The FM Education Foundation has recently awarded six grants to educators who will provide innovative, educational opportunities for students in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District.
These projects have already made an immediate impact on the curriculum and in the classrooms. With the granting of these six applications, the FM Education Foundation is extremely proud to have supported projects at every one of the district’s schools. In the first year since its re-launch, the FM Education Foundation has awarded more than $12,000 to fund exciting, creative and progressive learning projects to enhance the academic experience.
The six grants have been awarded to:
• Marcy Baker and the Fayetteville Elementary School Site Based Team, for books and presentation materials in support of their “BEE a Buddy” Buddy Bench character education program. The program endeavors to create positive social interactions during recess. With this grant, the FM Education Foundation is proud to have supported the character education programs at each of the district’s elementary schools.
• Beth DeWolf and Vincent Pillari, Eagle Hill Middle School, for stand-up desks to provide an out-of-the-box approach to engage students in the classroom. Stand-up desks address individual learning styles and allow the students to physically benefit throughout the day, as studies have shown that students with stand-up desks burn more calories than those who sit. The FM Education Foundation has funded the purchase of five stand-up desks and five adjustable stools (to accommodate sitting or standing) to allow the students to choose what arrangement suits them best.
- Karen Gibbs, Enders Road Elementary School, for eight Hokki stools and the students are already wiggling and wobbling their stress away. Hokki stools are ergonomic seats that allow students to keep moving, while seated on a stable base, and Gibbs applied for them to enhance her classroom’s learning environment and enable students to choose the space in which they work best. “I like to use them when I am stressed out because they help me concentrate,” said student Sami K.
- Matthew Six, Eagle Hill Middle School, for funding for a DSLR camera to enhance his units of study on Adobe Photoshop; stop motion; video editing, production and animation. The students’ creativity is extraordinary and under Six’s guidance and tutelage, the students can channel their talent into submissions for awards and competitions, as well as developing a life-long love for animation.
• Rebecca Stephens and Megan Scott, Eagle Hill Middle School, for materials to start a history book club to expose students to high quality, historical fiction and non-fiction. Students will blog and interact with other book club members through Google Classroom and participate in a Skype author visit.
• Bridget Wojnovich, Eagle Hill Middle School, for a STEAM Creation Station to foster creative problem solving, outside-the-box thinking and critical analysis through exploration, creating, manipulation, experiential, collaborative and individualized learning. For example, Wojnovich will utilize the microscope (capable of projecting onto the classroom SMART Board) to help the students gain a deeper understanding of microorganisms. By enhancing the current curriculum and utilizing the STEAM Creation Station, students will be able to discover and actively engage in exploratory learning and be able to see the natural connections among science, technology, engineering, art and math.
The third and final round of grants for the 2016-2017 school year will be announced the first week of August.
The FM Education Foundation is a non-profit organization that 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.
For more information, contact [email protected] and find and like the FM Education Foundation on Facebook.
