Agenda Item
v. DART Foundation Award of $50,000 to DeKalb High School of Technology South (DHSTS)
Summary: Presented by: Dr. Cherisse Campbell, Chief of Community Engagement and Innovative Partnerships
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education accept $50,000 grant from the DART Foundation for DeKalb High School of Technology South (DHSTS).
Why: Board approval is requested for this $50,000 Dart Foundation grant, which will expand DHSTS students’ access to hands-on STEAM learning, career-aligned equipment, safety materials, and real-world Law and Justice and Welding experiences that strengthen technical skills, engagement, and career readiness.
Details: The $50,000 Dart Foundation grant will support DHSTS’s Building Future Investigators and Fabricators Through STEAM project by funding an outdoor crime scene classroom, forensic investigation equipment, welding tools, safety gear, and student project supplies for careerfocused Law and Justice and Welding instruction.
Financial impact: There is no cost to the District or DHSTS to accept the grant from the DART Foundation. The total donation is valued at $50,000.
Contact: Dr. Cherisse M. Campbell, Chief of Community Engagement & Innovative Partnerships, Division of Community Engagemen & Innovative Partnerships, 678-676-0409, cherisse_m_campbell@dekalbschoolsga.org
Mrs. Doryiane Gunter, CTAE Director, Division of Teaching & Learning, 678-676-0451, doryiane_gunter@dekalbschoolsga.org
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
Dart Foundation STEAM Grant Budget
DeKalb High School of Technology South
Project Title: STEAM in Action: Crime Scene Investigation and Welding Innovation
Total Grant Request: $50,000
The following budget provides a simplified breakdown of how grant funds will be used to support
STEAM-related capital improvements, equipment purchases, and student programming in the Law
and Justice and Welding pathways.
Outdoor Crime Scene Classroom Setup: $15,000
Funds will support the setup of an outdoor instructional space for realistic crime scene
investigation simulations. This may include scene props, storage, signage, basic site setup, and
materials needed to create a safe and functional outdoor classroom environment.
Law and Justice Crime Scene Equipment: $12,000
Funds will support evidence collection kits, fingerprinting supplies, measuring tools, photography
equipment, crime scene markers, documentation materials, and supplies aligned with crime
scene investigation and forensic science instruction.
Welding Equipment and Tools: $15,000
Funds will support welding tools, fabrication materials, clamps, measurement tools, shop
equipment, and project-based supplies that allow students to strengthen welding, design, and
fabrication skills.
Safety Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment: $5,000
Funds will support gloves, goggles, welding helmets, aprons, safety vests, outdoor safety items,
and classroom/shop safety supplies for both pathways.
Program Materials and Student Project Supplies: $3,000
Funds will support consumable materials, instructional resources, student practice materials, and
project supplies needed to implement hands-on STEAM learning activities.
Budget Summary
• Outdoor Crime Scene Classroom Setup: $15,000
• Law and Justice Crime Scene Equipment: $12,000
• Welding Equipment and Tools: $15,000
• Safety Equipment and PPE: $5,000
• Program Materials and Student Project Supplies: $3,000
• Total Requested: $50,000
DeKalb High School of Technology South