In 2025 the Arrowhead Library System offered 40 Mini Grants. Presented here are the Mini Grants that have been completed so far.
Member Libraries of all types used their creativity and these funds to provide their community with helpful technology, programs, books, and more! Thank you to all libraries who applied for these Mini Grants in 2025. Read more to see the successful outcomes of this year’s Mini Grants, and to find inspiration for your own Mini Grant and project ideas!
Project Name: Books for Book Clubs and Classroom Library
Ana Urban, Proctor Public Schools – Bay View Elementary
Outcomes of the Project:
Students were so excited to receive new options for book clubs. I was able to share these resources with the other 3 teachers in the 2nd grade so that they could also run book clubs in their classrooms.
As of next week, there will be 6 different groups (32 children) reading the book club sets purchased with these books. Second grade students are very eager to read chapter books and are very excited to share their reading and thinking with their peers. These books will also help them to gain confidence as readers.
Project Name: A True Book, My United States Series
Barbara Hughes, St Joseph’s Catholic School Library
Outcomes of the Project:
Students in 4th grade are assigned a “state report”. For this assignment, not all sources can be digital. This allows us to teach another valuable form of research. Along with the 4th grade reports, other grades use state books to augment their social studies curriculum when studying different areas of the country. Independently, students have been checking these books out to learn more about our state or state they will travel. Our old series, being outdated, did not provide accurate information.
Success is measured by use and excitement. The fourth grade teacher was thrilled to have available updated sources. As soon as these books were on display I heard, “Hey, when did you get these?!” Immediately they were being checked out. Minnesota and Florida have been the most popular so far. Didn’t see that coming 🙂
Project Name: Obstacle Course Bouncy House
Michele Lammi, Hoyt Lakes Public Library
Outcomes of the Project:
In addition to a craft, a character scavenger hunt, and “live gaming” games, the obstacle course will be another activity for attendees to participate in. We will be doing lots of running, jumping and moving around. Our kick-off theme is related to the iRead program. Attendees will get a sense of Leveling Up that is not related to just video games. We have found the kids very much enjoy coming and “learning” what the summer program is through our kick-off and all the activities we make available. The obstacle course will be a nice addition for the kids to use during the kick-off.
The kids were able to use the bouncy house as many times as they wanted throughout the 2 hour program and there was always a line. We had 122 people come to our kickoff and gave out 56 gift bags that were earned by completing any 5 activities. One mother commented on Facebook, “Thanks for always throwing awesome events! My son said he had a blast.”
Project Name: Inclusive Books to Regional Schools
Sarah Klyve, Northeast Service Cooperative
Outcomes of the Project:
I provided books to regional teachers, instructional coaches, principals and directors that are inclusive to all students to share with their staff/students. We had 52 teachers, leaders and instructional coaches from schools within our region that took part in our session and we were able to provide inclusive children’s books for them to bring to their teachers and students. Almost every district within our region was represented in that space! It was amazing!
