This project will replace aged, unsafe weight room equipment with new dumbbells and 3-dimensional soft plyometric boxes to support over 500 student-athletes daily, as well as regular Physical Education classes serving 60 students per period. Without relying on traditional textbooks, our physical education curriculum relies entirely on practical, hands-on weight training and athletic conditioning. Upgrading to high-density soft plyometric boxes removes the severe injury hazards of legacy wooden or metal boxes, while additional dumbbells ensure all 60 students in a class period remain active simultaneously rather than waiting for available equipment.
This project will replace aged, unsafe weight room equipment with new dumbbells and 3-dimensional soft plyometric boxes to support over 500 student-athletes daily, as well as regular Physical Education classes serving 60 students per period. Without relying on traditional textbooks, our physical education curriculum relies entirely on practical, hands-on weight training and athletic conditioning. Upgrading to high-density soft plyometric boxes removes the severe injury hazards of legacy wooden or metal boxes, while additional dumbbells ensure all 60 students in a class period remain active simultaneously rather than waiting for available equipment.
Montana State Physical Education Content Standards Alignment (Grades 9–12)
This project directly aligns with the Montana Health and Physical Education Standards (ARM 10.53.719):
• Standard 1 (Motor Skills & Movement Patterns): ARM 10.53.719(1)(a)(ii) — Exhibiting competency in two or more specialized skills in health-related fitness activities. High-density soft plyo boxes and updated dumbbell sets allow students to safely refine explosive power, plyometrics, multi-directional jumps, and resistance training mechanics.
• Standard 3 (Achieving & Maintaining Fitness): ARM 10.53.719(1)(c)(vi) — Designing and implementing a strength and conditioning program. Access to a full spectrum of dumbbell weights and 3D plyometric boxes allows 60-student class periods to build, execute, and monitor individual fitness plans without equipment bottlenecks.
• Standard 3 (Skeletal & Muscle Development): ARM 10.53.719(1)(c)(viii) — Identifying the structure of skeletal muscle and fiber types as they relate to muscle development. Practical execution of plyometric and dumbbell exercises teaches fast-twitch vs. slow-twitch muscle fiber activation in real-time strength applications.
• Standard 4 (Responsible Personal & Social Behavior): ARM 10.53.719(1)(d)(vii) — Applying best practices for participating safely in physical activity, exercise, and movement. Modern high-density soft foam boxes significantly reduce impact-related shin injuries, providing a controlled environment for high-risk jump training.
Grant Objectives & Educational Impact
• Hands-On Physical Literacy Over Textbooks: Direct physical instruction with modern equipment forms our core learning materials, delivering lifelong functional fitness skills without textbooks.
• Creativity & Advanced Conditioning: Soft 3D plyometric boxes give students the confidence to execute complex athletic movements without fear of severe injury.
• High-Volume Capacity: Eliminates wait times during 60-student periods, maximizing active workout density and exercise compliance.
• School-Wide Impact: Serves all high school athletic teams training before and after school, supporting over 500 student-athletes daily year-round.
Itemized Budget
Item Description Vendor Qty Unit Price Total Amount
PLYO-3WAY TAG Soft Plyo Box 3 Way Better Body Fitness of Montana, Inc. (Local) 20 $235.00 $4,700.00
Freight Direct Shipping Better Body Fitness of Montana, Inc. 1 $1,250.00 $1,250.00
Dumbbells Torque Rubber Hex Dumbbell Sets (55–100 lb) Bigger Faster Stronger (BFS) 2 $4,036.00 $8,072.00
Total Cost $14,022.00
Budget & Funding Acknowledgment
• Funding Gap Statement: We acknowledge that our total estimated equipment needs ($14,022.00) exceed standard Great Ideas Grant funding limits. Any grant award received will serve as essential foundational funding toward our overarching goal, enabling us to begin replacing our most critical worn-out and broken items immediately while we secure supplementary support to complete the facility upgrade.
| Budget Item | Vendor | Unit Cost | Quantity | Shipping Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG Soft Plyo Box 3 Way | Better Body Fitness of Montana, Inc. (Local) | $235.00 | 20 | $1,250.00 | $5,950.00 |
| Torque Rubber Hex Dumbbell Sets (55–100 lb) | Bigger Faster Stronger (BFS) | $4,036.00 | 2 | $8,072.00 |
Total Budget: $14,022.00
Classroom Cruisers: Cruising to School Success will fund the purchase of four Copernicus Classroom Cruiser stationary bikes, complete with workstations. The four bike sizes will accommodate both little and big students. Bikes will be placed in two locations: in the special education room and in the school library, which provides access to bikes for all students. Students can ride while reading, writing, and completing schoolwork, helping them to use their big energy in a productive and healthy way!
• 1 –
• 1.1 – Funds from this grant will be used to purchase four Copernicus Classroom Cruisers from the school vendor company Demco. These cruisers are stationary pedal bikes equipped with adjustable seats, handlebars, and pedal straps. The bikes also include a back rest and desktop workstation to place books, handouts, or other learning materials. The cruisers are available in two sizes, one meant for smaller kindergarten through second grade learners, and a larger size for third through fifth grade learners. The project is designed to place two of the bikes in the library, since all students in the school visit the library and reading is an activity that traditionally requires students to be still. The additional two bikes will be placed in the special education (SPED) room, where they may be accessed by students on IEPs, 504s, and in small learning groups. The goal of this project is to provide both equality and equity for our student population, understanding that all young children thrive on and enjoy movement, while some students with varying learning styles or conditions such as ADHD or anxiety, require movement accommodations to facilitate their learning.
• 2 –
• 2.1 –
• 2.1.1 – This project is designed to help all students enjoy a healthy lifestyle and a more focused attention by providing them with movement, while still being able to complete academic work such as reading, writing, and researching in the library or in the SPED room. Placing two cruisers in the library and two in the SPED room provides an equal opportunity for all students to access this movement. Most specifically, though, the cruisers will provide equitable access to populations within our school with greater need. Currently, 40 students in our school have a diagnosis of ADHD or anxiety. Seventeen of those students already have a 504 plan in place to help accommodate needs with flexible seating, fidgets, or movement breaks. An additional 6 new evaluations for 504 plans pertaining to ADHD or anxiety are currently being created. Further, 29 students are currently being served by IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) and 20 more incoming students are under observation for a possible future IEP. Of all IEPs, 90% include accommodations that relate to a movement break or flexible seating options.
