This is a guest post by Leilani Heist, a teacher at Boerne High School in Boerne, TX. Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Mrs. Heist!
As an AP and Dual Credit Biology teacher, I’m always looking for ways to give my students
more hands-on lab experiences, especially when it comes to biotechnology topics. I want my
students to actually do the techniques we talk about in class, not just watch videos or work
through worksheets.
MiniOne makes this easy. Their equipment is easy to use, lab protocols fit into a normal
class period, and my students are able to get real experience with techniques like bacterial
transformation and DNA analysis in a classroom-safe way, while fostering an understanding
for the topics they’ll be tested on at the end of the year.
The challenge, as always, is funding. It seems like there is never enough money for
everyone’s great ideas.
Between lesson planning, grading, meetings, and everything else, the idea of writing a grant
proposal from scratch felt overwhelming and extra stress on my already overflowing plate. I
knew what I wanted to do in my classroom, but finding the time to figure out how to word
everything (objectives, justifications, and budget, oh my!) was an intimidating prospect.
When I learned that MiniOne provides a grant request template, it immediately made the
process feel less daunting. Instead of staring at a blank application, I was able to use the
template as a starting point and fairly quickly adapt it for my local education foundation’s
requirements on aligning to the core values of Boerne ISD and the Boerne Education
Foundation.
The structure was already there; I just customized it to reflect my courses and how the
equipment and labs would be used in our classroom. I also wrote about the usefulness of
exposure to using basic biotechnology equipment, like micropipettes, for preparing students
to work in college biology laboratories.
I submitted the application and was thrilled to find out that I was awarded $11,811 in
funding. That grant allowed me to purchase equipment, lab tools, and MiniLabs for my class
and the freshmen biology classes, giving all students at Boerne High School access to
hands-on molecular biology experiences that directly support the techniques and concepts of
AP Biology and the Biology TEKS.
Looking back, the biggest hurdle wasn’t the grant itself, it was knowing where to begin – the
first step is always the hardest, after all. Having a clear, ready-to-use template saved me
time and made the entire process simpler and faster… a relief for a busy teacher.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are my tips:
● Begin with your local education foundation. Many districts and communities have
foundations specifically set up to support classroom projects, and they are often more
generous than larger national grants.
● Take advantage of MiniOne’s grant templates! They answer the questions about use,
versatility, lifespan, and alignment, so you can quickly fill out your application and get
the funding you need (and deserve!)
● Choose versatile products that can be used all year long. MiniOne equipment and labs
help me cover techniques in AP Biology Units 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 – making them a
no-brainer for equipping my classroom lab. The refill kits are also very affordable.
Thank you so much Leilani! If you too would like to bring MiniOne equipment and labs to your students with the support of your local education foundation, click over to download the easy-to-use templates today!
