Education Foundation Awards 21 Teacher Grants To Support Innovative Classroom Projects

Submitted by Downers Grove District 58.

Technology that encourages student ingenuity. Books that generate meaningful discussions. Activities that foster social-emotional learning.

These are just some of the themes represented among the 21 teacher grant projects that the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 awarded this school year. The Education Foundation selected these projects after completing a thorough and blind review of all grant proposals submitted to its Teacher Grants Program last month.

“Congratulations to this year’s grant recipients!” said David Olsen, Education Foundation Grants Committee chair. “We selected grant proposals that we felt would inspire innovation and sustain into the future. We were particularly moved by the thought that staff put into their grant applications. We thank everyone who applied for a grant this year.”

The Education Foundation annually awards grants to teachers and staff who have a good idea with a solid plan, but lack funding to implement it. The Foundation selects projects that show strong potential to impact instruction using innovative tools and/or techniques. Project proposals must align with the District’s curriculum goals and have measurable outcomes, among other requirements.

This year, the Foundation will award $21,350 to 21 teachers and groups of teachers.

“The Education Foundation’s Teacher Grants Program gives our teachers additional resources to further enhance curriculum and instruction within their classrooms,” said Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli. “On behalf of District 58, we sincerely thank the Education Foundation for their continued support of our mission and goals. We also thank our families and friends who contribute to the Foundation’s many fundraisers, allowing the Foundation to host this great program.”

Congratulations to the 2015-2016 teacher grant recipients:

Baritone Saxophone, David Balika, O’Neill:

This grant will purchase a new baritone saxophone, an integral instrument to both concert and jazz bands. This baritone saxophone will replace a 45-year-old sax, which commands costly upkeep and is currently unplayable. This new instrument should last for decades, allowing many students to play it, building and broadening their musical horizon.

Rolling Into Coding, Julie Batkiewicz and Craig Young, Henry Puffer

This grant will teach students basic coding skills in a fun yet challenging environment. A Sphero is a small, spherical robot that students can program using a mobile device or tablet. The Sphero also promotes collaboration, critical thinking and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills.

Yoga Immersion, Caitlin Choinski, Mallory Wielgolewski and Patricia Cepeda; Highland, Indian Trail and Pierce Downer

This grant will bring yoga equipment to Highland, and possibly Indian Trail and Pierce Downer schools, giving students the opportunity to participate in school yoga clubs. Research indicates that yoga can improve a child’s physical fitness, social-emotional learning skills, academic performance and self-esteem. This grant hopes to leverage these benefits.

Classroom Library, Matt Cunningham, Herrick

This grant will create a classroom library featuring a variety of genres and student-recommended books, all within 10 feet of the students. Its goal is to encourage choice reading, allowing students to identify genres and authors they enjoy and inspire them to become lifelong readers.

Second Grade Biliteracy Classroom Library, Karina DeLeon, Kingsley

This grant will expand the District’s Biliteracy Program’s classroom library, adding new, culturally-relevant books in both English and Spanish to complement the students’ bilingual curriculum.

OK Let’s Learn, Investigate and Evolve, Kelly DeMarco, Pierce Downer, and Nicole Ring, District Instructional Coach at Pierce Downer, Highland and Lester

This grant will enhance students’ coding and STEM instruction by giving them access to a cylindrical device called an Ollie. Students will problem solve together by programming and coding the Ollie to complete different tasks.

Enhancing Classroom Libraries with an Emphasis on Nonfiction/Informational Text, Nicole Ferroli and Kate Nickell, O’Neill

This grant will bring more popular young adult books to these two teachers’ middle school classroom libraries, giving students even more book choices. The classroom library encourages students to read and make book recommendations to classmates. This has resulted in students reading more books.

School Digital Piano and Piano Dolly, Janet Hecht, O’Neill

This grant will add an electronic piano to support O’Neill’s thriving music department. O’Neill’s choir has increased in size over the past few years, and a portable digital piano will help O’Neill sustain and continue to grow its music program. A piano dolly will make moving the piano across classrooms more efficient.