• 2.2 –
• 2.2.1 – The purpose of this project is to provide a healthy alternative to unwanted behaviors and missed learned opportunities for students who have energy, students who are active, students who have 504s or IEPs, and students with ADHD or anxiety. When a student has an inability to attend or give attention to the teacher and lesson in the room, they miss valuable learning. By providing an outlet for energy, students can focus their attention on the learning task. Results from studies “indicate that flexible learning spaces, active breaks, and active lessons effectively reduce sedentary behaviors and increase physical activity without negatively influencing academic achievement” for any students (Larose, Massie, St-Aubin, Boulay-Pelletier, Boulanger, Lavoie, Yessis, Tremblay, and Drapeau, 2024). Further, in another study “the authors concluded that PA (physical activity) has a positive influence on cognition as well as brain structure and function” (Donnelly, Hillman, Castelli, Etnier, Szabo-Reed , Lee, Tomporowski, and Lambourne, 2026). And finally, even further studies show there is particular benefits for students with ADHD, finding that the “best performance of children with ADHD in solving tasks (was) in an active seat” (Stanić, Žnidarič, Repovš, and Geršak, 2022).
• 2.2.2 – A major area of focus this year in our school is to improve the culture of our staff and student body in a positive way. A major component of this goal is to reduce student behaviors with positive interventions. Cruisers would provide a positive way to reduce student behaviors while simultaneously improving student academic performance in library, where the curriculum focuses on reading, writing, and research, and in special education, where the student population often has flexible seating required as an accommodation. Academic performance would especially improve among our most vulnerable students on 504 of IEP plans who need those accommodations to improve goals tied to reading, writing, and math that they work to meet in the SPED room.
• 3 –
• 3.1 –
• 3.1.1 – Project activities will simply include placing two of the cruisers in the library and two cruisers in the SPED room. The library will utilize the two cruisers during library skills time by need, being sure to give riding time during lessons to students who are identified as needing a movement accommodation according to their IEP, 504, or behavior plan. During library checkout time, all students will have an opportunity to access and use the bike based on a rotating system simply tracked through student class rosters. In the SPED room, the two cruisers will be utilized during small groups, which is when students are pulled out of a regular classroom setting to receive more individualized instruction to fill gaps in their learning in different subject areas.
• 3.1.2 – Integration of this project will be immediate and ongoing. Rather than accomplished through a special activity or event, it will be a part of regular classroom systems in both the library and SPED room.
• 3.1.3 – Again, this project is meant to improve academic performance through movement and by reducing behaviors. This will improve curricular outcomes in library and in SPED.
• 3.1.4 – The library chose to group with the school counselor and special education teachers in the building. We chose to work together after identifying a major school goal being to reduce behaviors while improving academic outcomes for students – all with the focus of improving our overall school culture. One strength of the librarian is their unique positioning in interacting with every student in the school on a weekly basis and throughout their K-5 education. This allows the librarian to positively place the cruisers in a location to help all students. The counselor brought great strength to the group in understanding students and families who work with the school through 504 plans. Being the one who helps develop and officialize these plans by meeting with these students and families, the counselor knows the importance of movement for this subset of our school population. Two special education teachers joined the group with the particular strengths of understanding students in our schools who are on IEPs, especially having developed strong relationships with these students and families over multiple years. These two special education teachers understand the importance between providing effective accommodations to meet academic success.
• 3.2 –
• 3.2.1 – Each individual cruiser is priced at $1,019.00, bringing the total cost of four cruisers to $4,076.00. Shipping is estimated very closely at $410.00, bringing the entire total to $4,486.00. There are no taxes. No further costs are anticipated, as the cruisers come with built-in digital display tracks distance, speed, time, RPM, and calories burned, built in safety features including enclosed fly wheels, and 6-year warranties. The bikes also come with casters, that will make moving them by in-room educators easy and possible whenever needed.
• 3.2.2 – This project has no in-kind donations or contributions.
• 3.3 –
• 3.3.1 – Regular school budgets have been investigated and proved to be insufficient for a purchase of this scale. Fundraising for this kind of purchase would also prove problematic as school-wide funding is often divided out by grade-level purchases or tagged specifically for technology or specifically for school library book purchase.
• 4 –
• 4.1 –
• 4.1.1 – Reducing problematic student behaviors takes a multi-tiered and multi-strategic approach. Common interventions include positive reinforcement, verbal praise, precorrections, rewards systems, offering choices, checking ins/check outs with another adult in the school, leaving the classroom to take a break in the hallway, or taking a movement break. Many of these interventions require a lot of preplanning by the teacher, some require extra adult supervision that is not always available as staffing is always stretched, and some even result in the student missing classroom learning time. Further, not every potential approach works for every student and often, students require more than one solution in place for meaningful and lasting improvements. By having cruisers available as a permanent flexible seating option that requires no additional funding or upkeep, we have added another layer of solutions that can be accessed by more students and is easily executed without more work for teachers.
• 4.2 – Classroom cruisers fit the bill as effective flexible seating for intervention while keeping learning opportunities intact. Studies show the “best performance of children with ADHD in solving tasks in an active seat. In doing so, they moved very intensely with mostly proper in-seat behaviour, as they predominantly waved their legs and not the trunk” (Stanić, Žnidarič, Repovš, and Geršak, 2022). A cruiser provides this vigorous movement of the legs, while the trunk and upper body stay stationary, not only keeping the student safe and on-task but specifically allowing schoolwork to simultaneously take place. Other flexible seating options like wobble chairs and yoga balls cause far too much trunk movement for effective schoolwork to take place – and can really only be used for movement when teachers are delivering direct instruction and students only task is to listen.
• 5 –
• 5.1 –
• 5.1.1 – It is already common practice for special education and classroom teachers to keep track of student behaviors in a documented log. The log details behaviors exhibited, approaches tried, and outcomes of those approaches in successes or failures. The special education teachers and teacher librarian requesting this grant will keep documented logs of students that use the cruisers as a positive behavior strategy, as well as document the success of this approach. Classroom teachers will also be asked to include this in their behavior logs when their students use the cruisers as a behavioral intervention. When the cruisers are used as a positive award system, for example, during library checkouts to award good behavior, only informal, observational data will be kept on how motivational the cruisers are to students and if are able to use the cruisers successfully to focus on reading.
