Science is bee farming! This grant will broaden the understanding of planting native pollinator plants and what effects they can have on an entire ecosystem. 
• Jamie Dildine
  •  Precision Flower Cutting -This will provide equipment that is used specifically in the industry inside safe operating procedures. It will allow students to cut flower stems not only safely but with commercial-grade equipment. 
• Jamie Dildine    
  •  ‘Bark, Bark’ Your Hands Are Cold! - This is for our Veterinary Science program. This will provide realistic, consistent, hands-on training practice of caring for a dog. This training dog will allow them to practice what they learn throughout the year.
• Amy Bickerstaff (H&P STEM Grant recipient) 
  • Virtual Reality in Architecture: Visit your home before it’s built! - This design program will allow the student, through the use of goggles, to walk through the projects they are designing. 

Middle School

• Jodie Albritton (H&P STEM Grant recipient) 
  • Totally Hovering Over BMS - Students will design a project-based plan for their drone. They will equip the drones with instructions to carry out their missions via coding.
• Vanessa Dockter
  • How Much Pressure Are You Under? - This grant will purchase blood pressure cuffs & stethoscopes to teach the students how to actually take blood pressure and why it’s important to be quiet when the nurses are taking manual blood pressure.
• Amanda Enright 
  • Relaxation Station - This will create a sense of calm & comfort in a space, all while teaching self-regulation skills.
• Diana Russell
  • How Does Your Garden Grow? - Using an aeroponics unit instead of soil or a planter & soil will provide a unique way to grow a full garden inside the classroom without using soil. There are ways to grow healthy fruits & vegetables at home or in small areas!
• Jacy Brown & Diana Russell
  • Student-Run Egg Laying Business - Students will develop an egg-laying business. They will budget and develop a finance & marketing plan to go from incubating the eggs and caring for the hens to eventually receiving their first eggs.
• Lawren Phillips, Andy Gee & Christopher Cook
  • Real Works Career Exploration - Purchases kits to help students explore various career paths. They will get hands-on experience in unique jobs/careers.
• Karey Moore & Amanda Stork
  • Achieving Master with Models - This grant will allow students a way to explore the natural world with 3-D models that they can manipulate. 
• Britney Wylie & Senoya Driskell
  • Take It Outdoors - Outdoor learning environment to help combat moments of burnout. This will provide space to enjoy fresh air & learn at the same time.

Intermediate School

• Kenya Johnson, Lisa Langston & Ashleigh Harrison
  • Our Changing Earth - Focusies on landform formations & changes to the Earth’s surface. Students will explore, inquire and discover specific scientific & engineering practices related to Earth Science. 
• Jennifer Whitehead
  •  Mastering Concrete & Pictorial Understanding in Mathematics - This will increase the mathematical growth of Tier 3 students to master basic stages and concepts through modeling and pictorial representations.
• Nick Kunzman, Marissa Ledkins & Elijah Coppock
  • Pedometers with a Purpose - The most underutilized form of reducing depression and anxiety is through physical activity. Students will create and monitor fitness goals, creating positive social intersections by encouraging and motivating one another.

Early Childhood Campus

• Jennifer Tyler
  • Light Up PreK - Add a light table & light table manipulatives to the classroom. This will incorporate play-based activity to practice letters & numbers, providing a fresh way to enhance learning through play.
• Lindsey Durant
  • Ninja Warrior Course - Expanding the Ninja Warrior Course that was first awarded via BEF grant in 2019. Adding rope climbing, crawling through a tunnel & different balancing challenges.

Primary School

• Emily Smith & Jennifer Acker
  • Math & Movement - Movement during learning leads to knowledge retention. Students will see the automaticity of basic math facts & skills.
• Merritt Stewart
  • Rugs Alive & Seats to Thrive - Rugs Alive is an interactive classroom rug that comes to life with the mobile Rugs Alive app. Each of the 26 animals comes alive when matched, allowing students to walk around the animals & explore them from all sides. 
• Terri Brown, Donna Burnley, Melissa Crowell, Beth Gardner, Merritt Stewart & Lindsay Wheeler
  • Playaway Wonderbooks - Hearing & seeing words at the same time can improve reading success rates. Playaway Wonderbooks is a fun & innovative way for students to read and listen to quality books at or above their independent reading level. 
• Melissa Crowell, Kathryn Ford, Chelsea Perrin, Alicia Rhodes & Melody Self
  • The Osmo Genius Starter Kit Learning Stations - The Osmo Genius kits will provide targeted practice in literacy and math facts. It will also bridge the gap for struggling learners with fun games & immediate feedback, as well as challenge stronger students so that everyone is growing & learning while having fun.

Elementary School

• Heather Seib, C’aaron Stephens, Christy Taylor, Melissa Roberts & Megan Henley
  • Camp Tyler 4th Grade Experience - A day out at Camp Tyler to build relationships & and trust in each other. Students will gain GROWTH in multiple areas.  G = Grit R = Relationships O = Ownerships W = Whole-child T = Total H = Having Fun
• Heather Seib, Melissa Roberts, C’aaron Stephens, Christy Taylor & Megan Henley
  • STEAM Centers - Student-led STEAM centers. Hands-on learning to maximize learning & retention of skills.
• Amie Dean & Andi Quesenberry
  • Helping Students Find Their Words - This grant will allow the speech team to purchase new speech & language test kits with seven protocols above & beyond what they are already using.
• Emily Smith & Lisa Seaton
  • Mice, Mice Baby - Allow all students to have a mouse for their Chromebook, enabling them to highlight text & use the drag & drop features easier, as now required on the new STAAR assessments.