2025-2026 LEF GRANTS
We offer grants to fund impactful learning experiences for our LPS learners - in classrooms, at the grade or departmental level or building-wide. Teachers who pursue grant funds through the Foundation have big ideas, and we are thrilled to enrich learning through these incredible educators!
Mycah Schmitt & Karen Lambing | Kellybrook Elementary Growing Cougars Garden Club
Students at Kellybrook Elementary are digging into hands-on learning through the Growing Cougars Garden Club! This living classroom will connect science, sustainability, and community while cultivating teamwork, curiosity, and healthy habits through every season.
Cara Mace | Alexander Doniphan Elementary | Learning and Growing Together Greenhouse Project
Third graders and Essential Skills students will join forces to design and build a greenhouse, expanding their school garden into a year-round learning space. Together, they’ll explore science, sustainability, and collaboration as they learn and grow side by side.
Aly Shewell & Grace Buehler | Kellybrook Elementary | Westward Expansion: Our Riveting History
Students will experience history firsthand through immersive lessons, hands-on simulations, and a field trip to the Shoal Creek Living History Museum. This project brings the story of Westward Expansion to life, deepening engagement and understanding through experiential learning.
Ashley Duvall | Liberty Oaks | The Lion Eye (Photojournalism Club)
Fourth and fifth graders in The Lion Eye Photojournalism Club will become reporters, writers, and photographers, producing newsletters and a podcast that capture school stories and showcase student voices. This real-world project helps students build communication and creativity while keeping their community informed.
Laura Green & Rebecca Groebe | Liberty Middle School and Heritage Middle School | Walkin’ and Rollin’ Accessible Costume Builds
Students in Ms. Green and Ms. Groebe’s classes use design thinking to create custom costumes for children in wheelchairs or walkers. By combining empathy, creativity, and engineering, students built confidence and joy—one accessible costume at a time.
Ashley Allen & Annie Esteb | Kellybrook Elementary | Tray-mendous Readers
First and second graders will boost their reading skills with hands-on, magnetic letter trays that turn phonics into a fun, interactive experience! This tactile approach helps students connect sounds to letters, strengthening reading fluency and spelling.
Kara Stanley | Heritage Middle School | Building Beds with Sleep in Heavenly Peace
HMS’s 7th and 8th grade industrial tech students are teaming up with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build beds for kids in need—because, as SHP says, “No child sleeps on the floor in our town!” Students will learn craftsmanship, compassion, and community service through this meaningful project.
Rosie Smith | Type 1 Diabetes Community Events
These new gatherings hosted and coordinated by LPS nurses bring together diabetic students and their families to build community, share experiences, and learn practical skills for living healthy, confident lives. Each event will offer connection, encouragement, and education—reminding students they’re not alone on their journey.
Brandi Pruente | Liberty North High School | French Exchange Tours KC
LPS students served as hosts and ambassadors for visiting French exchange students—sharing American culture, touring Kansas City, and building lifelong skills in communication, adaptability, and empathy. It’s a cross-cultural experience that brings the world closer to home.
Wendy Danner | Discover Middle School | Unearthed
DMS students will explore innovation and history through an interactive tour at the Steamboat Arabia Museum. Whether fueling their Robotics Innovation Project or diving into the past, students will experience hands-on, real-world learning that connects curiosity with discovery.
Lisa Hedges | Heritage Middle School | BEST Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch
Students in the BEST Program headed to the pumpkin patch for a fun, hands-on day of learning! Through real-world activities, they practiced academic, social, and life skills while building confidence, independence, and community connections.
Brendan Madsen | Discovery Middle School | Career Development & Exploration Center Visit
Middle schoolers in Industrial Tech and PLTW: Robotics will visit the Career Development and Exploration Center to see learning in action. This real-world experience helps students connect their classroom studies to potential future careers in the trades.