The BE.A.R. (Be A Resource) shop at LSC-North Harris.
This year's cohort of LSC Foundation mini grant awardees thought outside the box to deliver enhanced experiences for students and staff at their respective campuses. From innovative use of the latest technology in the classroom to supporting parents going to college, mini grants afford campuses the opportunity to try new approaches and equipment not covered in their departments' regular budget. Every year, LSC Foundation provides small grants to LSC employees looking to improve the student experience, streamline processes, or experiment with new technology.
One mini grant project at LSC-North Harris helped the BE.A.R. (Be A Resource) shop provide baby supplies like diapers and wipes for its students who are also parents. "This initiative provided a new support system to help our students focus on their academics and still be able to be parents to their own children at no cost. Through the data collected from the BE.A.R shop, 43.5% of students have one child in their household." said Student Resource Center Coordinator Angie Castillo.
Another project benefited cosmetology students who can now train on the latest therapies with the purchase of a Facial LED Light Therapy machine. "This is a very popular treatment with many benefits offered in salons, spas and is trending on social media. The students now feel confident to practice this advanced service in the workforce." said Christine Mullins, Professor of Cosmetology at LSC-Kingwood.
A third project expanded the opportunities to showcase artwork at LSC-CyFair's Bosque Gallery. "We offer several online classes each year, and we did not have a good solution for displaying the art that students submitted digitally. The large monitor with attached computer that we received is an ideal solution that does justice to the student work. While working on the proposal, I realized that the monitor would also provide our professional artists with a new medium to work with, and the monitor also serves well to advertise the gallery." said Matthew Backer, Bosque Gallery Lead Faculty.
Congratulations to all the 2022-23 mini grant awardees for their successful projects!
Cy-Fair
Extend students' view with CNC live streaming: live stream view inside a working CNC lathe
Increasing student engagement and faculty experience in Math classrooms: additional whiteboards in classrooms
Enhancing Online and F2F Science Lab Classes: implement a stereomicroscope imaging system to produce images
iBelong Hallway Collaborations Celebrating Our World: Where We Came From: install a wall world map
Display with stand for Bosque gallery: display for digital artwork
Houston North
Electrical Boards: for electrical wiring practice
Lone Star College-Houston North Values Your Strengths!: CliftonStrengths testing for students
Kingwood
College, Program and Professional Awareness: build visibility of Respiratory Care program
Weights for Kinesiology Classes/Fitness Center: gain additional fitness equipment
LED Light Therapy: training equipment for cosmetology students
Project Flip-Flop: The Inverted Literacy Benefits of Parent/Child Reading: test research on a small scale
Sensory2Go: add sensory fidgets to Student Services office
Statistics Tutor Bootcamp: math tutor training
Water is Life (H20&U) - Student Arts and Science Exhibition: build prototype for future exhibitions
Montgomery
Conroe Center Entrance Beautification: improve irrigation and landscaping at Conroe Center
Styrofoam for Your Next Meal (Worm): materials for sustainability experiment for students
Maverick Response Teams: covered CPR certifications
Men of Distinction: student engagement resources for underserved population
Men of Color Community Equity Conference: connected community leaders with students
Enrollment/Applicant Postcard Project: enrollment marketing materials
North Harris
Be A Resource (BE.A.R) Shop: student resource shop on campus
The Little Free Art Gallery: installed a small library on campus
Enhancing the Student Services Experience: digital document signing software for Academic Advisors
Sigma Kappa Delta, North Harris Chapter: honor society dues
Manipulative Visual Aids for Learning the Molecular Process of Protein Synthesis: purchase DNA lab experiment materials
Online
Podcasts/Vlogging for LSC-Online: purchase podcasting video equipment
System Office
Student Photography Compensation: purchase incentives for student participation
Tomball
Connecting with the World Innovatively: add AI-powered language translators to student cultural events
Other Worlds International Movie Series: provided cultural enrichment for students
A Stitch in Time Saves Thousands: provide student leader training materials
LSC-Tomball Safe Zone Training Program: covered costs of Safe Zone training
Gaming at Creekside: purchase recreational items for student area
Flexible, Accessible, and Inclusive Classroom: purchased furniture to make classroom more inclusive for neurodiverse students
University Park
Innovation 3D Printers: purchase 3D printer for instructors' use
Students with Children: purchase activity packets to occupy kids while parents enroll for classes
Lions Reading Program: provided real-world work experience for future teachers with a mentoring program
Classroom Graphing Calculators: purchase additional calculators for classroom