• 5.2 –
• 5.2.1 – Our project will be promoted and shared within our school community by encouraging colleagues to stop by and see the cruisers in action with students. Additionally, the two cruisers housed in the library will be encouraged for use during open schedule times (such as when a class is not using the library for skills lessons or checkouts). Students who are struggling to attend to class and need a short movement break will be encouraged to visit the library to use the cruisers. Further, successes from this project will also be promoted out by the school librarian, school counselor, and special education teachers in their respective PLC meetings with colleagues from other schools in our district-wide community.
• 5.3 –
• 5.3.1 – We hope to promote the use of these cruisers in regular classrooms, and would welcome being approached by colleagues to help them seek funding or write grants to purchase a cruiser for their own classrooms.
References
Donnelly , J., Hillman , C., Castelli, D., Etnier, J., Szabo-Reed , A., Lee, S., Tomporowski, P., & Lambourne, K. (2026, June). Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children: A Systematic Review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27182986/
Larose, D., Massie, C.-L., St-Aubin, A., Boulay-Pelletier, V., Boulanger, E., Lavoie, M. D., Yessis, J., Tremblay, A., & Drapeau, V. (2024, December 2). Effects of flexible learning spaces, active breaks, and active lessons on sedentary behaviors, physical activity, learning, and Musculoskeletal Health in school-aged children: A scoping review. Journal of activity, sedentary and sleep behaviors. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11960325/#Abs1
Stanić, V., Žnidarič, T., Repovš, G., & Geršak, G. (2022, April 21). Dynamic seat assessment for enabled restlessness of children with learning difficulties. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9099863/#sec5-sensors-22-03170
| Budget Item | Vendor | Unit Cost | Quantity | Shipping Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copernicus Classroom Cruiser bikes | Demco | $1,019.00 | 4 | $410.00 | $4,486.00 |
Total Budget: $4,486.00
This grant will allow for five different district schools, elementary, middle school and high school, to bring in Cohesion Dance into our classrooms working with FLS students. Cohesion Dance is an inclusive dance company that teaches mindful movement to all students in a neurological informed way. This allows for students to engage in multisensory movement that allows for them to explore space in a creative way.
1 – Introduction
1.1 – Summarize grant project, goals and how you will use the funds.
The goal of this project is to provide adaptive and inclusive dance instruction to our Functional Life Skills students on a regular basis. Funds will be used to pay for teachers at Cohesion Dance Project to push into our FLS classrooms during PE or music time to deliver movement and dance instruction specifically tailored to the FLS cohorts in five buildings across the district.
2 – Justification (30 points)
2.1 – Project Need
2.1.1 – Describe the significant need and the target population.
Students in our Functional Life Skills classes present with a variety of disabilities and medical fragilities. While their mobility, verbality, or cognition may be impacted by those disabilities, their desire for and benefit from engaging, multisensory experiences is no different than any of their peers. Cohesion Dance Project specializes in adaptive and inclusive dance instruction for people of all ages, with all levels of mobility, using dance curricula that addresses creative and mindful movement in a neurologically informed way.
2.2 – Purpose of Project
2.2.1 – What is the purpose and anticipated impact of your proposed project, and how will it improve student achievement?
2.2.2 – How do the goals link with the curriculum and to the goals and objectives of your school?
For many of us teachers, we experience a gap between what we feel these students need and what our training and experience has prepared us to deliver. The purpose of this grant is to shrink that gap. When an FLS class, self-contained or integrated, is added to a non-SPED teacher’s schedule, a common attitude is, “I don’t know what or how to teach this group of learners, but I am willing to try things out and learn how to do it well!” By inviting Cohesion Dance Project into our classrooms on a regular basis, the impact will be two-fold: students get direct instruction from content-area specialists and HSD teachers get to observe that expert deliver their specialty regularly throughout the year, effectively serving as professional development. It is an immediate impact on our current cohort of FLS students and a long-term impact for the teachers who will work with future cohorts of FLS students.
3 – Project Description (35 points)
3.1 – Design
3.1.1 – Describe project activities and how you will use the materials/supplies included in your budget to implement your project and address your stated need
The project will involve regular Cohesion lessons for each of the five included FLS classes: two elementary FLS classrooms, one middle school FLS physical education classes, and two high school FLS physical education classes. A Cohesion teacher will instruct a mindful movement class twice per month for each of those groups. This grant will pay for those instructors. The regularly assigned FLS educator (PE teacher, adaptive PE, or music teacher) will attend all the Cohesion lessons and in doing so will become familiar with the approaches and strategies used in adaptive dance instruction.
3.1.2 – Include a calendar of major activities, a description of each major activity and timelines for accomplishing it.
If this grant is funded, Cohesion will begin visiting each of the included classes twice per month from the time the grant is awarded through to the end of May.
3.1.3 – Describe how the project will be integrated into curriculum
Lessons taught by Cohesion Dance will incorporate the following Montana State Educational Standards:
The Four Core Arts Content Standards for Performing, Creating, Responding, and Connecting.
The following Physical Education Standards:
Physical Education Standard 2 Apply knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance
Physical Education Standard 3 Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness
Physical Education Standard 4 Exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others
Physical Education Standard 5 Recognize the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction
3.1.4 – Describe briefly the types of personnel (NOT names), organizations or staff members who will work directly with the project. When applying for a team grant, include the strengths of each educator as well as why the team chose to work together. The project will be a coordination between the Cohesion Dance Instructor, School Music teachers, the Unified PE teachers, the adaptive PE teachers, The FLS teacher and individual paraprofessionals assigned to kids in the class.
3.2 – Budget
3.2.1 – List itemized project budget, sources of supplies and cost, including taxes and shipping.
Direct instruction by Cohesion teachers twice per month is $770 per building for 45-minute classes and $578 per building for 30-minute classes. Both elementary schools will be 30-minute classes. The middle school and both high schools will be 45-minute classes. The total for these five buildings is $3,466. This will cover dance instruction at these buildings from November through May.
3.2.2 – If applicable, list any in-kind donation or contribution to the project. Please try to assign a monetary value to in-kind contributions. Include a total budget request
There are no in-kind donations.
