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About the Principal Grants
Each September, the Women Leaders and SEF staff meet with the principals of the Special School District schools including the Juvenile Detention Center and Bridges Program. The principals share insights into their schools’ populations and present their proposed special projects. They seek the Women Leaders for assistance in bringing these projects to life.
For the 2025-2026 school year, $12,182 in funding was approved for the following projects:
- $2,185 to Ackerman School to create a sensory space in their Ackerdome with sensie seats, sensory socks, canoe, a squeeze machine, and vibrating tubes
- $1,840 to Northview High School for their end of the year celebration gaming truck, dunk tank, and rolling cars
- $2,180 to Litzsinger School to create a Reading Hammock Garden inclusive of 12 hammocks and posts for reading areas
- $1,050 to Neuwoehner High School for an accessible basketball hoop and funds to refresh their T.E.A.M Tiger Store, inclusive of chairs, shelving, lighting, new paint, and a cash storage box
- $1,000 to Southview School for a student Amygdala reset space and Planetarium Challenger Learning Center Experience
- $1,800 to the Summit Academy (formerly known as the Juvenile Detention Center) for custom branded hallway floor mats and Summit Academy branded T-shirts
- $2,127 to the Bridges Program for a 6 foot, commercial-grade swing for their outdoor recreational area
See the 2024-2025 Principal Grants
See the 2023-2024 Principal Grants
Learn more about the Women Leaders here. If you or someone you know is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and youth with disabilities, we invite you to join our dynamic group of Women Leaders. Please contact us at info@sef-stl.org or call (314) 394-7030 for more information. Together, we can continue to positively impact the lives of those we serve.
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Niki Tedoni* Southview SchoolThanks to the generosity of the Women in Leaders Principals Grant we were able to purchase AMAZING neon t-shirts for all students and staff. To save on the cost, we ordered the t-shirts and decals and were able to use our own press to make the final product. Students in our SLC-Service Learning Center were able to assist in the process. Both the students and staff were so excited to receive their shirts. We passed them out before our End of the Year Glow Dance, and everyone was able to light up the room during the dance and throughout the day. We appreciate the continued support of the Women in Leaders Principals group!
From the Newsroom
The Principal Grants program is one of SEF and the Women Leaders’ signature efforts to bring targeted support to SSD schools.
SEF Women Leaders host the Principal Grants presentations. During this event, principals will share insights into their school communities and pitch innovative, student-centered projects that need funding. They also support the Starfish Awards — a moving celebration honoring individuals who make a difference through small, deeply meaningful actions.
Inspired by the beloved Starfish Parable, this event is a reminder that even one act of kindness—one effort to lift someone up—can create lasting change.
