Katie Netz and Amber Kramer at Pettigrew Elementary received $1,341.98 for their proposal, “Themed Sensory Bins.”

With the funds, they will purchase sensory bins to support speech and language development for 150 students. They plan to buy two sensory tables and fillers for eighteen themes. Twelve themes will correspond to the seasons (for example, leaves, snow, and flowers) and six themes will correspond to letters, colors, and vehicles. In the application, they wrote, “Sensory bins are designed to engage a child physically with materials and therefore activate both motor and language portions of their brains. Using an approach to engage and motivate the entire child helps elevate their ability to learn in a functional way. Through sensory activities, a child is exposed to common words, supporting their development of core language skills. The more a child is exposed to different types of language, from commands to questions, the more they will improve their ability to imitate and initiate oral language.”