Education Foundation Distributes Grant Dollars to Local Teachers

The Education Foundation of Indian River County is pleased to announce the Reach Grant and Quick Response Grant winners for the months of January and February. Nearly $3,400 was awarded to three schools through the two grant programs.

The Education Foundation of Indian River County's Great Ideas! Grant Program offers public and private school teachers several grant opportunities throughout the school year. The purposes of the grantsare to increase literacy in the classroom through the use of technology. The Reach Grants offer fundingup to $2,500. Quick Response grants are awarded on a rolling monthly basis up to $500. Below are the recent grant recipients of this program:

Reach Grant Winner:

"United We Stand", Jonna Streeter, Glendale Elementary School:

The purpose of this grant is to be able to convert classroom televisions to PC monitors using a PC-to-TV video scan converter. This device will enable the classroom teacher to project a computer screen to the entire class without the need for a projector. This valuable tool will assist forty-one teachers (Pre-K through 5 th grades) with instruction, sharing streaming video, demonstrating technology skills, internet searches, and much more. Specifically, the new equipment will be used to utilize United Streaming, a digital video-based learning resource from Discovery Education. With Discovery Education's United Streaming, educators gain on-demand access to 50,000 content-specific segments from 5,000 full-length educational videos. A grant of $2,400.00 will fund this project.

Mrs. Streeter commented, "It is anticipated that there will be an increased use of technology in the delivery of instruction throughout the Glendale campus. In order to evaluate the use of the converter, we propose to conduct an informal survey targeting the teacher's current use of United Streaming. We will conduct successive surveys at the end of the next 2 quarters. This data should provide an indication of the increased use of technology in the delivery of instruction."

"Performance Based Diploma Program", Dr. Renee Keller, Sebastian River High School:

The Performance Based Diploma Program (PBD) is offered as part of the overall comprehensive Dropout Prevention efforts within the SDIRC, and is designed to provide strategies to help these at-risk students experience success, remain in school, and earn their high school diplomas. Although the curriculum is not as rigorous as the General Education curriculum, it meets the specific needs of students by providing computer assisted instruction and a strong vocational emphasis. The students are required to pass the FCAT, pass the GED, and earn 6 vocational credits with a certificate of completion in one area. In terms of the behavioral requirements of the PBD program, each student (and guardian) is required to sign a formal behavior contract with responsibilities of both parties delineated. Preventative measures, including counseling and Aggression Replacement Training (ART), are provided to all students within the program.

Sebastian River High School plans on furthering the success of these at-risk students. The funds provided by the Quick Response Grant will be utilized for tangible positive reinforcements (e.g. gift cards, restaurant certificates) for students demonstrating appropriate and on-track behavioral and academic/vocational performance within the ART program. All the students are required to individually develop their own weekly, as well as semester goals. The students will benefit from immediate rewards for accomplishments (achievement of goals), which in turn would lessen their already at-risk status. A grant of $500 will fund this program initiative.

Dr. Keller commented, "Our short-term goal at Sebastian River High School is to increase pro-social skills and academic performance, promote character, and decrease office discipline referrals. Our long-term goal is to increase the chances that these students will successfully complete the PBD program, earn a high school diploma, and become productive members of society. In addition outcomes will be measured for each individual student in the areas of mastery of computer based instruction, achievement of passing grades (C or better) in vocational classes, and discipline record (number of office discipline referrals, number of detentions, time spent in-school and out-of-school suspension)."

"Unlocking the Reading Puzzle: Differentiating Reading Instruction", Nicki Lachowicz, Treasure Coast Elementary School:

Fifty-four students Kindergarten through second grade students enrolled in Primary Project Child Reading will benefit from this $462.00 grant. Students will have the opportunity to work at their own pace, at their own instructional level, while simultaneously addressing multiple learning styles to increase student achievement in phonics, work attack skills, spelling, vocabulary and comprehension.

"The curriculum utilizes the Versa Tiles Reading/Language Arts Lab and two Comprehension and Vocabulary Starter kits. Students in the K-2 Project Child classrooms will spend at least one day per week working on the Versa Tiles activities. The activity workbooks are based on the Put Reading First 5 essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Versa Tiles promotes independent learning by allowing students to practice skills with his/her choice of tiles, and adjust levels up and down as needed.

Mrs. Lachowicz commented, "Students will be able to receive instant feedback and make corrections without fear of embarrassment whil tracking their own progress. Because the product is durable and non-consumable, this project can easily be used indefinitely."

The Education Foundation of Indian River County offers teachers funding for innovative ideas through its Great Ideas! Grant Program. Three levels of funding are offered throughout the school year. The Greatest Idea Technology Grants provides $30,000 technology grants to public elementary schools. The Reach Grants offer funding to public and private schools up to $2,500 for technology to increase learning. The Quick Response Grants offer all Indian River County schools an opportunity to apply for up to $500 on a rolling monthly basis. All funded programs utilize creative concepts to engage and increase literacy. This program is funded by the Florida Legislature, the John's Island Foundation and Bank of America.

Grant Deadlines:

The Greatest Idea!, Reach and Quick Response Grants proposals are due to the Education Foundation Office by Monday, April 14th, 2008. For more information or a grant application, please email Cynthia Falardeau, Education Foundation Executive Director, director@edfoundationirc.org, or visit: www.edfoundationirc.org or call: 564-0034.