Proceeds from the Bird Bash gala event fund large, innovative district initiatives that greatly impact student learning and engagement.
Every year, the Seven Dreams Education Foundation works collaboratively with Robbinsdale Area Schools’ district administrators to create a large district-wide initiative that will impact many students. The foundation chooses one initiative to fund through proceeds from the Bird Bash gala event. In recent years, we have raised up to $65,000 to fund the project. The foundation is grateful to the school and broader community for giving generously at the Bird Bash so that we can bring innovative and meaningful programming to our students. To learn more about these exciting projects, please see a summary and video, below, for each initiative.
2023 Beneficiary
We gave $65,000 to the Robbinsdale Area Schools from the proceeds of the 10th Annual Bird Bash - our largest Bird Bash award yet!
Watch the Bird Bash video about the Wellness Centers project here
Each middle school has one Student Wellness Center and one Staff Wellness Center. The pandemic exacerbated mental health needs in our schools and the Wellness Centers provide a quiet, comfortable place with sensory tools, music and opportunities for self-care so students can relax, feel a sense of belonging and ready to learn and so that staff are rejuvenated and ready to teach.
Three-part Wellness project :
Comfortable Furniture & Calming Tools: The transformation of rooms to create wellness/calming spaces will include new furniture (sofas, chairs), soothing paint, music, subdued lighting, sensory items and fidgets, art supplies, journals, weighted blankets, yoga mats or whatever else you can dream up.
Supervisory Staff for Student Wellness Spaces: Education Assistants or other staff will supervise the space. They will welcome students into the space and show them options or stations for relaxation. Our dream is to raise enough money to hire dedicated staff for this purpose.
Community Experts: We will partner with community experts and service providers who can come into the schools to support student and staff wellness. Examples for students include music and art therapy, yoga classes and restorative justice. For staff, we could provide yoga, chair massages and professional development.
2022 Beneficiary
Reinvigorating Band & Orchestra: Spreading the Joy of Music to ALL Students
The 9th annual Bird Bash project will help reinvigorate Robbinsdale Area Schools band and orchestra programs by welcoming all students and building community. Providing instruments, vibrant musical compositions and professional mentors will strengthen the district’s proud music traditions.
By removing barriers to instrument ownership and making music more representative of the student body, everyone will be inspired and learn life-long skills. Three parts of the project:
Purchasing more instruments so that students who can not afford to buy or rent an instrument are able to participate in band or orchestra.
Expanding our music library to include composers who write music that reflects many different cultures and styles of music.
Partnering with music professionals in the community from a wide range of backgrounds.
2021 Beneficiary
Telling Everyone's Story with Multicultural Books
The 8th Annual Bird Bash funded a project to inspire our students to read by adding 2,016 electronic & print books to our middle and high school media centers that are culturally relevant and inclusive of everyone's story. Electronic books make it possible to check out books remotely, any time of day.
This project will nurture our students’ self-esteem, empathy and understanding of multiple perspectives—and provide them with opportunities to explore current social issues and strengthen ties to each other and the community.
Read the list of books that are now on shelves in our media centers!
“Thanks to the Seven Dreams Education Foundation, we were able to purchase hundreds of books, eBooks and audiobooks that reflect more of our student population. We ordered fiction and non-fiction written by, for and about, people of color, GLBTQ individuals, indigenous people and immigrants. These titles portray their subjects as strong, caring, capable people. The titles range from non-fiction and biographies to poetry, mystery and even romance. These books have helped make our collections more diverse so all of our students can engage, learn and grow through reading.” Christian King, Cooper High School Media Center Specialist.
2020 Beneficiary
Mental Health Initiative: Social/Emotional Life Skills
Equipped ALL elementary and middle school students with powerful tools to manage their emotions, make responsible decisions, and be compassionate, respectful people. These are important life-long skills that will help our students thrive in school, work -- and life. We are implementing the “Second Step” program in our schools to teach students “social emotional” skills through interactive games, activities and media. It is used throughout the Twin Cities, U.S. and world with great success. This program will give our students foundational skills so they will be mentally healthy and resilient.
Dr. Candace Burckhardt, RAS Special Education Foundation, has informed us that the district was able to purchased Second Step Social Emotional Learning (“SEL”) kits for ALL of our K-8th grade classrooms (not just one kit to share per grade level as originally planned)! Seven Dreams thanks district staff for being excellent stewards of our money and broadening the reach of this program. Dr. Burckhardt says:
“A huge thank you to Seven Dreams for funding the Second Step mental health program. The vendor gave us a substantial discount and we were able to stretch our dollars even further. Every general education teacher K-8 will now have their own kit, access to online materials, and free training! This could not be better timed as Second Sep has created many helpful resources for using the program online for distance learning, as well as specific lessons for helping students deal with the impact of COVID-19. They will be ready to use by the start of the 2020-21 school year!”
2019 Beneficiary
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Expedition Labs
Equipped every school with Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Expedition Labs - extending ALL students’ learning beyond the borders of our district and community with the use of virtual reality goggles and other equipment. This technology can take students to the top of Mount Everest, the far reaches of space, the depths of the oceans and inside the human body!
2018 Beneficiary
Middle School Media Center Transformation
Transformed the media centers in all four of our middle schools into vibrant, innovative centers for learning, including upgrades in technology, furniture, and MakerSpace materials to encourage creativity.
2017 Beneficiary
Windows and Mirrors: 3rd Grade Literacy & Cultural Diversity Program
Infused all of our 3rd grade classrooms with more culturally and socially diverse literature, and celebrated literacy with community events. Teachers also received training to help implement the teaching of these texts.
2016 Beneficiary
Flexible Learning Spaces at Armstrong and Cooper High School
The two high school media centers were transformed into vibrant, flexible learning spaces to inspire inspire creativity and collaboration.
2015 Beneficiary
Engineering is Elementary, a STEM program for all 4th graders
Engineering is Elementary is a hands-on curriculum brought to local schools through the Science Museum of Minnesota. It engages students in engineering and technology concepts through problem-solving, inquiry, and innovation. It has real-world applications, showing students that engineering plays an important role in their everyday lives.
2014 Middle School Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Equipment
Updated science and technology equipment for labs at the middle schools, including new microscopes and Vernier sensors and probes.