2021 recipients

Equity, Connectivity and Assistance on Virtual Learning Needs

Since 2012, Sourcewell and AASA have joined forces to bring the Helping Kids Program, an urgent mini grant that is funded by AASA through a partnership with Sourcewell, to AASA and Sourcewell members.

COVID-19 has highlighted glaring inequities across the nation, particularly within the educational landscape. This year, Sourcewell increased the grant to $80,000 in funds to help meet the urgent equity, connectivity and virtual learning needs of individual students and their families. 32 grants were awarded to deserving school districts across the country.;

 Congratulations to the following grant awardees: 

Selma City Schools, Selma, AL

Superintendent: Avis Williams

Lincoln Consolidated School District, Lincoln, AR

Superintendent: Mary Ann Spears

Heber Springs Schools, Heber Springs, AZ

Superintendent: Andrew Ashley

"Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity for helping our students! The money will be used to purchase internet data for our virtual students!"

Byers School District, Byers, CO

Superintendent: Tom Turrell

Andover Elementary School, Andover, CT

Superintendent: Valerie Bruneau

Collier County Public Schools, Naples, FL

Superintendent: Kamela Patton

Fairfield Community School District, Fairfield, IA

Superintendent: Laurie Noll

Bunker Hill District, Bunker Hill, IL

Superintendent: Todd Dugan

"The AASA-Sourcewell mini grant could not come at a better time for Bunker Hill CUSD #8. We are a small, remote, rural district inadequately funded in a good year. This year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused rolling periods of remote, hybrid and in-person learning, our district is attempting to prioritize on well-being, engagement and feedback. Project-based learning (PBL) has a long track record of proving to increase student engagement, and this grant will allow our district to add project-based learning to all grade levels and disciplines throughout our district. These funds will nearly pay 100% of a district license to grant all teachers/students in our district with access to online activities/lesson plans that incorporate the very best elements of PBL, including inter-disciplinary thematic activities designed to be relevant and engaging, as well as to reinforce 21st century skills, including problem-solving and critical thinking. Thank you very much to AASA and Sourcewell for this very welcome grant!"

Community Consolidated School District 15, Palatine, IL

Superintendent: Laurie Heinz

Indian Prairie School District 204, Aurora, IL

Superintendent: Adrian B. Talley

La Grange School District 102, LaGrange Park, IL

Superintendent: Kyle Schumacher

Thornton Township HS District 205, South Holland, IL

Superintendent: Nathaniel Cunningham, Jr.

Urbana School District, Urbana, IL

Superintendent: Jennifer Ivory-Tatum

Waukegan Community Unit School District 60, Waukegan, IL

Superintendent: Theresa Plascencia

Russell Tyler Ruthton Public Schools #2902, Tyler, MN

Superintendent: David Marlette

Lockwood School District, Lockwood, MT

Superintendent: Tobin Novasio

"The funding provided by the AASA | Sourcewell Helping Kids Mini Grant Program will help our district to reach our goal of transforming the learning experiences within the Lockwood School District and to assist students to reach higher levels of achievement. Our goal is for all students and teachers to be equipped with Chromebooks. Teachers will be provided the necessary training to effectively integrate the tablets into their instruction. You have helped us to significantly increase supply and decrease demand. Our goal is much closer to being achieved. We send our sincerest thanks for your help in this endeavor."

Gates County Public Schools, Gatesville, NC

Superintendent: Phillip Barry Williams

Mt. Pleasant SD #4, Rolla, ND

Superintendent: Brad Nash

Berkeley Township School District, Bayville, NJ

Superintendent: James D. Roselli

"The Berkeley Township School District was so honored to hear that we were a recipient of the Helping Kids Mini Grant Program. The money received was used to provide chrome books and headphones to special needs students in the district. Our district is currently providing instruction in a remote and hybrid model. We were able to reach 100% of our students thanks to the generosity of this program and others. We will continue to provide equitable access to all of our students and this grant has helped us achieve that goal."

Socorro Consolidated Schools, Socorro, NM

Superintendent: Ronald Hendrix

Gouverneur Central School, Gouverneur, NY

Superintendent: Lauren French

Nassau BOCES, Garden City, NY

Superintendent: Robert Dillon

Northern Adirondack Central School District, Ellenburg Depot, NY

Superintendent: James Knight, Jr.

"Thank you so very much! I wish I had something more exciting to post and share, but the purchasing of WiFi Hotspots and the distribution to some families and/or staff members is not all that glamorous. We are currently awaiting a quote on Kajeet WiFi hotspots and plan on exhausting the grant on them. At first, they will be deployed to individual homes with the willingness to become neighborhood hotspots, but once all of this COVID craziness is over, we will deploy them on our school buses. Thank you very much again, this will benefit our district well."

Windsor Central School District, Windsor, NY

Superintendent: Jason A. Andrews

Varnum Public Schools, Seminole, OK

Superintendent: David Brewer

Ridley School District, Folsom, PA

Superintendent: Lee Ann Wentzel

"The demand this year is resulting in a lower inventory of clothes that the children need throughout the year. The majority of our families do not have daily access to a washer and dryer making clean clothes and maintaining our school uniform policy difficult for them. During the school year, to avoid embarrassment, ridicule and low self-esteem, the school tries to provide clean clothing, undergarments, jackets and hygiene products to students and families. The installation of our new washer and dryer has allowed for the continued support of our school community. The washer and dryer have given our students access to clean clothes on a daily basis and provided equity amongst all children."

Washington County Schools, Jonesborough, TN

Superintendent: William Robert Flanary

North Texas Collegiate Academy, Denton, TX

Superintendent: Lisa Stanley

"We are so appreciative of the mini grant to purchase iPads for our pre-kindergarten students! In our high-poverty district, it's so important for us to provide devices and hot spots to keep our students connected while they are not in the physical classroom. The mini-grant from AASA and Sourcewell allowed us to purchase 14 iPads; we were able to match the mini grant funds to double the purchase and add 28 iPads for our pre-kindergarten students."

Alexandria City Public Schools, Alexandria, VA

Superintendent: Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.

City of Fairfax Schools, Fairfax, VA

Superintendent: Phyllis Pajardo

Cascade School District, Leavenworth, WA

Superintendent: Tracey Beckendorf-Edou

Weyauwega-Fremont School District, Weyauwega, WI

Superintendent: Phillip Tubbs

Sourcewell is AASA's Premier School Solutions Center Partner. We want to thank Sourcewell for its continuing support of AASA and for supporting students in need through the Helping Kids Program.

If you have any questions, please contact Tara Gao at tgao@aasa.org or call 703-875-0740.