These days a creative teacher’s wish
list includes more than pencils, paper, and glue sticks. Robotics kits. Solar system models for first
grade students. Drums for a middle
school percussion club. Classic texts in
modern formats for “Read Across the Planet.”
Local public school teachers who
partnered with their Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) now have a new source
of funding to support these engaging educational experiences: Chatham Education
Foundation’s new PTA Matching Grants Program.
Chatham Education Foundation (CEF) is an
independent nonprofit that grows partnerships to improve education
opportunities for public school teachers and students. This new program is one
of the many ways CEF is building stronger connections between Chatham County’s
public schools and their communities In December it announced its first five PTA
Matching Grant Awards presented to: Jordan Matthews High School Robotics Team,
Virginia Cross Elementary School’s First Grade Blasts Off for the Moon!, Chatham
Middle School’s Rhythmic Rams Percussion Ensemble, Sage Academy’s “Thespians,
Themes, an Theatre!” and Silk Hope School’s Veterans Recognition Ceremony.
 On November 9, CEF Board Member Jamie
Callicutt Cox, a CEF Board Member and Silk Hope School Administrative Intern, presented
the first PTA Matching Grant to Silk Hope School at its Veteran’s Recognition
Project. According to Cox “This program embodies
what CEF is all about: creative educators bringing together school and
community to enrich the educational experiences of all children. As part of their curricula, students learn
about the history of our nation, but a program like this brings those history
lessons to life.”
A $ 1,500 leadership gift from Research
Triangle Institute International (RTI) Community Partnerships Program help CEF launched
this new fund, aimed at boosting the coordinated of efforts of school
volunteers and educators to find resources for projects that impact large
numbers of students.
For over 20 years CEF’s volunteers and
staff have partnered with local businesses and residents to bring new learning
opportunities for students and teachers. In 2011-12, Creative Teaching Grants
funded by local donors benefitted 1,800 students and 82 teachers
county-wide. Recent partnerships funded high-tech lab equipment now used
by all Chatham County Schools middle school students in
their science classes. A professional
development partnership expanded mentor activities for the school system’s
National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) candidates.
Later this month CEF will announce the
2012-13 Creative Teaching Grant awards. Interest from teachers was
exceptionally high this year. CEF’s
Executive Director Sue Carson reports “We’ve identified many innovative
classroom projects seeking support.
Unfortunately we may only be able to partially fulfill many requests and
decline others due to limited resources.”
Chatham residents, community groups, and
businesses are invited to help CEF fully open these local windows of learning
opportunities for students this year, either with financial donations or offers
of in-kind goods and services. Community
members interested in supporting public education are invited to “Choose
Chatham with CEF” to be linked to selected school projects that match their
interests. For more information visit CEF's website www.chathameducation.org an click on "Support CEF". |
posted Dec 27, 2012, 10:10 AM by CEF Webmaster
Generous support from teachers and community members made it possible for CEF's Creative Teaching Grants to bring new learning experiences to 1800 students and 82 educators in the 2011-12 school year. Thank You! Grants Listed
by High School District:
Chatham
Central High School & Feeder Schools:
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Bennett
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Panther Prep Advisory Program (P3)
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Amy
Beavers, Sally Murchison
Description: Fitness equipment and Teen Talk Media Savvy
materials to enhance new middle grades daily
advisory program promoting academic
success and health. (9 educators, 82
students.)
Bonlee
Interactive Teaching Stacey Garity
Description: Partial funding for purchase of Mimio Teach
Interactive Studio tools to facitate student use of
classroom whiteboards. (4 educators, 25
students).
Chatham
Central High School
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21st Century Enrichment Tailor Made Enrique Cachafeiro
Description: Adobe Captivate software to enable science
teachers to produce customized interactive
web-based learning modules. (5 educators, 36+ students)
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2011-12 CEF
Creative Teaching Grants
Jordan-Matthews
High School & Feeder Schools:
Chatham
Middle School
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Lights, Camera, Action! Tom Campbell, Sharon Prytle, Faith Colling, Susan Szpunar, Dustin
Jennin
Description: Art
supplies and costumes for Drama Club’s
production of The Wizard of Oz (8 educators, 43 students, 15 community
members)
Chatham Middle School
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Visual Learners are Readers, Too!
Lindsay Gaines
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Description: Graphic novels with high interest content
for struggling readers (20 educators, 50 + students)
Jordan Matthews High School
A Place of Our Own Lisa Ross, Basha Blades,
Andrew Atwell, June Arthurs
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Description: Equipment
to enhance outdoor space for students with sensory integration challenges.
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Silk Hope
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Guided Reading Equals Students
Succeeding Dana Teague
Description:
Guided reading books for fourth grade collection (2 educators, 20+ students)
Silk Hope Pre-K
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Lights, Camera, Action! Kathryn Vitaro, Cleta Coble, Mattie Jean Fox
Description: Child-friendly video cameras for creative
projects. (3 educators, 19 students)
Virginia Cross Elementary
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Time Travel to Colonial America on Our Turf Tori Mazur, Lisa Barrile, Jenna Hussey,
Daphne Terry, Craig Kiplinger
Description:
School visit from Camp Flintlock’s Colonial and Native American
history interpreters and hands-on learning
centers. (7 educators, 55 students)
Virginia Cross Elementary
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Talk About Recording Stars! Wendi Pillars Description:
Voice recorders and microphones to promote oral proficiency
and reading fluency.(7 educators, 40
students)
Virginia Cross Elementary
Books to (Truly) Change Lives Wendi Pillars Description:
Illusory Book publication kits to strengthen writing skills
of third graders (1 educator, 18 students)
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SAGE Academy
SAGE Head Start
1,2,3 Learn Math With Me! Jordan Brafford, Angie Staley, Alvee Anderson
Description: Preschool classroom
materials for teaching math concepts (7
educators, 75+ students)
2011-12 CEF
Creative Teaching Grants
Northwood
High School & Feeder Schools:
Horton Middle
Science
Infomercials Create and Learn Governors Club Grant
Susan Mayer, Melissa Key,
Amanda McGrane, Lesa Henry,Becky Devinney
Description: Mini
video cameras to produce commercials demonstrating
knowledge
of animals and their habitats.
(4 educators, 80 students)
Horton Middle
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There's No Place Like Nature…Linda DeHartchuck
Description: Seventh grade visit to Jordan Lake State
Recreation Area.
(9 educators, 103 students)
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| Perry Harrison Elementary
Get Up Get Moving! John & Linda Zaremba Grant Jennifer Sipe
Description: Pedometers
used by students in gym class to discover
target fitness heart rates and calculate
distance travelled throughout the USA.
(46 educators, 510 students)
Northwood High School
Graphics Lab Software Governors Club Grant Neal Morgan, Leslie Burwell
Description:
Expanded school graphics lab with Adobe Creative Suites
for student newspaper, art & design
projects. (2 educators, 50 students)
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posted Aug 6, 2012, 7:48 AM by CEF Webmaster
2011 CEF Creative Teaching Grants Award Recipients & CEF Public Education Partner Award Recipient (Mr. Marty Clayton, far right, accepting for Progress Energy) |
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