3.3 – Availability of other funding
3.3.1 – What other possible sources of funding have you investigated, including regular school funding? If none, please so indicate.
At Helena High School, there is a possibility of getting some funding (a couple hundred dollars) from the Special Education budget
4 – Relevance to Great Ideas Grants Program Goals (30 points)
4.1 – Creativity and innovation
4.1.1 – How is this project different from the usual classroom approach?
In a typical classroom approach, students learn from the teacher assigned to the class and, hopefully, the teacher has content-area expertise to share. In this project, teachers will be experiencing and learning alongside their FLS students as Cohesion teachers provide specialized adaptive dance instruction.
4.2 – Extension of student learning
This will extend student learning by bringing in new, ability-appropriate approaches for movement instruction.
5 – Evaluation, Dissemination and Future Plans (5 points)
5.1 – Evaluation
5.1.1 – Indicate how the success of the project will be measured, including strategies and tools you will use to assess student progress.
The success of this project will be measured qualitatively. For students, we will observe their behavior and engagement during dance class. For teachers, we will reflect on our own teaching skills as we work to assimilate mindful movement into our FLS instruction and, as appropriate, into our general education classes as well.
5.2 – Dissemination
5.2.1 – How will you share the information from your project with your colleagues, other schools, or district-wide or the community?
We will share our progress and insights from this project within our PLC groups across the district. It will be shared directly with parents of involved students via newsletter or email.
5.3 – Future Plans
5.3.1 – What are your future plans for continuation, replication or expansion of this project, if any?
This project is being undertaken with the idea of using movement
in a mindful and neurologically informed way to help those with disabilities. These are important skills for this population. The idea is that these skills will continue to be part of these classes in the future. Partnering with Cohesion also has the added bonus of getting the community of Helena involved in the education of its youth.
| Budget Item | Vendor | Unit Cost | Quantity | Shipping Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cohesion Instruction | Cohesion Dance | $770.00 | 3 | $2,310.00 | |
| Cohesion Instruction | Cohesion Dance | $578.00 | 2 | $1,156.00 |
Total Budget: $3,466.00
What kid doesn’t love an animal? This grant will provide our youngest musicians (primarily PreK-2) with farm animal puppets, new songs about the animals, and new portable glockenspiels that are accessible for students with mobility challenges. Students will explore animal sounds with their voices, helping them learn the difference between high and low (a very important foundational skill!). The young musicians will learn how to work together with their puppets using play structured around songs. And they’ll be able to easily explore making music on an instrument designed specifically for young students and students with mobility differences (Safari Glockenspiels).
1.1: The goal of this project is simple: to engage students in meaningful ways during music class, and to make sure every student has appropriate access to instruments. Funds would be used immediately to purchase the requested items, which include a variety of instruments, puppets and new song books. Students would begin using the new puppets and instruments starting in January. The funds from this grant will help achieve this goal, not just for current students but for many years of future students, as well.
2.1: The target population for this project is primarily students in PreK through 2nd grade, with particular emphasis on special education classrooms. Our youngest learners have different needs and abilities than our older students (3rd through 5th), and sometimes, these budding musicians need different materials to learn. It has become evident that their physical is also in a very different stage when compared to older students. The materials requested with the grant funds would target students who may have limited mobility, or trouble gripping items in a traditional manner. In addition, many of the every day instruments and handheld learning tools are geared towards older students, not four and five-year-olds. The Safari Glockenspiels, in particular, are designed not only for students with limited mobility in mind, but also with the physical capabilities of four-year-olds in mind. These instruments are designed very specifically to target these students and provide them with a successful path toward becoming musical.
2.2.1: The purpose of this project is to ensure that all students, including our very youngest learners along with our mobility challenged students, have developmentally appropriate access to music making. With the integration of these new teaching and learning tools, students will have better access to music making. The more they make music, the better they become. And the better they become, the more they enjoy a task. The more they enjoy a task, the more they want to do the task (which is, of course, making more music!).
2.2.2: The elementary music curriculum leans heavily on students making their own music on various instruments (I am learning to accompany myself or others; I am learning to name classroom percussion instruments; I am learning to perform and improvise using known rhythms). The addition of the Safari Glockenspiels will help these goals become more accessible for our youngest learners. The addition of puppets will aid in not only vocal exploration (learning how to move our voices high and low), but also in creating their own musical ideas (making up songs with their puppets), which is another goal in the elementary music curriculum.
3.1.1: The new puppets will be used primarily as vocal exploration tools, to help students learn about their high, low and singing voices. This is a particularly important early skill, especially for students who struggle with speech. Often there are no words associated with vocal exploration, so this is a time where they can have great success. The puppets are also a great tool for shy students-there’s something about having a puppet on your hand that makes all the shyness disappear! The variety of percussion instruments will lend themselves to all students, including those who may have mobility or physical limitations. The song books will provide age-appropriate repertoire with which to use the new materials.
3.1.2: Materials would be purchased immediately upon receipt of grant funds and implemented into various lessons starting in January.
3.1.3: Currently, students engage in a vocal warm up every music lesson to help them learn to use different ranges in their voices. The puppets and glockenspiels will be added to this vocal warm up as an additional tool to help students achieve the goal of distinguishing their high voice from their low voice (or the difference between speaking and singing voices). Our youngest musicians will spend time exploring the new instruments, which relates directly back to learning to keep a steady beat, as well as learning to name various percussion instruments in the music classroom.
3.1.4: The project is a joint effort between several teachers in two buildings: music, KinderSprouts, kindergarten, TrailHead and FLS teachers. Each of these teachers brings a level of expertise to their own particular area to the table, and combining their shared knowledge into this project will help reach a wide swath of students. These educators have been working together for several years and enjoy learning from one another. They are continually seeking to expand their own knowledge base in an effort to better serve their students.
3.2: Please refer to the attached budget spreadsheet.
3.3: More learning materials will be purchased through the music building budget. Unfortunately, the building budget is not robust enough to accommodate the purchase of enough materials to adequately implement this project.
4.1.1: This project is different because it is focusing on students who are in a non-traditional classroom setting. Many of the teaching techniques will be the same, but the pool of students is very unique and different from what we think of as a ‘regular classroom’. The goal is to ensure that they are achieving the curricular goals with developmentally appropriate learning tools.
