The Montgomery Blair High School PTSA’s Mini-grants Review Committee reviewed 17 grant applications and funded 14 grants from 8 different Blair High School departments. All applicants were Blair High School PTSA members at the time of the Committee review. The total amount requested was $5,103. The committee recommended funding for $4,503. The Review Committee evaluated each grant application on its merit and recommended funding appropriate to our evaluation.
If you have any questions about the Blair HS PTSA’s Mini-grants program and/or how you can help, please contact the Mini-grants Committee Chair via our Leadership page.
| Project Title | Grant Recipient | Brief Project Description | Grant Beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP Environmental Science/Chemistry/Biology | Science Department | Students will have access to science data and actual case studies (e.g., environmental science, biology and other disciplines). They will learn to think critically in order to analyze and solve problems. Being able to view these case studies will benefit students years from now as these stories will make them care about science and see how it affects so many aspects of our lives. | Blair High School students |
| AP Human Geography | Social Studies Department | Annually, senior students will write a letter to their future selves, to help them reflect and say goodbye. These letters will then be mailed to the students post-graduation. | Blair High School social studies students |
| Blair Readers | Media Center | Purchase hard copies of books from the First Book Marketplace for students to read and keep. The low-cost books will be free to students and students will help select the titles. | Blair High School students |
| CARES Act Tutoring | Math and Magnet Departments | CARES Act Tutoring before and after school tutoring and academic intervention for students most negatively impacted by remote instruction. Tutoring program will provide gift cards as incentives for students who are regularly engaging with the CARES tutoring. | Blair High School students |
| English 12 Inclusion and ESOL Bridge | English Department | Purchase mini white boards with markers/ erasers and sticky note pads to aid with instruction of English and ESOL students. | Blair High School students |
| ESOL Seniors | Resource Department | Help ESOL seniors with the costs of their Class of 2021 graduation regalia (e.g., caps and gowns, etc.). | Blair High School ESOL Seniors |
| Forensic Science and the Chemistry of Art | Science/Magnet Departments | Purchase at-home activities to be sent home and/or to conduct individually during in-person learning. Activities would provide students with some "hands-on activities" such as fingerprinting for forensic assignments/tasks. | Blair High School students |
| Mental Health Committee/Wellness Activities | Counseling Department | Virtual activities for students to help improve their well-being. Students will be able to earn rewards and prizes for participating in virtual games (e.g., bingo), socials, yoga and other activities. | Blair High School students |
| Ninth Grade Academy | English Department/Ninth Grade Academy | Purchase gift cards for freshmen to celebrate and motivate freshmen who are struggling in the virtual environment. | Ninth Grade Academy |
| 9th Grade All STARS | Ninth Grade Administrator | Provide a focus group of 9th graders incentives (e.g., gift cards) to improve their attendance and grades. Our program will monitor students’ progress and meet and connect with them via school and CARES ACT after-school programs. | Blair High School ninth grade students. |
| Poetry Unit: Race, Identity | English Department | Purchase a class set of the book ‘Citizen Illegal’ by Jose Olivarez, which is a collection of poems that address race, ethnicity, gender, class, and immigration. The book will be used to help students discuss issues regarding equity. | Blair High School students |
| Project LIT | Media Center | Purchase copies of diverse/antiracist books from all genres for Blair students so that they can join our virtual Project LIT Book Club and participate in the Club’s planned service projects/community reads. | Media Center and Project LIT program |
| Silver Chips Newspaper | Silver Chips Newspaper (Blair High School Student Newspaper) | Print and distribute 1,500 copies of the Silver Chips newspaper, which will be delivered to student/subscriber homes in the Silver Spring/Takoma Park area. | Blair High School and Silver Spring community |