Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Hashimi
Inspired by the Social and Emotional Learning benefits of crochet, students Finley Hartzell and Lucy Rios, 5th grade students at Ellsworth Elementary school, along with support from Kimberley Rutan, Ellsworth’s principal, requested Express Grant funding for crochet Wooble Kits for Ellsworth Craft Club’s Calming Crochet Corner.
The Naperville Education Foundation (NEF) awarded the Ellsworth grant for this school year, having approved a similar grant at Lincoln Junior High School the previous school year.
“Our whole school has learned how to tell if our brains are regulated and what helps us calm down when we are feeling disregulated,” students wrote in the Ellsworth grant application. “Fifth grade students have learned the power of crochet as a means to pratice patience. It makes you feel calm and relaxed.”
During the 2022-2023 school year, NEF funded an Express Grant at Lincoln Junior High School (LJHS) to facilitate the creation of a Crochet Club held during 8th grade lunch.
Jennifer Hashimi, school counselor at LJHS, applied for and received the grant to fund supplies—including yarn, crochet hooks, needles, pom poms and thread.
The club aligned with district Social and Emotional Learning competencies of Self-Awareness, Relationship Skills and Self-Management in a creative way. Students met once a week from February to April 2023 to work toward their crochet goals.
“The crochet club is innovative because it is something completely new and unique compared to other clubs or intramuralas offered at LJHS,” Hashimi wrote in the grant application. “Meeting during lunch periods enables any student to participate. Many clubs and intramurals involve equity issues because kids don’t have access to transportation. This is an easy, non-threatening way for kids to connect and get involved at school.”
At the culmination of the grant’s implementation, a survey was administered to students who participated.
There were 16-to-20 weekly participants, with 100% reporting that they felt “a strong sense of belonging” during Crochet Club and 68% sharing that they “met a new friend” during Crochet Club.
One student shared that they enjoyed creating something and working together with students and teachers to create the final product.
“I enjoyed that you could make something even if you weren’t the best [and] you had your friends who knew how to crochet to help you as well as the teachers,” the student said.
Another student shared that the club provided space for a fun activity even if the end result was not perfect.
“It was fun, different and fulfilling,” the student said. “Even ifyou made mistakes, crochet was also very forgiving so that as long as you don’t want a perfect product, it still looked good. In the end, even if you got help finishing it, you had something that you knew you had made. It was also fun for [the penguins] to have personalities.”
Both grants have impacted over dozens of students since their implementation, providing an innovative way to meet Social and Emotional Learning goals and foster student creativity.