4.2: The skills learned with the use of the grant materials will extend into the upper grades. The skills that students build with the new materials will be the foundation upon which the upper grades will continue building their musical skills and literacy.
5.1.1: Project success will be measured and assessed through formative methods (in the moment teacher observations of students’ mastery level). Success for this project will come in many forms, such as (but not limited to): successful use of high and low voices (with the puppets); successful use of the Safari Glockenspiels (being able to hold the mallet and play the instrument at the right time in the song).
5.2.1: The project will be shared with other music colleagues throughout the district at our PLC meetings.
5.3.1: The plan is for this project to continue indefinitely with new groups of students every year. There will always be new groups of young musicians who can benefit from vocal exploration with puppets, Safari Glockenspiels, and kid-friendly farm song.
| Budget Item | Vendor | Unit Cost | Quantity | Shipping Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic | West Music | $31.49 | 1 | $0.00 | $31.49 |
| Two Little Blackbirds | West Music | $31.50 | 1 | $0.00 | $31.50 |
| Duckling Puppet | West Music | $24.29 | 2 | $48.58 | |
| White Duck Finger Puppet | West Music | $6.25 | 5 | $31.25 | |
| Funky Chicken | West Music | $19.43 | 2 | $38.86 | |
| Mini Chick Finger Puppet | West Music | $7.70 | 10 | $77.00 | |
| Mini Bunny Rabbit | West Music | $8.90 | 5 | $44.50 | |
| Sheep Finger Puppet | West Music | $6.25 | 9 | $56.25 | |
| Mini Raven Finger Puppet | West Music | $9.71 | 4 | $38.84 | |
| Shark Hand Puppet | West Music | $22.68 | 2 | $45.36 | |
| Mini Rainbow Trout | West Music | $8.90 | 10 | $89.00 | |
| Tuxedo Kitten Hand Puppet | West Music | $20.24 | 2 | $40.48 | |
| Pig Puppet Buddies | West Music | $13.73 | 2 | $27.46 | |
| Firikyiwa Thumb Bell | West Music | $17.96 | 2 | $35.92 | |
| Safari Roll Up Glockenspiel | West Music | $54.00 | 10 | $540.00 | |
| Red Octopus Hand Puppet | West Music | $41.30 | 1 | $41.30 | |
| Foot Tambourine | West Music | $10.76 | 4 | $43.04 | |
| Egg Shakers | West Music | $2.19 | 12 | $67.23 | $93.51 |
Total Budget: $1,354.34
This grant will provide mindful movement dance instruction through Cohesion Dance Project for all our second graders, many of whom need additional support in physical, social, and emotional awareness and regulation.
1.1 This goal of this project is to provide our struggling 2nd grade students with an opportunity to develop their social and emotional skills through innovative dance and movement instruction. The funds will primarily pay for direct instruction by a specialized dance instructor, with some money used to purchase appropriate movement props and equipment to keep in our building for the duration of the project and beyond.
2.1.1It would be fair and accurate to describe our current cohort of 2nd graders as exhibiting chaotic behavior. There are several students across the grade level with significant behavior challenges who often prevent teaching and learning for periods of time in their classrooms. There are many more with less aggressive behaviors challenges that keep the baseline level of turmoil fairly high on a daily basis. The teachers who have worked with them in kindergarten and first grade can attest to the widespread challenges with social-emotional skills and self-regulation. This is a group of kiddos who need more support in these areas. The 2nd grade team and music teacher are hoping that mindful movement taught by an experienced dance educator will help these students shore up those behavior skill deficits.
2.2.1 Our purpose for this grant is to try a new way of filling in skill deficits for our 2nd grade students. We hope that regular dance instruction, especially using the Mindful Movement curriculum offered through Cohesion, will help students become more attuned to their own physical bodies, their emotional states, and their social connections with peers in ways that daily instructional areas do not.
2.2.2. Our school motto is, “Respectful, responsible, safe, and kind so that we can play, learn, and grow together.” Currently, a significant chunk of our 2nd grader struggles to meet those four standards of citizenship at school and, consequently, their schooling experience is often less playful, less peaceful, and less productive than other cohorts. Teachers cannot teach academic content if the students are often or always speaking out of turn, running around the classroom, and initiating or over-reacting to social conflict. If mindful movement instruction on a regular basis can help deescalate the frequent behavior challenges we see with these students, it will allow for more playing, learning, and growing together.
3.1.1. The design of this project is three-fold: (1) students will receive direct instruction from a Cohesion Dance instructor who is trained in the Mindful Movement curriculum. (2) The school music teacher will be present for every Cohesion lesson to observe and assist, thereby gaining the skills and strategies to implement elements of the dance instruction with her other grade levels as appropriate. (3) The 2nd grade classroom teachers will periodically join for the dance lessons. They will learn alongside their students and be able to pull those experiences into their home classroom to help students regulate as needed during the school day.
3.1.2. If funded, dance instruction would begin shortly after the grant is announced, likely early November. Dance instruction would be 30-minutes, twice per month, for each of the four second grade classes. The dance instruction would continue through May.
The second graders have a spring concert scheduled for late March. While this concert is not specific to dance instruction, it would be an opportunity for the 2nd grade musicians to integrate creative movement within a musical performance context.
3.1.3 This project supports multiple areas of the district music curriculum: I can respond to musical opposites; I am learning to describe the feeling and mood of a piece of music; I am learning to perform with artful expression; I am learning to recognize same and different parts of music; I am learning the difference between beat and rhythm; I am learning to move with direction to patterns of strong and weak beats. Montana Social Emotional Learning standards addressed in this project include: MTSEL.K-2.1.a Identify and label basic emotions (e.g., happy, sad, mad, scared) and identify situations that cause those emotions; MTSEL.K-2.2.aIdentify physical responses to strong emotions and apply simple coping strategies (e.g., simple breathing techniques) to defuse the emotional stressor; MTSEL.K-2.3.a Identify simple feelings, opinions, and perspectives of others; MTSEL.K-2.3.b Recognize that other’s feelings are expressed in various ways; MTSEL.K-2.3.c Acknowledge and appreciate individual differences in others; MTSEL.K-2.3.g Recognize the connections between words, gestures, and emotions and how they can vary based on context, family, culture, and relationships; MTSEL.K-2.4.e Recognize and respond to social cues in a manner that is sensitive to self and others in collaborative settings; MTSEL.K-2.5.d Demonstrate understanding, apply rules, and show simple responsibility related to personal health and safety in different contexts and situations.
