Encouraging Creativity & Innovation in the Classroom
The Marchi Mini Grant Program
Fueling Ideas. Empowering Classrooms.
The Marchi Mini Grant Program was created in 2013 to honor the memory of Lisa Marchi—a beloved Mapleton teacher and principal who poured her heart into helping teachers thrive and students succeed. Lisa believed that great teaching changes lives, and she championed creativity, curiosity, and connection in every classroom she touched.
Today, her legacy lives on through the Marchi Mini Grant program, which provides Mapleton teachers with funding to bring bold, hands-on, standards-based learning to life.
Grants of up to $1,500 for individuals and $3,000 for teams are awarded each fall to support innovative classroom projects that spark wonder, deepen engagement, and help students see themselves—and their learning—in new ways.
This program is more than a grant. It’s a celebration of what’s possible when teachers are trusted to dream big and given the tools to make those dreams real.
Applications are reviewed by the Mapleton Education Foundation Board of Directors, with recipients notified by the end of October.
Educators you can apply here, Marchi Mini Grant Applications Due 9/26/2025!
2024-2025 Marchi Mini Grant Awards!
The MEF Board of Directors in collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Team has selected eight Marchi Mini Grant submissions to be funded for a total of $10,405. Thank you to all who applied. Every year we receive more applications than we can fund, but we truly appreciate the innovation and thoughtfulness that is included in the applications.
Congratulations to the 2024-25 recipients:
Building Community Through Storytelling and Filmmaking- Chad Russell, Performing Arts School on Broadway
Hands-on Lab Experiments for Middle School Science- Arturo Hernandez, York International School
Adventures With Clay- Jonathan Miner, Meadow Community School
A Simple Touch- Vincent Rosa, Clayton Partnership School
CU Anshutz Laboratories- Sarah Hartman, York International School
Sensory Path- Rebecca Groeneveld, Valley View Innovation School
Immersive Literature Studies- Nicholas Sabri, Mapleton Early Career Prep
Adaptive Fitness- Sergio Panelo & Hayley Fisher, York International School
