BCF's T.E.A.M. Committee Awards Grants to Local Educators

Photo of teacher Stacey Recker holding a large faux paper check.
Ballard Elementary School teacher Stacey Recker
receives a Golden Acorn Classroom Mini Grant
from Berrien Community Foundation at the Niles
Community Schools in-service day for teachers
and school staff. Recker applied for additional
funding for her “Flexible Learning Lab” project,
which will allow more fluid collaboration between
students in a more modern classroom setting.

Berrien Community Foundation’s youth advisory committee, T.E.A.M., has awarded $5,000 in Golden Acorn Classroom Mini Grants to fifteen teachers and school staff members at six school districts in Berrien County.

T.E.A.M. (Teens Exhibiting Able Minds) is Berrien Community Foundation’s (BCF) youth advisory committee made up of middle and high school students from around Berrien County. They meet monthly to review grants and participate in community service projects. These $500 Golden Acorn Classroom Mini Grants (GACMG) fund imaginative classroom projects that inspire students, encourage creativity and enhance learning.

“By having our T.E.A.M. members review these mini grant applications, they are learning about generosity and philanthropy,” said Susan Matheny, BCF program and T.E.A.M. director. “Our community and our schools benefit from these students’ first-hand knowledge of what is needed in the schools they attend every day.”

Funded projects include:

  • Gelli Printmaking at New Buffalo Elementary School: Students in Erin Ledyard’s art classes will explore their creativity through Gelli printmaking techniques, which allow students to place materials such as leaves, stencils or their own drawings onto the inked surface. “When they lift the paper to reveal their print, it creates a magical moment of discovery,” said Ledyard. “Art has the power to build confidence.”
  • “Unity Day” at Coloma Junior High School: Sponsored by the CJHS Student Council, Unity Day gives students the chance to build trust, teamwork and inclusion through activities centered on the International Day of Unity. “We are focusing our efforts to create a warm, safe and friendly environment in our school,” said Kim Kubatzke, CJHS social studies teacher.
  • “I Spy” Outdoor Learning at Countryside Academy: Students will use binoculars to observe birds, turtles and other wildlife on school grounds in Benton Harbor. “Having access to binoculars will allow students to look…without getting so close as to scare the wildlife away,” said Kathy Hollacher, Countryside Academy’s FARE teacher.

Golden Acorn Classroom Mini Grants are awarded twice a year to teachers and school staff who bring creative, hands-on learning into the classroom. The next application deadline is December 1, 2025. Educators can learn more and apply at: www.berriencommunity.org/GAclassroom.