GIPS Foundation Invites Teachers to Swim with the Sharks in the New Innovation Tank! As Grand Island Public Schools kicks off another exciting year, the GIPS Foundation is reminding teachers about our brand-new grant experience: The Innovation Tank! Announced this past May, this upgraded program replaces our traditional Classroom Grants to give you bigger resources, higher impact, and a fresh way to fund your vision.

At Knickrehm Elementary, science is moving out of the textbook and into the soil. Thanks to the collaborative vision of educators Chelsi Christensen and Amanda Julesgard, thirty students are embarking on a hands-on journey to become stewards of the environment through the Milkweed Planting Project.

This initiative was recognized by the Grand Island Public Schools (GIPS) Foundation, which provided a $500 Classroom Grant to bring the vision to life. Each year, the Foundation celebrates dedicated teachers by supporting their most innovative ideas—special projects that move beyond the chalkboard to offer students real-world experiences.

Imagine standing on your school playground, releasing a small balloon, and watching it catch the wind until it disappears into the blue. Now, imagine that same balloon traveling thousands of miles, crossing vast oceans and continents, all while funneling data back to you from the very edge of space. For the students at Walnut Middle School, this isn't a scene from a sci-fi novel—it is a real-world experience taking place in the classroom.

Thanks to the GIPS Foundation Classroom Grant and the Janeth Davis Memorial Grant, teachers Benjamin Marten and Tyler Madison have launched the "Circumnavigate the Globe" project. Together, they’ve transformed traditional science lessons into a global adventure that proves the sky isn't the limit.

For a first grader, the scale of the solar system can be difficult to grasp through a textbook alone. While we often look up at the night sky, light pollution and early bedtimes can make it hard for young students to truly witness the splendor of the Milky Way Galaxy that they learn about in class.

Recently at Newell Elementary, the gymnasium was transformed into a gateway to the cosmos. Thanks to a collaborative effort by first-grade teachers Asia Thoene, Abby Elsbury, and Renee Sutherland, the universe is now a down-to-earth adventure. The Grand Island Public Schools Foundation was proud to award these stellar educators a $475 Classroom Grant, bringing the Edgerton Explorit Center’s portable planetarium directly to their students.