Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: Cruces Creatives
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As:
Mailing Address: 205 E Lohman Avenue
City: Las Cruces
State: NM
Postal Code: 88005
Main Phone: 575-448-1072
Main Fax: None
Organization Website: www.crucescreatives.org
Employer ID Number: 81-5340614
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date: March 10, 2021
Requested Amount: $7,770

Project Title: Community Partners in Education
Project Description:

In 2020, Cruces Creatives (our area’s non-profit makerspace) partnered with the Las Cruces Community Schools, CommunityShare (an AZ-based nonprofit), and The Stocker Foundation to launch Community Partners in Education, which connects teachers with community partners to enliven academic learning with expertise from community members and tools from the makerspace. Even during the pandemic, we have been able to reach over 400 middle school students in our low-income, minority-as-majority community through projects including composting at home and at school, a recycled art show and virtual museum (hosted on a website developed by students themselves!), and a remote digital manufacturing project where students use free, online software to create computer-aided design files that then fabricate the students’ designs using makerspace tools including laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC machines, and more.

This work is coordinated through a software platform developed by CommunityShare, and with $7,770 in funding from the Hermanowski Family Foundation, we would be able to secure a license to expand the software support from the four Las Cruces Community Schools to all 41 of the Las Cruces Public Schools, bringing an additional 22,000 students into the project’s scope. Following findings reported by the Cambridge Handbook of Learning Sciences and Johns Hopkins University, we expect to produce life and educational benefits for students through several mechanisms:

• Connecting academics with real-world examples, a core goal of the program, improves student learning
• Project-based education improves learning outcomes
• Positive relationships with adults from the community, such as the mentors and tutors available through the program, can significantly increase academic performance

Overall, Community Partners in Education offers research-backed mechanisms for improving students’ educational and life outcomes, and with support from the Hermanowski Family Foundation, we will be able to bring the Community Partners in Education program and its benefits to all students in our district.

Total Project Budget: $108,120

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): The Stocker Foundation, Las Cruces Community Schools, AMETEK Foundation, Carylon Foundation, El Paso Community Foundation

Project Duration: August 2021-June 2022
Geographical Area Served: Las Cruces, NM
Age Group To Be Served: K-12 Students

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Mr.
Contact First Name: Patrick
Contact Last Name: DeSimio
Contact Title: Grant Writer and Program Manager
Contact Phone: 937-830-3649
Contact Email: p.desimio@crucescreatives.org