May 25, 2021 -- TPS has announced exciting and important changes to it's multi-age classroom structure for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Read a letter describing the changes.
View a video description of the changes featuring Catherine Diersing, School Leader.
May 24, 2021 -- The Project School has received a grant of $12,210 from the City of Bloomington's Jack Hopkins Social Services Fund for the installation of a laundry room, including plumbing, electrical work, venting, floor installation and dry wall preparation, as well as the purchase of stackable appliances. The laundry room will be available for the close to 40% of school families who experience poverty, many of whom do not have access to reliable and affordable laundry services. The school will make this resource available to families at no charge.
From The Project School's grant application: Every child has the right to a quality education, which we believe should include access to sanitation and hygiene services while at school. Children spend a significant portion of their day at school where laundry services can impact student learning, health, and dignity – particularly for girls. The inclusion of laundry services at The Project School represents our ongoing and increasing recognition of the importance of laundry as a key component of a safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environment. We believe that providing laundry services will have long-lasting benefit for the community because it will increase attendance at school for a significant number of children in poverty and will provide these students – community residents – with the opportunity to concentrate on academic attainment instead of the discomfort and embarrassment of not having access to clean clothes and linens. Access to free laundry services will decrease barriers to education and successful outcomes and will have a ripple effect in our community.
The installation of the laundry room will happen in conjunction with a phase 2 renovation of the TPS2 classroom building on South Washington Street during the summer of 2021.
Catherine Diersing, TPS School Leader shared that, "providing laundry service to our struggling families has been a dream of ours since we first opened our doors in 2009. Our expansion into, and renovation of, a second classroom building offers the first availability of space to potentially provide this valuable resource to families."
Learn more about the Jack Hopkins Social Services Fund.
April 21, 2021 -- In partnership with the Banneker Community Center, TPS third grade student Sadio Kone was selected for the "Be More Energized" Award by the City of Bloomington, as part of their annual volunteer and service recognition awards program. This award is bestowed upon an individual younger than 21 for their visionary commitment to community building. Sadio received this award in recognition of his efforts to raise money for the Banneker Community Center to create and install a Black Lives Matter street mural, as well as to provide more after school programming opportunities for the center. Sadio was inspired – after the tragic death of George Floyd – to make a difference in the community, especially for the Black community. The Project School congratulates Sadio on receiving this award, and for the positive difference he has made and continues to make.
View a video of Sadio speaking about his efforts and the award he has received.
Learn more about the Be More Award 2021 winners and program.
Learn more about the Banneker Center Black Lives Matter mural.