The Foundation for Winona Area Public Schools started the Dare to Dream project as a way to encourage and support the creative spirit within the District. The goal is to provide an opportunity to apply for a grant for up to $5000 to fund completely a new innovative program that will support ideas to enhance learning or provide new opportunities for students of the Winona Area Public Schools.
Sarah Hedin and Amber Mlynczak, Winona Middle School educators, wrote a Dare to Dream application to begin the project Let’s Go Outside! In Ms. Hedin and Ms. Mlynczak’s application, they discussed adding an outdoor classroom space to the Winona Middle School’s beautiful outdoor environment to continue to meet the needs of their students, but in new ways. They wrote, “During the last couple of years, our educational world has been turned upside down, not only with the current pandemic, but also with the soaring increase in technology use by students often before their brains are ready for it. Kids are spending less and less time outdoors. Adding an outdoor classroom to the green space would be beneficial to both students and teachers. Having the designated outdoor classroom spaces would allow teachers of all comfort levels to get more students outside and aware of their surroundings. Having kids outside, even for small portions of their day, increases their ability to focus, regulate their behavior, and increases their overall attentiveness to their academics.”
Students are in need of Dare to Dream moments and the Foundation is proud to support those goals and moments.
Congratulations to Sarah Hedin and Amber Mlynczak for Daring to Dream.