Education Grant WinnerDelicia Mendez-Villegas

Having the resources available in school to be creative is pivotal for a student’s development and ability to pay it forward. When a classroom is replenished with materials, students are more engaged, collaborative, and motivated to be a part of project-based learning experiences.

Delicia Mendez-Villegas, educator at Sky Harbour Elementary, sought funding to provide her students an opportunity to engage in a wide range of hands-on projects. Thanks to Power of the Dollar^® members, she was awarded a $1,000 grant in December 2024 for her “Room 202 Collaboratory” idea, which she then used to purchase materials, such as arts and craft utensils, storage components, and decorative art items, that has ultimately led to a portion of her classroom now called the “Makerspace”!

“I truly believe in two theories we learn in school: Maslow, and Bloom,” said Mendez-Villegas. “Maslow’s, for example, is having our needs met before they can learn, and so anything that I do I always think about that. How can I benefit the students and how can I have them learn from that. Those two theories were for sure used as inspiration when applying.”

The “Makerspace” has been an absolute hit with her students, allowing them to be as creative as they can be, working together with their classmates, building chemistry, and serving as an overall innovation hub. Her students have chosen to work on making trinkets and souvenirs that will be sold for a good cause: wildlife preservation. Their first profit will go toward endangered species efforts, which was chosen by her students, and is instilling the values of social responsibility and sustainability.

“I would definitely say it’s had a huge impact,” she said. “The fact they can collaborate, work together, and be creative… I’m following their lead! If they need anything else, they’ll be like ‘Oh, we can do this!’ and I’m just following their lead. They’ve had fun!”