On opening night of the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (PA) middle school production of The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition in February 2025, one character unexpectedly stole the show. It wasn’t Dorothy or the Tin Man—it was Toto, in the form of a puppet that came alive on stage. Students were able to bring the scrappy terrier to life because they had been trained by a professional puppeteer.
That moment, though delightful, was not unique. The students who learned puppet animation were just one group of SCH community members who were benefitting from an experimental micro-grant program designed to unlock everyday innovation from within. Throughout the 2024–2025 school year, small pockets of transformation had been blooming across the SCH campus, from the garden beds to the journalism club to the recording studio to the preschool classroom.
Defining Innovation
When alumnus Eric Johnson funded an initiative to advance student learning through emerging technologies at SCH, our leadership team chose to use part of the gift to create the Innovation Microgrant Program. Rooted in the belief that the most transformative ideas would come from faculty and staff themselves, the program rests on a simple premise: if educators are given modest resources, time, and trust, they can prototype bold ideas that reimagine student learning.
We were intentional in creating small grant amounts, which were capped at a few thousand dollars, and a straightforward application process and invitation: Use this funding to explore new ways of teaching, thinking, or working at SCH. We encouraged proposals that were not polished or proven and made it clear that we wanted to support experiments with the potential to transform student experiences, shift practices, or challenge assumptions. We framed innovation broadly to reflect our school’s values:
- New approaches to teaching: experimenting with methods, tools, or practices that deepen engagement and improve outcomes.
- New ways of thinking: challenging assumptions, reframing problems, or shifting mental models.
- New ways of working: improving workflows, communication, or collaboration across teams.
- New applications of technology: using digital tools creatively to enhance learning or operations.
By positioning innovation as a mindset, rather than a specific formula, we opened the door to participation across every division and department at our school.
Launching the Program
We announced the program at divisional and staff meetings, and organized follow-up opportunities for potential applicants to discuss and assess the viability of their ideas and develop their vision. We piloted the program with a small committee of reviewers—including our head of upper school, director of development, our chief innovation officer, and our director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging—and prioritized ideas that were timely, mission-aligned, and had clear potential for impact. Some submitted proposals that were polished and well-scoped; others needed coaching. In those cases, we reached out directly to the applicant, asking thoughtful questions, challenging assumptions, and helping to refine their ideas.
In total, we funded 16 projects in the first cycle. Each grant included not only funding but also light-touch project management support, periodic check-ins, and the opportunity to share learnings through a year-end podcast or video reflection. These storytelling components proved to be just as valuable as the projects themselves, allowing the broader community to witness innovation in action, moving it from an abstract concept to something teachers and students were actively experiencing. Upon completion of their innovation projects, each participant received an honorarium in recognition of their efforts.
What emerged over the year was not merely a collection of projects, but a breadth of creativity and a mosaic of experimentation that wasn’t confined to labs or high-tech spaces. Innovation emerged from every division and every level.
Lower School
Innovation grant funding allowed kindergarten students to use digital fabrication tools for the first time, constructing 3D shapes and experimenting like engineers through building, testing, and iterating. Pre-K girls also benefited from new unplugged coding resources, extending early STEM learning into their everyday play.
In addition, a lower school faculty member used a grant to pursue certification in forest therapy—an extension of SCH’s long-standing commitment to the nearby Wissahickon woods. This credential deepened the school’s existing work by enabling guided walks that combined environmental connection with mindfulness, measured through pre- and post-surveys with students.
Middle School
A microgrant made it possible for journalism students to integrate new tools—iPhones and Otter.ai—into their reporting for The Torch, the school’s digital publication. This was not just an enhancement but a genuine launch of a new capability: the ability to conduct, transcribe, and edit interviews with professional-level efficiency. The grant covered both technology and training, giving young journalists the tools to tell meaningful stories with greater accuracy.
Upper School
In Spanish classes, the grant program opened an entirely new line of inquiry: controlled experiments on how AI-powered tools might enrich AP-level language instruction. Students generated quizzes, visualized fictional chapters through generative images, and exchanged peer feedback—an innovation that simply would not have occurred without dedicated funding to support exploration.
Similarly, in woodshop, a faculty grant brought in a computer numerical control machine for the first time, allowing students to blend traditional craftsmanship with digital fabrication. What began as cutting boards and board games is now set to expand into interdisciplinary collaborations across departments with the addition of a laser cutter next year.
Lastly, an upgrade to Dolby Atmos in the media studio enabled a cutting-edge expansion for our programs in music, film, and virtual reality. While media arts already existed at SCH, students now have the ability to produce immersive audio experiences that mirror professional standards in 21st century media.
Lessons Learned
As the first full year of the initiative concluded and we reflected on the 16 projects, we discovered that innovation doesn’t require a major overhaul or a significant financial investment. Often, a small amount of funding combined with encouragement and a clear purpose can catalyze meaningful change. We did face challenges, of course, including procurement delays, scheduling constraints, and technical troubleshooting that hindered progress. We also raised questions about sustainability; specifically, how can we ensure these ideas don’t become one-off bursts of energy? How do we help them take root?
As we continue to discuss these important questions, we are reflecting on five key takeaways from our first year:
- Start small and move fast. A microgrant model allows for rapid testing without high stakes, encouraging broader participation and creativity.
- Define innovation inclusively. Not every great idea requires an app or a robot. Some of our most impactful projects were low- or no-tech.
- Support with coaching, not just funding. Proposal feedback, periodic check-ins, and reflection opportunities helped turn loose ideas into thoughtful prototypes.
- Celebrate the learning process. Even projects that encountered obstacles or fizzled offered valuable insights. Public reflection helped shift the culture toward experimentation.
- Let teachers lead. Trust faculty to identify areas needing reimagining and empower them to take action.
What’s Next
Looking ahead, we plan to expand the award amounts to accommodate larger or longer-term pilots in addition to the microgrant program, which we will continue as long as money allows. More importantly, we’re incorporating a mentorship layer into the program, where past recipients will guide new applicants by offering feedback on proposals, supporting implementation, and fostering a shared sense of accountability.
We’re also considering how to embed the spirit of experimentation more deeply into our employee culture. This could include incorporating reflection time into faculty meetings, offering more peer-led workshops, or aligning innovation grants with broader school priorities. We’ve tapped into a deep well of creative potential, and our job now is to keep it flowing.
Our greatest learning that we will continue to carry forward is that innovation isn’t just a department or initiative; it’s a posture. It’s about asking, “Could this be better?” and having the courage to try. With the right conditions in place, this mindset can become contagious. While the grants may be small, their ripple effects are just beginning.