The Review Committee for the SEEC Innovation Fund recently awarded a grant to Northern Cass School District to develop a new coaching model. This coaching model will be designed around the creation of teacher-leader roles that will lead small teaching teams providing guidance and on-the-job coaching while continuing to teach learners. To date, the Innovation Fund has dispensed grants for projects in 11 SEEC-member school districts. While the priority deadline passed on October 15th, approximately $100,000 remains in the fund. Applications may still be submitted to the Innovation Fund committee and will be reviewed monthly between the 15th and the end of each month.
The Innovation Fund began in December 2021 to assist member schools in pioneering new programs with the goal of growth, expansion, and capacity building. Each year, the Governing Board can designate the excess revenue from the previous fiscal year to this fund by majority vote (SEEC Fund Balance Policy). SEEC-member schools have taken advantage of this fund over the last three years demonstrating creativity in programming ranging from efficiency to mental health. Read more about projects funded in 2021-2022 here and 2022-2023 here. Four projects were funded last year in the 2023-2024 school year. Read about last year’s projects at Northern Cass, LaMoure, Lisbon, and Griggs County Central below.
Northern Cass School District
Using Innovation Fund grant dollars, Northern Cass School District began the work of transitioning their high school to a full studio model. As an integral part of scaling up to a full competency-based learning system, the studio model focuses on collaboration between educator and learner to create projects that include needed standards but are focused on relevance and interest for the learner.
LaMoure Public School
LaMoure Public School used the grant to implement a comfort dog into both the school and larger community to help alleviate stress, support the learning of coping skills, and provide emotional support. As a rural North Dakota school, limited mental health resources and a shortage of properly credentialed staff prompt the need for strategic support. Kota, LaMoure’s new comfort dog, began work this fall.
Lisbon School District
Lisbon School District, another grant recipient, built upon their current 1:1 technology initiative and began creating a personalized learning experience. Using a new data analytics platform coupled with professional learning communities, the Lisbon School District is analyzing student achievement data to target specific, asynchronous learning interventions to improve overall student achievement.
Griggs County Central
The final recipient of Innovation Fund dollars for the 2023-2024 school year was Griggs County Central. GCC focused on expanding and diversifying their agriculture education program, purchasing flight software and agriculture software simulators. As a rural school, this project will help expose students to the diversity and possibility within the agricultural industry, a driving force of the area.
Follow our newsletter for updates on the recent Innovation Fund recipients. For more information on the Innovation Fund application process, check out the process document here.