York Education Foundation Announces 2012-2013 Grant Awards

On your mark...get set...GO!!!!

The York Education Foundation (YEF) announced the funding of six grants for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year following its monthly board of director’s meeting in June.  “We were thrilled with the quality of the grant requests that were submitted this year”, said Ann D’Aquila, chairperson of YEF’s Grant Committee, “and we are even more excited to be able to fund these six programs.”

YEF is an independent, non-profit organization of community volunteers committed to excellence in education.  Its mission is to provide funding for innovative and challenging programs in the York Public Schools that are beyond the scope of traditional funding.  With funds raised through community-based activities, YEF awards grants for exceptional projects and programs proposed by York educators and employees at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.  Here’s a brief overview of next year’s grant programs:

“Picture This!” is an art appreciation program for kindergarten students.  Coordinated by Phyllis Giordano and April Noble at Village Elementary School, “Picture This!” will utilize art work from the permanent collection of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art to support specific units of kindergarten study and give students the opportunity to develop different skills and perspectives when relating to art.  The program will culminate in a field trip to the Museum.

Flo Larson, Library Ed. Tech. and Liz Reisz, Director, Library/Media Services at York Middle School will receive a grant to fund the initial purchase of a school-district specific library of downloadable eBooks geared toward readers in grades 3-12, as well as six eReaders for the YMS library.  The “OverDrive Advantage Program” will enable York to start a collection of high interest titles that will be accessible only to York students. Studies have shown that eReaders increase motivation and assignment completion in reluctant readers, and free choice in reading selection and format increase students’ motivation to read.  This grant will give students access to a wider variety of electronic titles than has ever been available, thereby providing more students a greater chance of success and enjoyment in reading.

Suzi Young, grade 5 teacher at York Middle School, will be awarded a grant to fund the purchase of materials to create puppets, and the hiring of a professional puppeteer to teach all 5^th grade students how to make puppets and perform with them.  Work with puppets frequently has a beneficial influence on learning and social development, and provides an alternative for tactile learners or more introverted students.  The project will be implemented across the subject areas of the 5^th grade curriculum, and performances will be developed for the lower grades as well, creating a connection between the lower schools and middle school.

“Activating Learners with Student Response Remotes” is a project created by Michael Cleary, social studies teacher at York High School.  With funding provided by YEF Mr. Cleary will purchase student response remotes for use in high school social studies classes.  The devices are designed to enhance student classroom engagement and provide immediate feedback on student comprehension.  Students must remain engaged and on task, as the system requires their participation by “clicking in” to answer questions.  Further, it enables the teacher to instantly modify lessons based on assessment of student learning.  The ultimate goal of this pilot is to introduce this emerging technology in other subject areas and classrooms.

                Elementary school teachers will attend evening training sessions to explore effective classroom management, learn strategies for teaching positive behavior, and discuss responses to misbehavior next year in a program named “Responsive Classroom Professional Development – Effective Classroom Management”. Created by Julie Crafts, grade 1 teacher at Village Elementary School and Kathy Welch, school counselor at CRES, the program is designed to create a common language and common classroom climate, and to facilitate the sharing of classroom management strategies between colleagues. 

YEF will also fund “English as a Second Language Summer Session” in the summer of 2013.  Mary Reinhardt, ESL teacher, Ed. Tech III, will continue to provide language and educational services throughout the summer to students who do not speak English as their primary language and who are at risk of losing whatever proficiency and knowledge of the language they have gained during the school year.  “Maintaining proficiency into the subsequent school year is important for the ESL student”, said Mrs. D’Aquila, “and will have a positive impact on the other children in the classroom as well.”  Ms. Reinhardt will work in collaboration with the classroom teachers to ensure appropriate individual student objectives are set, and provide a detailed evaluation at the end of the program.

In related news, YEF’s primary fundraiser, “Uncorked!”, took place on May 6 at The Cliff House in Ogunquit.   The Foundation is pleased to report that once again this year the event was both enjoyable and successful.  With the support of more than 160 attendees, as well as the many area businesses and craftspeople that provided products and services for the silent auction, “Uncorked 2012!” raised more than $15,000 for the Foundation’s grant fund.   

At the York School Board meeting on June 6, YEF board member John Alexander presented the first “Henry R. Scipione Award” to outgoing Superintendent Scipione.  The Foundation wished to honor Dr. Scipione, as his early involvement was critical to the creation and development of the York Education Foundation.  In the future YEF will memorialize Dr. Scipione’s efforts by giving the award “to an educator whose efforts serve to promote and advance excellence in education for students of the York Public Schools.”

Including the grant awards for the upcoming school year, The York Education Foundation will have issued more than $120,000 in grants to fund programs such as those described above.  Virtually all of the monies raised by YEF go directly back into the school system.  If this is something that interests you, YEF is always in need of volunteers!  Please visit the foundation’s website at www.yorkeducationfoundation.org, and contact any board member.  Get involved today!