Students with various types of learning disabilities will be more comfortable in the classroom, thanks to a grant from the Lake Central Education Foundation. The foundation presented its latest round of grants during Monday's school board meeting.
That includes $900 for flexible seating for Clark Middle School Teacher Sidney Hudi's classroom. That will give students with autism, ADHD and various disabilities "the ability to wobble, rock, bounce and stand while they complete their work. Movement while working has been shown to increase student engagement, help student focus, create more opportunities for collaboration and fulfill sensory needs," foundation representative Melody Wolff read from Hudi's grant application.
Other grants this round aim to bring ukuleles into the classroom at Kolling Elementary School and to encourage Clark Middle School students to read books, rather than watching film and TV adaptations.
Overall, the Lake Central Education Foundation has given $339,552 in grants since it launched in 1996. Now, it hopes to take those efforts even further in the coming years. It's applied for grant funding through the Indiana Association of Public Education Foundations to hire a paid staff member to help with fundraising.