Successful Grants

Nicole Lise Manzanita Elementary School

The Rincon Rotary Club is proud to award a classroom grant to a local kindergarten class to support their Desert Tortoise Habitat Project. This hands-on initiative will give young students the opportunity to welcome a one-year-old desert tortoise into their classroom and learn about habitats, living and non-living things, and the responsibility of caring for an animal. Grant funds will help create both indoor and outdoor habitats that provide proper heat, lighting, and protection while allowing students to observe and care for the tortoise year-round. Through this project, students will gain meaningful lessons in science, empathy, and environmental stewardship—values that align beautifully with Rotary’s commitment to education and community service.

Emily Xu Academy of Tucson Elementary

The Rincon Rotary Club is proud to award a classroom grant to support the Feel and Flourish project, an initiative that helps young students develop essential social and emotional skills such as self-awareness, empathy, and resilience. In this classroom, learning goes beyond math and reading—it’s about helping young hearts and minds grow. Through engaging books and hands-on tools, the Feel and Flourish project creates meaningful opportunities for students to build emotional intelligence and confidence, fostering a foundation for lifelong growth and connection.

Angela McGreevy Academy of Tucson Elementary

The Rincon Rotary Club is proud to award a classroom grant to support the expansion of the music program with the purchase of additional Boomwhacker color glockenspiels. These vibrant instruments have quickly become a student favorite, offering a fun and engaging way to explore rhythm and melody. With only six currently available, students have had to take turns during music class. Adding eight more will allow kindergarten, first, and second-grade students to all play together, creating a fuller sound and a more inclusive, hands-on learning experience that inspires a lifelong love of music.

Rebecca Garcia Manzanita Elementary School

The Rincon Rotary Club is proud to award a classroom grant to support the Read Strong program at Manzanita Elementary. This impactful initiative provides targeted reading intervention for kindergarten through third-grade students who need extra support in developing foundational literacy skills. Each year, approximately 95 students benefit from small-group, individualized instruction focused on phonics, decoding, and fluency—helping them build confidence and a lifelong love of reading. Grant funds will be used to purchase phonics games, manipulatives, prizes, and stickers to make lessons more engaging and motivational. By strengthening this program, the Rincon Rotary Club is helping ensure that every child has the opportunity to become a strong, confident reader.