Putting the “T” in STEM, Jill Henry, Herrick

This grant adds digital microscopes and scientific probeware sensors to enhance inquiry-based science instruction. This type of instruction centers around the student gaining world knowledge and understanding through discovery, exploration and questions. These digital tools will allow students to collect data and develop their own experiments like scientists would in the field and in the lab.

Classroom Library, Kerri Hickey, Herrick

This grant will incorporate easily accessible, age-appropriate, interesting books to this teacher’s middle school classroom. The books will generate classroom discussion regarding plot, characters and real-life situations that take place in the books. Students will hopefully better connect with their peers through a shared interest in literature.

Wireless Microphone, Maria Ibarra Lorence, Kingsley

This grant will purchase a wireless microphone for the District’s K-1 biliteracy classroom, allowing the students to create better quality media projects with their iPads. The addition of a wireless microphone will improve students’ final media projects and enhance their understanding of media.

Learning Through Literature: Using Novel Groups to Develop Empathy & Compassion, Debra Krygeris, Whittier

This grant will bring engaging novels into the sixth grade classroom, igniting conversations, stimulating discussions and empowering students to take action both in their community and worldwide. All books selected will impart lessons regarding inclusivity, respect, empathy and compassion.

PebbleGo: Database to Increase Learning for Primary Grades, Elizabeth Levy, Fairmount and The Emergent Reader as Researcher, Joan Mommsen, Belle Aire

Both of these grants fund PebbleGo, a multi-faceted academic research database that teaches research skills to a new, or emergent, reader. Students will use the database for both curriculum-aligned school projects, as well as for innovative Genius Hour activities. The intuitive PebbleGo database offers self-paced learning for diverse learning levels.

Reading Rocks: Creating a Classroom Library, Mary Loversky and Julie Janowicz, El Sierra

This grant will provide El Sierra’s sixth grade students with new reading choices right within their classroom, making it easier than ever to find and check out a new book. Titles will include several student requests.

Novel Ideas!, Patricia Miller, Belle Aire

This grant will add new, award-winning young adult novels to encourage students in the middle grades to read more books that appeal to them. By giving students more choices, it will be easier for them to find a book they enjoy, particularly readers who sometimes struggle with reading. In addition, the new novels will replace a few popular books in poor condition.

The Inviting Classroom Library, Deb Roach, O’Neill

This grant will enhance O’Neill’s special education reading library, bringing additional high-quality and interesting fiction and nonfiction books at all levels to pique student interest and promote the school’s reading culture.

Classroom Library, Alison Swade, Herrick

This grant will create a classroom library to supplement reader’s workshop. Reader’s workshop is a reading-supported environment within the classroom that increases motivation and reading achievement by allowing students to choose a book to read. Research has proven an authentic classroom library – one that is selected based on the interests of the class – is crucial in creating a reading-focused environment.

3D Printer, Maura Vivona, El Sierra

This grant will purchase a 3D printer, allowing students to use science, technology, engineering, art and math skills to design an item that can be printed on this three-dimensional printer, making the entire science experience come alive for the students.

High Interest Reading for Low Level Students, Cori Walter and Sandi Hudecek, Highland

This grant aims to help low-level intermediate students gain interest in reading. Many low-level intermediate readers gravitate toward books that look interesting but are too difficult for them. Books at their reading level tend to look primary, which can frustrate and embarrass them. This grant will bring low-level books with high-interest story lines that appeal to an intermediate-aged student.

Student-Centered Learning: Creating a Positive Environment in our Classrooms, Bev West and Addie Kostellic

This grant will support leveled, genre-specific books for these teachers’ existing classroom libraries. Students who read avidly develop bigger vocabularies, improved fluency/comprehension and other skills, which directly impact their testing and MAP scores.

Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has raised and distributed more than $500,000 to District 58 schools. Funding is made possible via events and programs such as Oktoberfest, the Spring Concert, the Green Apple Program and online contributions. In addition to the annual grants, programs sponsored by the Foundation include Sneak Preview, Select 58 and Distinguished Service Awards, among others.