Success Stories 2023

The Tempe Union High Schools Education Foundation sponsored and donated to the following:

Grants the Foundation Awarded in 2022-2023

Promote effective and innovative teaching and challenge teachers to improve student performance:

Headphones $305 – Marcos de Niza
Curriculum set, household items for Life Skills Lab - $2,000 – Marcos de Niza
Choral Risers - $5,000 - Tempe HS
Tempe Union Online - $1,000 for ACT performance student incentive
Promote social and emotional well-being and/or classroom skills:
Sustainability School Garden - $1,100 - Desert Vista

Promote innovation and technology:

Engineering Soldering Stations - $2,934 - Corona del Sol
Dissolved Oxygen Meters - $5,000 - Desert Vista
Bioactive Enclosure - $1,100 - Mt. Pointe
Solar Car Materials - $2,500 - Desert Vista
Engineering Student Project - $2,700 - Desert Vista

Share collaboration with other teachers, parents, business, and/or community individuals or groups:

Fine Arts Technical Lighting Expert - $3,000 - Corona del Sol
Performing Arts/Steel Band Performer to work with band - $1,500 - Corona del Sol

Engineering Project at Corona del Sol High School

The Foundation has awarded $2,935 to Engineering Teacher Melissa Wendell at Corona del Sol High School to create a Makerspace of soldering stations. Engineering students are learning soldering, which is one part of the manufacturing process they will use to assemble a programmable robot. The project is designed to model how the industry builds and creates products in manufacturing. In addition, students will learn valuable engineering skills as well as professional skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.

Banner contributed by Board member Craig Keller and designed by Eric Adams at AlphaGraphics.

Fine Arts Technical Lighting Expert

Elizabeth Pease, Corona del Sol Dance Director, requested funding to bring in an outside lighting designer, Mr. Todd Muller, to work with dance students to produce Corona Dance Company's production of "Nutcracker Tale." Mr. Muller served as the lighting designer and installation tech and gave instruction to the directors and students, which provided a unique enrichment opportunity above and beyond a traditional high school dance concert.

Student Quotes:

"Learning from Todd about the importance of side lighting in dance was eye opening. We really could tell a difference in the overall quality of our show, and now have the skills to be able to reproduce and practice on our own. Thank you for making the Corona Dance Company shine!"

"Getting the opportunity to work with a professional lighting designer was such an incredible experience! We really learned how lighting effects the show and how to create magic through lighting. Thank you!"

Choral Risers at Tempe High School

Director of Bands, Choir, and Guitar teacher Antonio Lozano and Coordinator of Fine and Performing Arts Josh Thye teamed up to write a grant proposal for risers for Tempe High School. The Foundation awarded $5,000 toward the risers.

Bioactive Enclosure at Mt. Pointe

The Foundation awarded $1,000 to Mt. Pointe Biology teacher Jonah Hurst to create a Bioactive enclosure in his classroom in order to allow colonies of isopods and insections to thrive. The students will cultivate the colonies and use them in labs.

Grant to Tempe Union Online

Tempe Union Online Coordinator Amie Hickel was granted $1,000 to provide online students with incentives to complete the ACT. The Tempe Online Class of 2024 ACT completion rate increased to 84% compared to the previous year of 40%. This was one of several plans the online staff put into place to increase participation.

Grant to Desert Vista

Desert Vista Engineering Teacher Rick Schapler's students were granted $2,700 toward their project to design and build a robotic tee shirt launcher.