3.1.4 This project will include the music teacher and each of the four 2nd grade teachers in the building. The music teacher will be present for all of the Cohesion lessons. She will observe, assist, and familiarize herself with the application of the BrainDance and Mindful Movement curricula so that she can implement it periodically across all grade-levels going forward. Each of the 2nd grade teachers will occasionally observe the Cohesion lessons with the hopes of observing and integrating some of the bodily awareness strategies in their own general education classrooms to help our students continue to improve their own mindfulness and regulation skills. We five educators have chosen to work together because we recognize that this cohort of students performs best with structure and routine, but is often too dysregulated to maintain structure and routine in the classroom.
3.2 Cohesion Instruction 2x/month, 30m each, Nov-May: $1,925
Ribbon wands for students to keep at the end of the year: $150
Floor mat to keep in music room: $369.97 (shipping: $74.00)
Tunnel to keep in music room: 128.99 (free shipping)
Hula hoops, set of 12: 97.57 (free shipping)
Total: $2,745.53
3.2.2 There are no in-kind donations.
3.3 Classroom budgets at our school are $500 for music and $125 per grade level classroom. While this might technically be enough to pay for Cohesion instruction, it would be to the exclusion of all other scholastic materials for 2nd grade and for the music budget, which is intended to support all grades K-5.
4.1.1 Typically when a cohort is struggling with impulse control and social skills, those skills are addressed by the school counselor during SEL instruction time. Some qualifying students work on them in small-group with the resource teacher. While both of those approaches have been and will continue to be used with this group, we collectively want to try something more outside of the box. We have observed that they are physically energetic, so we hope that tackling bodily awareness and regulation through full-group movement instruction will help. Bringing in outside support for dance instruction will allow the music teacher to observe, imitate, and assimilate the dance curriculum while also serving as an assistant to specific students who especially need redirection, support, or encouragement.
4.2 We hope that by providing a multi-sensory artistic experience on a regular basis, the baseline level of chaos will start to recede. Fewer interruptions will improve the quality of instructional time across all content areas.
5.1 The success of this project will be measured through observation of student behavior and engagement during the dance instruction time, the general education classroom, and during less- or unstructured times such as hallway passing times, lunch, and recess time. The team gathered anecdotal, qualitative descriptions of each of their classes as part of the initial grant writing process. At the end of the project, we will again describe each of the classes. Hopefully these qualitative descriptions will show improvement.
5.2.1 Our project will be shared with 2nd grade families directly via class newsletter, as well as community-wide during the spring concert. The music teacher will share her observations within her PLC group regularly throughout the project’s duration.
5.3.1 Continuation of this project would be in a casual capacity with the music teacher carrying forward the new approaches to neurologically-grounded dance instruction she gained by observing Cohesion teachers throughout the year. She will apply appropriate elements with grades K-5 going forward. The 2nd grade team will integrate successful, classroom-appropriate techniques into their own instruction repertoire.
| Budget Item | Vendor | Unit Cost | Quantity | Shipping Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mindful Movement Dance Instruction; 30 min 2x/month for each of the four 2nd grade classes | Cohesion Dance Project | $1,925.00 | 1 | $0.00 | $1,925.00 |
| Ribbon Wands (set of 80) for students to keep at the end of the year | Cohesion Dance Project | $150.00 | 1 | $0.00 | $150.00 |
| Floor Mat | School Specialty | $369.97 | 1 | $74.00 | $443.97 |
| Tunnel | School Specialty | $128.99 | 1 | $0.00 | $128.99 |
| Hula Hoops, set of 12 | School Specialty | $97.57 | 1 | $0.00 | $97.57 |
Total Budget: $2,745.53
To expand global awareness for isolated Montana students, this grant project supports an immersive cultural exchange with a sister school in Tamana, Japan. Students will engage in monthly cultural workshops, craft traditional IEFA Star Blankets to honor Japanese gift-giving customs, and experience direct academic and host-family living in Japan.
Grant funds totaling $5,000 cover pre-departure supplies, site admissions, experiential cultural dining, protocol gifts, and substitute teacher coverage. By directly connecting students to real-world international diplomacy, this project equips Montana youth with essential cross-cultural skills, practical communication, and global civic awareness, building a scalable model for long-term international learning.
1.1
This grant project supports a cultural exchange between Montana students and a sister school in Tamana, Japan, bridging geographic isolation for students from diverse backgrounds. The project fosters cross-cultural competence, empathy, and global civic awareness while aligning with state standards in social studies, language arts, fine arts, and Indian Education for All (IEFA). Students prepare through monthly cultural workshops and collaborate with Indigenous tutors to craft traditional Star Blankets and beaded lanyards before participating in full academic and host-family immersion in Japan.
Grant funds totaling $5,000 cover pre-departure workshop supplies, IEFA crafting materials, site entry fees, experiential dining, host family protocol gifts, volunteer thank-you tokens, and five days of substitute teacher coverage to ensure classroom continuity.
2.1.1
Rural and mid-sized school districts in Montana frequently experience geographic isolation, limiting students’ direct exposure to global cultures and international collaborative frameworks. Academic standards emphasize global connectivity, yet local students rarely have opportunities for authentic, real-time engagement with peers abroad. This project directly addresses the need to expand student worldviews and show them that the world extends far beyond our state borders.
The target population consists of students from multiple socioeconomic backgrounds, including Native American students and students from lower socioeconomic households.
2.2.1
This project fosters empathy, cross-cultural competence, and global civic awareness through complete immersion at our partner school in Tamana, Japan. Students will serve as diplomatic ambassadors, fully participating in academic classes, athletic clubs, host family living, a graduation ceremony, and cultural site visits.
By documenting their journey through journals, media, and presentations, students boost academic achievement and build practical communication, public speaking, adaptability, and critical thinking skills across the humanities and social sciences.
2.2.2
The project’s goals align directly with State standards for Social Studies (World History, Global Studies, Human Geography), World Languages, English Language Arts, and Indian Education for All (IEFA) essential understandings.
