With our grant process we ask grant recipients to tell us how the process went and also how the grants are making an impact. Below is just some of the great feedback we have received. A summary of grants provided and photos of some of the recipients can be found here.

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We requested funds to purchase recorders for our 3rd grade students and headphones for use by all of our students, to increase access to music opportunities.

It has been amazing to see students using recorders to practice music literacy and performance, and to observe students of all ages practicing with headphones. This allows so much more individualization of tasks and musical exploration. All of our Kayla grants have resulted in joy for our students.

Melissa Flail – Cache La Poudre Elementary

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Pathways requested funds to repair our keyboard, which had been donated. We also requested funds to purchase an electric guitar and portable amplifier.

The Kayla Foundation has been instrumental in helping Pathways obtain important instruments for our music therapy program. This has had a positive impact on our community that goes beyond words. We are so very grateful.

Beth Mosko – Pathways

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We are so grateful to have received the Kayla Foundation Award to help support our families in Ft. Collins Music Together classes with curriculum materials that made our program even more impactful. Thank you for all you do to support music education in the front range!

Nicole Thomas – Integral Steps Team

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…we are so thankful for the Kayla Foundation and what it promotes. The Kayla Foundation has helped many organizations and schools in our community, and it is a beautiful tribute. Music is sometimes overlooked, but when you have a student or child that excels or enjoys music, you understand how important it really is to a person’s well-being and completeness. Furthermore, there are SO many benefits of music therapy that impact clients in so many areas of their lives. Thank you for all you do for our community and your support! I appreciate that the grant can be used in so many flexible ways to benefit the organization in the ways they are experiencing needs at that particular time.

Nicole Wilshusen – Foundations Music School

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Tickets for this event allowed students that have never seen an Opera before to see a professional production. This enriched their lives and the memory of Kayla lives on through the gift of musical experiences for my students.

The Kayla Grant allows Fossil Ridge High School students to have opportunities in the arts that they wouldn’t otherwise have.  

Thanks so much….. Kayla’s legacy lives on through providing these enriching experiences for my kids. 

Bri McCormick – Fossil Ridge High School

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Kayla Foundation members:

I write this letter to thank you for your generous donation to our Fossil Ridge High School Choir program.  With your support, our students will have the opportunity to attend the opera Colorado student dress rehearsal at no cost.  This experience is one that not all students can afford and thanks to the foundation, cost is not a barrier.  I appreciate the support that the Kayla Foundation gives to our school and community.  If I can ever provide any support to your foundation, please do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Julie Chaplain, PhD

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I requested funding to help with instrument repair cost.

We were able to repair multiple instruments which benefitted 5 kids, and our ensembles as a whole.  The instruments repaired were vital to the success of our ensembles.  Also, these repairs would not have been possible for the families of the students that play these instruments to afford.  

Thank you so, so much!!  I am very grateful for your support!!

Charlotte Boyce – Lesher Middle School

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I requested funds to pay for our Lincoln Music Shirts that all music students wear at Lincoln.

The grant helped to ensure that all students, regardless of income, are able to be a part of our group and community. Since having our new uniforms, we look professional and no longer like the “poor” students.

Thank you so much for awarding us the grant for our shirts! We are so thankful for the Kayla foundation 😊

Dana Kettlewell – Lincoln Middle School

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Request for new mic stands that will work for K-12 students.  Awesome thank you!  I told the high school students today, they were so excited!

Last year, the Kayla Foundation gave funds for a portable sound system and we’ve made great use of it!

Jasmine Faulkner – Polaris ELS

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The Kayla Foundation continues to bring music and joy to students in PSD through the generosity of the Adsits and Kayla’s spirit! 

We here at CLP (Cache La Poudre) are so grateful for your continued support of our students’ music opportunities.  Thank you for the Fall 2022 Grant and all you do to help and support us!

Melissa Flail – Cache La Poudre Elementary

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Thank you so much for supporting music in our public schools! I really appreciate you funding the xylophone for my students, especially for the students in my center-based autism program who will benefit from this lightweight portable version.

With gratitude,

Laura Beese – Shepardson Elementary

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Funds to purchase diverse music picture books.

The funds were used on West Music’s website to purchase 20 picture books with various diverse composers, authors, musicians and stories in them.

My schools’ community is very diverse.  Many of my students are minorities, low socio-economic status, and/or English language learners.  

My goal from this grant was to be able to show and teach them about more diverse musical stories, composers and musicians so that they could see themselves in our lessons and learn about our diverse world.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your foundation and look forward to purchasing the books!

Because of the Kayla Foundation I am able to put twenty new diverse musical picture books in the hands of my students. This means the world to us! 

Thank you SO much for all you do for us!

Samantha Dohn – Putnam Elementary

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We asked for repair money for instruments that go to low income students. We repaired 6 instruments for low income students. This is allowing them to be more successful in music!

The Kayla Foundation is a vital part of music education in Poudre School District. We are forever grateful to the family and to Kayla’s memory for their continuing support. 

John Hermanson – Fort Collins High School