Thousands of students in San Antonio ISD are utilizing hydroponic grow walls to learn the mechanics of growing and caring for vegetables, while also understanding the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables for a healthy lifestyle. The ties to student learning in science and life skills is strong. Teachers have also noticed a positive impact on students' social-emotional well-being as they nurture plants and seedlings.

The introduction of hydroponic gardens, an indoor gardening method that utilizes little to no soil and instead uses a water-based system to support a plant's root structure, is still relatively new to classrooms and schools. According to content experts working with school districts across the nation, San Antonio ISD has been leading the way in hydroponic education. We are proud to be a part of leading this new technology through our partnership and funding from Methodist Healthcare Ministries. 

Brooke Vasquez of the SAISD’s Science Department has been instrumental in leading this charge, helping to expand hydroponic gardening to schools and grade levels across the district. Our goal is for every campus within SAISD to have a soil garden and/or a hydroponic grow wall by the end of the 2024-25 school year. 

Currently, students across 44 campuses are gaining hands-on experience with hydroponics. With the grow wall, they are learning the systems that make plants grow, learning mechanics, and applying problem-solving methods.

This initiative is creating a healthier future for SAISD students —one seed, one vegetable, and one positive choice at a time. Hear from an SAISD middle school student, Luz, on how hydroponics has enhanced her learning. 

The College Alumni Ambassadors Program, launched last fall, serves both first-year college freshmen and upperclassmen in unique ways. For upperclassmen, it offers the chance to develop leadership and mentoring skills while earning a stipend to help with education costs. Freshmen benefit from guidance from fellow SAISD alumni who help them develop a sense of belonging at their new institution and navigate the transition from high school to college. Initially piloted at St. Mary’s University, Texas State University, and the University of Texas at Austin, in the 2024-25 school year we are excited to expand the program to The University of the Incarnate Word and The University of Texas at San Antonio. UTSA enrolls the largest number of SAISD graduates headed to a four-year institution.

Catalina and Valeria joined our inaugural program during the 2023-2024 school year as the Alumni Ambassadors for new students at The University of Texas. Valeria thoughtfully shared their experience by saying, “Thank you for the opportunity to be an Ambassador for SAISD. I believe I speak for both Catalina and myself when I say that this program has been a memorable part of our last year as UT students and as we take in the fact that we have both graduated we will look back at this as a treasured moment. Thank you again and we can’t wait to hear more news about this program in the coming years.” Through game nights and creative campus socials like bowling and food trucks, Catalina and Valeria also became close friends. Having attended different SAISD high schools—Catalina from Young Women’s Leadership Academy and Valeria from Jefferson— they had not met prior to the program which brought them together.

Freshmen like Federico that benefitted from the program shared the gatherings were really fun and introduced them to UT activities and events to look out for in the future. 

This is just one way we are working to ensure our SAISD students reach their higher education dreams. Learn more about how we support postsecondary initiatives here.

Mini-grants allow teachers the opportunity to try new initiatives in their classrooms without having to use their own funds. From STEM kits to reading centers, the items purchased through mini-grants make a difference in creating robust learning environments for teachers and students. 

Jefferson High School art teacher Mrs. Tidwell recognized that integrating reading and writing with art would stimulate her students' critical thinking and enhance their understanding of the literature they study. She applied for a mini-grant to purchase art history books and bridge the gap between visual art and literary comprehension. By encouraging students to create art based on their informed analysis, they were able to understand the literature at a deeper level.

Mrs. Tidwell explains, "Reading and writing play an important role in the art-making process through research that inspires our young artists' work. Students are using the books as a comparative study source and making discoveries far faster than any search engine could produce. The students gain additional cultural background from their guides and books. This allows them to make further connections in their study.”

As Texas Teachers' Day (World Teachers’ Day) approaches on October 5, 2024, we are looking forward to surprising teachers on campus with mini-grant awards in celebration and in recognition of the hard work they do every day. We invite the community to join us on the surprise deliveries and celebrate teachers with us October 3rd and 4th as we reach our 100th mini-grant of the year to date. Let us know you plan to join us here.

The Big Give, a city-wide day of giving, took place on September 18-19, and this year we focused on raising funds for Book Vending Machines! As an extension of the Book Buddies program, book vending machines help students get excited about earning a token to select their next FREE new book. In addition to building excitement and joy around books, this initiative builds students' home libraries that combat out of school time learning gaps, and foster literacy and a lifelong love for reading. With September being Literacy Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to focus on getting more books in the hands of students.

Sixty-two donors across the community made a gift to the SAISD Foundation during the 24-hour giving day. Together with the generosity of the John & Florence Newman Foundation we will be able to install three new book vending machines in schools this fall. 

Over the past few years, teachers have been requesting these vibrant machines through our educator grant programs. To date, we have awarded machines at Fenwick, Douglass (now at Herff), and Mission Academy. In the 2023-24 school year, Ball and Washington Elementary Schools were awarded Book Vending Machines through Bright Ideas Grants which are scheduled to be installed this fall. Principals with established programs like that at Fenwick speak powerfully about how the machine is an important element to their overall literacy strategy. 

Thanks to the Big Give, we are excited to bring this engaging tool to more elementary schools. There is still time to make an impact on reading in SAISD. Sign up for a shift to volunteer on the Book Buddies Bus during school visits here or you can donate to help us get more book vending machines in SAISD campuses here.

Do you know of a company or business that would like to be featured on a custom-wrapped vending machine and help us reach more kids? Email us at SAISDFoundation@saisd.net to get started. 

We welcomed teachers to the first educator night of the 2024-25 school year, where they had the chance to learn firsthand what their students can experience on a learning expedition. We’re proud to partner with the Alamo to offer this opportunity for SAISD educators and free experiences for students this year. 

Additionally, we are excited to pilot grade-specific field trip experiences at 15 elementary schools during the 2024-2025 school year. In collaboration with the SAISD Curriculum Department, our goal is to ensure all students have access to shared learning experiences that tie to key content areas for that grade level.  Locations include The Alamo, the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, the San Antonio Zoo, the Witte Museum, the Briscoe Western Art Museum and the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology (SAMSAT). The long-term goal is that every student in each grade level across all SAISD campuses has a common field trip experience that directly correlates with their classroom lessons.

For many of our students, a school-based experience is the only time they will get to visit these dynamic learning spaces in our community. Because like The Alamo, most of our partners provide free entry to our Title I schools, you can sponsor a field trip for just $100 to cover transportation costs. Donate at saisdfoundation.com/donate with "Field Trips" in the comments. 

Our Contact Information

*{{Organization Name}}*

*{{Organization Address}}*

*{{Organization Phone}}*

*{{Organization Website}}*

You are being sent this email because you are a subscriber.
If you wish to update your Email Preferences or Unsubscribe,
click *{{Unsubscribe}}*