A central element of Japanese culture is the formal tradition of gift-giving (omiyage) as a foundation for building lasting relationships. Aligning with IEFA standards, Montana student ambassadors will articulate and honor local Native heritage by co-creating cultural gifts, including a handcrafted Star Blanket and beaded lanyards. All of this is in collaboration with local IEFA tutors, Native American students, and Native American family volunteers. Presenting these Indigenous art pieces to our Japanese host school synthesizes local cultural pride with international diplomacy, grounding global engagement in our state’s distinct heritage.
3.1.1
As students prepare for the cultural exchange, they will attend monthly immersion sessions co-led by representatives from our sister prefecture in Japan who currently reside in Montana. These pre-departure sessions build core cultural competency by exploring Japanese social norms, proper gift-giving etiquette, classroom expectations, and comparative analyses of daily life between Montana and Japanese schools. Discussions will also examine social-emotional life, peer dynamics, and Japanese cuisine.
Materials and supplies will directly support these activities and address student needs in the following ways:
• Monthly Cultural Workshop Food & Supplies: Grant funds purchase authentic ingredients, and food preparation materials for the monthly immersion workshops co-led by native prefecture residents, giving students practical experience with Japanese cuisine and dining etiquette prior to departure.
• IEFA Star Blanket & Beading Materials: Funds purchase premium fabric, batting, backing, thread, needles, ribbon, glass seed beads, suede backing, and loom supplies. These allow our IEFA tutor, Native American students, and parent volunteers to craft a traditional Star Blanket and beaded lanyards to honor Japanese gift-giving customs during formal school exchange.
• Overseas Cultural Visits & Group Entry Fees: Covers site admissions for 10 students and 2 chaperones to visit historic castle grounds, traditional landscape gardens, and regional museums, ensuring financial constraints do not limit access to key historical and cultural landmarks.
• Experiential Food & Cultural Dining Outings: Allocates funding for structured group dining experiences while abroad, including conveyor belt sushi (Kaitenzushi), regional tonkotsu ramen houses, boba tea, and a traditional private-room karaoke outing, enabling hands-on study of contemporary Japanese culinary culture.
• Protocol & Host Friendship Gifts (Omiyage): Funds high-quality regional crafts and artisan gifts presented to Japanese host families and school administrators as formal diplomatic tokens of appreciation.
• Thank-You Gifts Purchased in Japan: Grant funds will be used to purchase authentic regional crafts while abroad to bring home and present as formal thank-you tokens to Student Council leaders, Native student crafters, and parent volunteers who supported pre-departure efforts.
• Substitute Teacher Coverage: Funds 5 days of classroom substitute coverage ($140/day) to ensure non-traveling home students maintain instructional continuity while faculty chaperones lead the student delegation.
3.1.2
• October – February (Monthly/Once a month): Monthly Cultural Workshops featuring traditional meals prepared by sister-prefecture native residents, exploring sister-state history, language, etiquette, and social-emotional comparisons in partnership with the State Trade Office.
• November – January: IEFA gift-making sessions (Star Blanket quilting and lanyard beading) engaging Native students, Native families, and district IEFA tutors.
• January: Secure substitute teacher coverage scheduled. Revise and complete presentation of school life in Montana to present to Japanese students.
• February: Inaugural travel exchange to partner sister school in Japan; active documentation of daily school life, athletic activities, club activities, graduation ceremony, and host family living; group landmark visits; experiential dining; formal presentation of the Star Blanket and beaded lanyards; purchasing thank-you gifts.
• March – April: Post-trip debrief; distribution of Japanese thank-you gifts to local helpers; presentations to the School Board and Student Advisory Council; official launch of new club membership recruitment.
3.1.3
Students will integrate curriculum in real time throughout every stage of the exchange, ensuring learning standards across Social Studies, Language Arts, Mathematics, Fine Arts, and Indian Education for All (IEFA) are directly applied rather than purely theoretical.
• Social Studies & Civics: Students explore international diplomacy, governance, and trade by examining our state’s 45-year sister-state partnership. They will study how diplomatic ties extend beyond school districts into major cultural and scientific institutions—such as long-term paleontological exchanges where dinosaur fossils from our state university museum are loaned to our sister prefecture’s dinosaur museum. Students will actively participate in discussions on international relations and trade alongside diplomatic representatives.
• Indian Education for All (IEFA) & Fine Arts: Students connect local Indigenous heritage with international gift-giving traditions by collaborating with Native educators, students, and parent crafters. Designing and creating a traditional Star Blanket and beaded lanyards applies fine arts techniques while teaching students how to represent their home culture diplomatically.
• Language Arts & Communication: Applied through reflective writing, pre-departure research, journaling, and preparing formal public presentations for the School Board and Student Advisory Council upon return.
• Mathematics: Students apply practical financial literacy, currency conversion, budget management, and metric unit conversions during real-world travel planning and daily cultural activities.
3.1.4
• Educator Team (Co-Applicants): A mathematics teacher and a co-applicant serving as Student Council advisor and instructional coach. This team brings exceptional strengths in clear communication, meticulous planning, relationship-building, and diplomatic partnerships. Crucially, they leverage instructional coaching insight to integrate the international exchange across school curricula. By pairing classroom teaching strength and student leadership advising with administrative capacity, the team ensures the project’s educational, cultural, and civic impacts extend across the entire school community.
• Native Cultural Instructors & Community Partners: A local couple—including a native of our sister prefecture residing in Montana—who act as recognized cultural ambassadors. They possess deep cultural knowledge, host diplomatic events for visiting foreign dignitaries, and regularly serve as translators for state officials. They are joined by a liaison from the State Trade Office who assists in preparing students in international etiquette and cultural competency.
• IEFA Tutor & Co-Applicant, Native Students & Parent Volunteers: As a co-applicant, the IEFA tutor pairs District cultural leadership with traditional artistic mastery to bridge Montana’s Indigenous heritage with Japanese gift-giving customs. Crucially, this team leverages hands-on craft sessions to elevate Native student voices, guide the creation of ceremonial Star Blankets and beaded lanyards, and ground international diplomacy in local cultural pride—ensuring the project’s impact deeply enriches both our school and host communities.
