Dowling Parent Teacher Organization

Working together to support Dowling Elementary School

Dowling Elementary School seeks to create a social and academic climate that gives students a strong feeling of belonging.  Dowling is distinguished by its environmental focus,  special education programs, a highly qualified and stable staff, and an unparalleled desire to have fun with learning. Dowling has a unique history–it was founded in 1924 to provide education to children with disabilities in the city of Minneapolis. In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt visited Dowling and dedicated its therapeutic swimming pool. 

The Dowling Parent Teacher Organization fosters community and raises funds to provide a wide range of educational enrichment programs for students. We help to fund class trips; external speakers and programs; books; classroom supplies, and events for students, families and teachers.   Dowling PTO provides learning opportunities that would have otherwise been unavailable to our community.

How have contributions been used in the past?

The majority of the PTO’s budget is used to fund direct grants to teachers and staff. These grants have supported a wide range of wonderful activities for students in recent years. A few examples include: 

• The 4th and 5th grade classes made an overnight trip to the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro, MN. 
• Midwest Scuba provided SCUBA instruction to 4th and 5th graders in the Dowling Pool.
• Our music teacher hosted Hip Hop Dance Artist and Teacher who provided sessions on Hip Hop Dance technique and history.
• The Special Education teachers hosted the organization Upstream Arts, which uses visual art, theater, poetry, music, and dance to develop social/emotional and communication skills.
• The 3rd grade teachers hosted naturalists from the Three Rivers Park District to provide sessions on environmental lessons, map and compass reading, winter survival skills, and constellations.
• The School Social worker purchased gift cards for various area stores (Target, Cub, etc.) to support students whose families are in crisis.

The Dowling PTO also subsidizes the school yearbook and holds various events for the Dowling community over the course of the year, such as the Dowling campout and the end-of-year Carnival celebration.