“This support allows us to provide learning opportunities that weren’t possible before.” — Kris King, SHS Chemistry Teacher
For more than 20 years, SEED has provided annual grants that help Shorewood educators turn great ideas into meaningful learning experiences. Aligned with the District’s strategic priorities, these grants support equity, academic achievement, student wellness, character development, and environmental stewardship—ensuring all students have the resources they need to succeed.
As we close out the year, SEED is proud to highlight some of the teacher-led grants brought to life across the district; projects that exist because our community believes in deeper, richer learning for every student.
SEED has given back more than $300,000 over the last two years in teacher and district grants. Here are a few that continue to shape student learning today.
Hands-On STEM at SHS: New Chemistry Lab Equipment
A $6,747 SEED grant provided magnetic stirrer/hot plates, analytical balances, and gas pressure sensors for SHS chemistry students, equipment now used by roughly 150 students each year.
Students can now complete experiments that were previously impossible or impractical due to outdated or insufficient equipment.
“These units have allowed SHS chemistry students to participate in experiments or achieve experimental results they have not been able to previously. I greatly appreciate the work that the SEED Foundation does to provide this additional support and funding that directly impacts Shorewood students in positive ways,” Chemistry teacher Kris King shared.
With more precise measurement tools and expanded lab opportunities, students are gaining confidence, accuracy, and readiness for advanced STEM coursework.
Supporting Mental Health: The SHS PAWS Wellness Room
To better support student well-being, SEED funded $1,700 to help create the SHS PAWS (Peace and Wellness Space) room—a calming environment with comfortable seating, soft lighting, sensory tools, books, and emotional regulation resources.
Counselors Molly Norris, Scott Brown, and Jennifer Radcliffe shared:
“We were able to convert a previously underutilized space into a wellness room where students can effectively regulate their emotions and return to class as soon as possible.”
More than 100 students have used the room already. On average, students report a three-point improvement in mood after each visit. They leave with tools—such as deep breathing, coloring, or grounding techniques—that help them navigate daily stress and return to learning more quickly.
Music for Everyone: Drums for Atwater and Lake Bluff
A SEED grant of $4,900 funded 16 new Tubano drums, allowing every student in music class to have their own instrument. These drums are now used daily, reaching 800 students each year, and will last up to 15–20 years.
Music teachers Miriam Altman and Liisa Church shared:
“Students routinely report that learning complex rhythms and improvisation in the drum circle is among their favorite experiences in the music room. The avenue for social connection, emotional and artistic expression that drumming brings to students is tangible.”
The drums have also supported Family Music Nights, All School Crews, and workshops with guest artists—helping build confidence, community, and joy through music.
A Centennial Celebration: The New Lake Bluff Mural
Upper right: Mural in progress Upper left: Students and LB art teacher pose with mural, almost finished. Bottom: The finished mural–a beautiful piece that will inspire all who pass by it for years to come.
In spring 2025, SEED awarded a $3,000 grant, matched by the Lake Bluff PTO, to help create a vibrant new mural celebrating Lake Bluff Elementary’s 100th anniversary.
Every student chose an animal representing a personal character trait, designed it in art class, and watched as their shapes were layered into a Cubist-style mosaic. The finished 22’ x 11’ tile mural honors the school’s past while looking to the future, reflecting goals to showcase Lake Bluff’s values, involve all students in meaningful collaboration, connect to the school’s history and early art styles, and become a new piece of Lake Bluff history!
Completed over the summer and now displayed across from the health room, the mural is a daily reminder of student creativity, character, and community.
Your Gift Makes More Stories Like These Possible
Every one of these projects began with a teacher’s idea—and a community’s willingness to support it.
Your end of the year gift will be doubled through Fund the Future –an anonymous donor is matching all gifts up to $1 Million dollars to go to the SEED Educate Forward Endowment, ensuring opportunities like those mentioned above are available for years to come.
That means your gift funds twice the creativity, twice the wellness support, and twice the hands-on learning. Help us continue saying ‘yes’ to Shorewood educators and the extraordinary experiences they bring to students.
Please consider making a contribution today. Your gift—of any size—creates lasting impact in classrooms across the district.
Right now any donations made to SEED will be DOUBLED as part of our FUND the FUTURE campaign, for twice the impact!