Our Impact
As a one-stop shop for charitable donations, a gift to the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation is the most efficient and effective entry point to donate money to the classroom. We offer a centralized way for parents, alumni, and community supporters to give to the teachers and/or schools they wish to support.
Public School Proud Grant Winner
Cultivating Kids That Code
Jenny Joffer, first-grade teacher at All City Elementary, received a $1,600 Public School Proud Grant for her idea, “Cultivating Kids That Code.”
With the funds, she purchased a classroom set of programmable robots. In the application, Joffer wrote, “These kits will give students hands-on experience in the basic concepts of coding, which will help them develop problem-solving and logic skills. Some Osmo activities involve collaboration, encouraging children to work together to solve coding challenges. This fosters social skills, teamwork, and communication. Many activities for kids are designed as games or interactive projects, making the learning process enjoyable. Programming challenges children to think critically and to analyze situations from various perspectives. They learn to anticipate potential issues and consider alternative solutions. Overall, coding provides a holistic learning experience, nurturing various cognitive and interpersonal skills essential for success.” With this curriculum enhancement, students will integrate technology with hands-on, creative play.
Public School Proud Grant Winner
Students Witness The Solar Eclipse
On April 8, 2024, middle school students in the Sioux Falls School District witnessed the solar eclipse, and the Education Foundation provided glasses for students to safely view the phenomenon.
Although there was significant cloud cover for most of the day, the skies cleared for a few minutes, and students and staff were able to see the Moon pass between the Earth and the Sun. According to NASA, the next total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States will be in 20 years, on August 23, 2044.
When you donate to SFPSEF, you’re doing more than giving of your time or money—you’re giving the gift of education!
We are empowering teachers and giving students opportunities many would not otherwise have.
Public School Proud Grant Winner
Meet the Quints: Caring for Babies with the Highest Needs
Dawn Bonham, Family and Consumer Science Teacher at Jefferson High School, received a $2,999 Public School Proud Grant in 2023 for her proposal, “Meet the Quints: Caring for Babies with the Highest Needs.”
She purchased five simulators for Shaken Baby, Drug-Affected Baby, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Baby, Preemie Baby, and Down Syndrome Baby. In the application, she wrote, “In Child Development I, students learn the phases of pregnancy and study the stages of labor. This is done using the Real Care baby. Each student cares for a baby, recording its schedule, for a 48-hour period. By incorporating the Real Care babies with needs into my curriculum, students will receive hands-on experience. The Quints provide comprehensive learning opportunities on a variety of important topics, like the damaging effects of shaking a baby and alcohol and drug consumption during pregnancy. Simulations promote the use of critical and evaluative thinking. Because they are ambiguous or open-ended, the simulators encourage students to contemplate the implications of a scenario. The situation feels real and thus leads to more engaging interaction by learners. Using these babies in class, students can ask questions and have enriched discussions to help guide them as they make decisions in adulthood.”
Beginning Guitar Classes
In the fall of 2022, through a partnership with Pepper Entertainment, the Sioux Falls School District started offering “Beginning Guitar” classes at all four high schools.
In two years, 384 students have taken the class, and there are 215 high schoolers registered for the 2024-2025 school year. Nineteen sections of the course have been offered. As part of the partnership with Pepper, students in the “Digital Music” class at CTE Academy have taken field trips to The District and The Alliance to learn from industry professionals about how audio and video systems interface and how lighting systems operate. “Thank you for putting on the guitar concert. As I sat in the audience, I scanned the students. You probably don’t know many of my students’ life stories or what they have navigated through. In watching them perform, I could tell you that your space has become a safe spot for them to land, knowing that for a good majority of them, that is one of the only places they will experience that feeling. Music can be one of the greatest forms of healing, and learning to take a risk in doing something new can be one of the greatest avenues for building self-esteem and confidence. So, taking the guitar class for many of my students helped them to feel a part of something special. Thank you for investing in our students. They felt your kindness, intentionality, and instruction on so many levels.”—High School Counselor
