Four AUSD Schools Receive LIGHT Award Programs Grants

ALAMEDA, CA — Eleven teachers across four AUSD schools won Light Awards from the Intrepid Foundation last month, which will allow them to move forward with two innovative projects next year, Alameda Unified School District announced in its monthly newsletter.

According to the newsletter, six teachers at Paden Elementary School will receive a $30,000 grant for their project, The Power of Play.

"The Paden community has explored this research since the 2017-2018 school year through their Learn and Play by the Bay program," AUSD said, adding that the program currently explores play outside the classroom through the Paden Makerspace and play shed."

The Intrepid Foundation grant will allow the six teachers "to deepen their research by integrating play" into the classroom to inspire what the district called, "choice, wonder and delight."

"This project will build on this team's passion for educating the whole child, and will return some of the joy to the teaching profession,” the team which consists of Erin Head, Michael Kramer Wong, Joanna Katz, Christine Schnetz, Lianna Girshman and Eva Cohen, wrote in their application.

Also receiving a $30,000 grant for their project “Our Changing Planet — Community of Practice” are a group of five teachers from Maya Lin School, Wood Middle School, and Island High School and their organizational partner IDEAL Bay Area.

Through their collaboration, the team consisting of Maya Lin School teachers Constance Moore and Emily Roberts, Wood Middle School teachers Lindsey Shepard and Marci Nettles along with Island High School teacher Heidi Guibord aims to "deepen our understanding of environmental justice, indigenous wisdom, and creative practice, to better understand our world, and as educators advocate for just climate solutions."

The grant team said they drew inspiration from the district project Our Changing Planet, launched in collaboration with IDEAL in 2019 at Bay Farm Elementary, Love Elementary, Maya Lin School, Otis Elementary, Paden Elementary, Ruby Bridges Elementary, Edison Elementary, and Wood Middle School.