The FM Education Foundation has recently awarded four grants to educators who will provide innovative opportunities for learning in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District. The projects that will be funded are diverse and will have an impact on many of the District’s students.
The grants have been awarded to:
•Joshua Buchman, Fayetteville-Manlius High School, for robotics parts to assist the F-M Robotics Club in enhancing and developing a competitive team for the FIRST Tech Challenge competition. Buchman and the F-M Robotics Club will also provide outreach to the elementary schools within the district to encourage and instill interest in robotics, programming and computer/electronic skills.
•Julie Wolf, Mott Road Elementary School, for a training program called “Beyond the Bench” to assist students at recess gain confidence, teach inclusion, and learn conflict resolution skills. Wolf, who will receive the training, will in turn train Mott Road staff and introduce the Buddy Bench and its purpose to the students. The program is designed to encourage students to be inclusive, empathetic, compassionate, and kind.
•Lisa Baribeau, Wellwood Middle School, for supplies to create a flipped classroom. Baribeau will create instructional videos, which the students will watch outside of classroom time as homework. During classroom time, students will participate in cooperative learning activities to practice the concepts outlined in the instructional videos. Baribeau will present her research and findings, with Dr. John W. Tillotson, in a journal article.
•Howard Botting, Wellwood Middle School, for littleBits classroom kits to teach an electrical unit to sixth grade students and allow them to design, build, and test their solutions to posed problems. By introducing STEAM concepts to students at a younger age, Botting hopes to spark an interest in robotics and engineering and expand the current curriculum by introducing and including a unit on electrical components.
The FM Education Foundation aims to enhance the academic experience of students by partnering with the community and educators to create innovative opportunities that are beyond the District’s curriculum and resources. The FM Education Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information, contact [email protected].
