Aspen teachers display the books they received with the help of the Foundation’s Professional Book Club Grant. The book club met in March to discuss their helpful takeaways from ‘50 Nifty Activities for 5 Components and 3 Tiers of Reading Instruction.’ Courtesy/LAPSF

LAPS Foundation News:

The spring grant cycle for LAPS teachers ends Wednesday, April 30, so now is the time to apply!

Did you know that the Foundation still has funding for three types of grants this spring?

These grants include:

• Great Ideas;
• Professional Development; and
• Professional Book Group.

Professional Book Group Grants seek to encourage educators to share collective thoughts and ideas through funding that provides educational and instructional books. This allows educators to collaborate with the goal of implementing new or refined practices in their classrooms. Aspen teacher Miel Rim smartly took advantage of this opportunity at the beginning of the school year.

Rim explained that in search of practical and engaging literacy ideas that support the science of reading, a few Aspen staff members came across an interesting book at a literacy conference hosted by PED this summer. The book in question is called “50 Nifty Activities for 5 Components and 3 Tiers of Reading Instruction” and provides opportunities to close the achievement gap through meaningful practice and evidence-based activities.

“These activities can be used for the repetition and reinforcement students need to take a skill from known to owned!” Rim said.

In addition, “50 Nifty” provides activities for whole group, small group, and pair/individual as well as activities in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

“The wide range allows for multiple staff members to find something useful in the book and creates opportunities for great discussion during book club meetings,” she said.

Rim applied for a Professional Book Club Grant and asked for 16 copies of “50 Nifty”. Although she had a plan in case the grant was only partially funded, the Foundation was able to completely fund the book club. The Aspen teachers who make up the book club range from PreK to 6th grade and the group has met three times this school year.

While the school year may be coming to a close, there’s still time for teachers to apply for grants that could be used now or next semester. Be like Rim and apply for a grant today! The deadline for submission for the spring semester is April 30, 2025.

All licensed LAPS teachers may apply online at lapsfoundation.com/educators/apply-for-a-grant/.

About LAPS Foundation

The Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization that helps the local school district provide an extraordinary education for Los Alamos students. The Los Alamos community has given over $2 million to fund opportunities students and teachers would not have otherwise. To learn more about LAPS Foundation and how to get involved and/or make a donation, visit lapsfoundation.com or call 505.500.6501. Donations to LAPS Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization, are tax-deductible.