• Student Council Members: Student leaders who collaborate on pre-departure presentations, host post-trip debriefs, gather student feedback, and lead recruitment for future exchange cohorts.
3.2.1 – List itemized project budget, sources of supplies and cost, including taxes and shipping.
• Overseas Cultural Visits & Group Entry Fees (Historic castle, traditional landscape gardens, & museum admissions for 10 students + 2 chaperones)
Vendor: Cultural Venues / Site Admissions
Unit Cost: $120.00 / attendee
Quantity: 12 Attendees
Total Cost: $1,440.00
• Experiential Japanese Food & Cultural Dining Outings (Conveyor belt sushi, regional ramen houses, karaoke, boba tea, & rice-flour pastry tastings)
Vendor: Local Dining & Cultural Outings (Purchased in Japan)
Unit Cost: $85.00 / student
Quantity: 10 Students
Total Cost: $850.00
• Substitute Teacher Coverage (5 days of classroom sub coverage for lead teacher during travel)
Vendor: District HR / Sub Rate
Unit Cost: $140.00 / day
Quantity: 5 Days
Total Cost: $700.00
• Protocol & Host Friendship Gifts (Omiyage) (High-quality regional crafts, artisan gifts, host family hampers, admin gifts)
Vendor: Local Vendors / Artisan Shops
Unit Cost: $500.00
Total Cost: $500.00
• IEFA Star Blanket & Crafting Materials (Premium fabric, needles, batting, backing, thread, ribbon, quilting notions for Native students/parents)
Vendor: Local Craft/Fabric Store
Unit Cost: $450.00
Total Cost: $450.00
• Beading Supplies for Lanyards (Glass seed beads, loom thread, suede backing, lanyard hooks, needles)
Vendor: Yellowstone Pawn and Trade (Billings, MT)
Unit Cost: $350.00
Total Cost: $370.00 (includes $20 shipping)
• Thank-You Gifts Purchased in Japan for Local Volunteers (Authentic Japanese gifts/crafts for Student Advisory Council, Native student crafters, & parent helpers)
Vendor: Purchased Overseas in Japan
Unit Cost: $300.00
Total Cost: $300.00
3.2.2
Participating student ambassadors and their families are directly self-funding $38,850.00 in core travel expenses ($3,885 per student covering airfare, international transit, and lodging). Additional in-kind contributions include volunteer hours from Native parent crafters, district IEFA tutors, Student Council leaders, State Trade Office liaisons, and native cultural instructors, conservatively valued at $1,500.00. The total project value across grant funding and in-kind contributions is $45,350.00
3.3.1
All primary international travel costs ($3,885 per student) are 100% self-funded by students and their families, many relying on fundraising events to supplement funding. Students face very limited local fundraising opportunities, making additional community or district funding unavailable. Grant assistance is essential to cover these supplemental educational costs, directly reducing out-of-pocket financial strain on participating families.
4.1.1
Unlike traditional textbook-based instruction, this project moves beyond static media by facilitating live, reciprocal collaboration between secondary students on opposite sides of the Pacific. Students construct knowledge together through real-time conversations, peer feedback, and shared multimedia storytelling.
4.2
The exchange establishes ongoing digital channels between participating classes, inspiring long-term global curiosity and cross-cultural awareness.
5.1.1
Student growth will be tracked before, during, and after the exchange. Key metrics include pre-departure workshop participation and IEFA gift completion; active travel immersion evaluated through daily journals, school integration, and site visits; and post-trip impact measured by Board/Student Council presentations, instructional coaching dialogue, and increased club recruitment.
5.2.1
Ambassadors will share exchange outcomes through multimedia presentations to the School Board and Student Advisory Council, driving recruitment for future cohorts. Co-applicants will share student journals, photo/video media, and artifacts with educators to explore potential cross-curricular connections in social studies, language arts, and fine arts. Additionally, ambassadors will host a recognition gathering for Native student crafters, IEFA tutors, and parent volunteers to present reciprocal thank-you gifts brought home from Japan.
5.3.1
This exchange establishes a sustainable, school-wide global learning initiative. We will maintain momentum between travel years through annual pen-pal exchanges with our sister school in Japan. Student leadership bodies will help drive future impact: the Student Council will support peer outreach and recruitment presentations, IEFA groups will explore designing future ceremonial gifts, and school media teams will share exchange highlights campus-wide—building to embed global citizenship across our school.
| Budget Item | Vendor | Unit Cost | Quantity | Shipping Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overseas Cultural Visits & Group Entry Fees (Historic castle, traditional landscape gardens, & museum admissions for 10 students + 2 chaperones) | Cultural Venues / Site Admissions | $120.00 | 12 | $0.00 | $1,440.00 |
| Experiential Japanese Food & Cultural Dining Outings (Conveyor belt sushi, regional ramen houses, karaoke, boba tea, & rice-flour pastry tastings) | Local Dining Establishments in Japan | $85.00 | 10 | $0.00 | $850.00 |
| Substitute Teacher Coverage (5 days of classroom sub coverage for lead teacher during travel) | Helena School District | $140.00 | 5 | $0.00 | $700.00 |
| Protocol & Host Friendship Gifts (Omiyage) (High-quality regional crafts, artisan gifts, host family hampers, admin gifts) | Local Vendors/Artesian Craft Shops | $500.00 | 1 | $0.00 | $500.00 |
| IEFA Star Blanket & Crafting Materials (Premium fabric, needles, batting, backing, thread, ribbon, quilting notions for Native students/parents) | Local Craft Store | $450.00 | 1 | $0.00 | $450.00 |
| Beading Supplies for Lanyards (Glass seed beads, needles, loom thread, suede backing, lanyard hooks, needles) | Yellowstone Pawn and Trade (Billings, MT) | $350.00 | 1 | $20.00 | $370.00 |
| Monthly Cultural Workshop Food & Supplies (Authentic ingredients, traditional food prep, rice/cultural foods for workshops led by native instructors) | Specialty/Local Grocery Store | $78.00 | 5 | $0.00 | $390.00 |
| Thank-You Gifts Purchased in Japan for Local Volunteers (Authentic Japanese gifts/crafts for Student Advisory Council, Native student crafters, & parent helpers) | Purchased Overseas in Japan | $300.00 | 1 | $0.00 | $300.00 |
Total Budget: $5,000.00