DPS Foundation Funds Wellness & Innovation - South Durham Schools Among Grantees

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Durham Public Schools Foundation (DPSF) is investing $135,000 in 27 projects across 26 schools for 2025–26 through its Innovation Grants and WHOLE Schools Fund. The cycle emphasizes student wellness, belonging, and strategies that boost engagement and attendance.

"Our Innovation and WHOLE Schools Fund grants have surfaced transformative steps to support student success," said Brianna Kennedy, the foundation's interim executive director. "I'm eager to cheer on each of the awarded projects this school year and to share widely what is possible when we invest in the dreams of our students, educators, and families."

Bethesda Elementary — two grants ($7,000 total)

• Mindful Moments in Afterschool (WHOLE, $5,000, joint with George Watts): creative expression + movement (yoga, Zumba, breathwork), plus family art nights and workshops.
• ESL in Action (Innovation, $2,000): theater-infused ESL with quarterly student performances to build vocabulary, confidence, and engagement.

C.E. Jordan High — $5,000 (WHOLE Schools Fund)

Students Against Sexual Harassment (SASH): Creating Safe & Brave Spaces for Student Wellness will train SASH ambassadors, run awareness campaigns (e.g., Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month), and partner with Durham Crisis Response Center and Duke SHAPE; activities include peer “Decompression & Discussion” circles and art/journaling sessions.

Creekside Elementary — $4,000 (WHOLE Schools Fund)

Creating Safe Spaces to Support and Improve Student Wellness installs Calm Corners in every classroom and shared space, with PD on sensory-informed practices for staff.

Hillside High — two grants ($14,500 total)

• Nothing is Wasted: Building Leaders Through Food (Innovation, $9,500): a 17-week after-school culinary leadership program with mental-health check-ins, portfolio building, and community service projects.
• Crafting for Wellness (WHOLE, $5,000): biweekly art-based mindfulness (journaling, painting, clay, murals) with peer Wellness Ambassadors and take-home kits.

Hope Valley Elementary — $4,000 (WHOLE Schools Fund)

One Valley, One Vision, One Hope: Wellness for All refreshes the Counseling Suite and equips classrooms with calming baskets; staff receive trauma-informed practice training to reduce disruptions and strengthen regulation school-wide.

Lyons Farm Elementary — $4,000 (WHOLE Schools Fund)

Brave & Safe: Empowering Fifth Graders Through Classroom Community Corners creates Safe & Brave Spaces with calming tools and SEL apps to support the “Covid Kindergartner” cohort through their middle-school transition.

Lyons Farm Elementary — $3,000 (Innovation Grant)

From Home to Classroom: Lifting Up Family Expertise Summit elevates caregivers as co-educators—families co-facilitate breakout sessions on social transitions, independence, and communication ahead of middle school.

Murray-Massenburg Elementary — two grants ($5,500 total)

• Come Learn With Us (Innovation, $3,500): quarterly family learning nights with take-home kits plus targeted after-school tutoring/mentoring; language access and childcare are built in.
• The Buddy Bench (WHOLE, $2,000): a student-facing connection point taught through SEL lessons to foster kindness, belonging, and better attendance.

W.G. Pearson Elementary — $5,000 (Innovation Grant)

All In for Success: Reducing Chronic Absenteeism Through Equity & Targeted Engagement blends student small-group supports with practical family barriers removal (transportation, childcare) and home visits; culture celebrates attendance.

Other DPSF 2025–26 Grantees

WHOLE Schools Fund

• Carrington Middle — $4,000 · Fostering Belonging and Uplifting Mental Health Wellness Program.
• Eastway Elementary — $1,500 · Inclusive Sensory Walk for Neurodiverse Learners.
• Eno Valley Elementary — $6,250 · Bridges to Belonging: Family Navigation for Student Success.
• Y.E. Smith Elementary — $5,000 · Growing Wellness: Nurturing Tigers, Inside and Out.
• School for Creative Studies — $2,000 · A Mental Health Support Proposal for Middle School Students in Special Education.
• School for Creative Studies — $10,000 · Safe Faces in Multiple Places.
• Durham School of the Arts — $6,000 · Eliminating Period Poverty.
• Lakewood Elementary — $5,000 · Bringing Joy to the Garden.

Innovation Grants

• City of Medicine Academy & Fayetteville Street Elementary — $2,500 · Science Sidekicks.
• Holt, Eastway & Oak Grove Elementary — $5,000 · Problem Solving Pathways to Math Success.
• Southern School of Energy & Sustainability — $8,000 · Vocational Skills Laboratory for Students with Disabilities.
• Lakeview School — $10,000 · From Postsecondary Dreams to Postsecondary Journeys.
• Brogden Middle — $1,500 · Drive to Thrive: Engineering Engagement Through LEGO Car Engines.

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