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#BalanceforBetter

[minti_dropcap style=”box”]W[/minti_dropcap]hen Heather Ely purchased the college text book for her first music history course, she eagerly flipped through looking for female composers — and found none. Almost ten years later when creating the curriculum for her music students at Lake Park Elementary in Bethany, OK, available resources highlighted the same male composers who dominated…

Social Skills for Special Students

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]M[/minti_dropcap]ichelle Erwin teaches special education at Carlton Pre-Vocational Center in Cypress, TX, outside of Houston. Last week, however, our board of directors and staff were her students as we learned about her fellowship and its impact. We were so inspired that we asked Michelle to write something that we could share with others, knowing…

And The Learning Goes To…

Last night’s Oscars telecast inspired some awards of our own. Without further ado, we present a few of our 2018 Fellows who designed learning experiences around the performing arts… Most Creative Use of Funds Diana D’Emeraude | Canyon Vista Middle School – Austin To make the most of her 42-day stay across the pond, Diana found hostels…

Programming Par Excellence

Yeah, yeah, some of you took today off for President’s Day, but did you know that one of the men you’re celebrating is also recognized as our nation’s first engineer? That’s why in 1951 the National Society for Professional Engineers chose this as National Engineers Week to raise awareness of engineers’ positive contributions to quality of…

Darwinian Destination

This week marks the 210th birthday of Charles Darwin who, according to Scientific American, proposed the most powerful idea in science. International Darwin Day (February 12) was established in 2005 to inspire people throughout the globe to reflect and act on the principles of intellectual bravery, perpetual curiosity, scientific thinking, and hunger for truth as…

Not JUST Chinese New Year

On Tuesday, we shared on article on our Facebook related to resources for helping students celebrate Chinese New Year. FFT Fellow Liz Kleinrock (also the 2018 Teaching Tolerance Award Winner) brought to our attention that many Asian countries celebrate Lunar New Year during this time period, not just China. Indeed, from January to the…

Model Teachers

A common misconception about Fund for Teachers fellowships has to do with their destinations. While many of Fellows choose to pursue learning abroad, the majority stay stateside. Furthermore, a fellowship’s “wow factor” has nothing to do with its funding potential or potential impact (i.e. repopulating coral in the Caribbean vs. taking a seminar in Seattle)….

To Not Kill Twice

This week began with International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorating the 77th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Fund for Teachers grant recipients often design fellowships around sites associated with the holocaust so their students can better understand the political climate contributing to the Nazi Party’s rise and the ensuing extermination of six million Jews. Last summer…

“Plant”ing STEM Seeds

In addition to building Passats in its Chattanooga plant, Volkswagen builds a workforce through its onsite academy. That’s because job applicants arrive unprepared for technical careers, deficient in STEM skills and critical thinking capabilities. Daniel DeScalzo and Tarah Kemp also prepare a pipeline of qualified employees, they just happen to be doing it at nearby…

F.L.O.S.S. at Each Meal

Students wielding knives at North Haven High School are par for the course – Traci Planinshek‘s Culinary Arts course. She teaches food preparation and presentation skills to her Family and Consumer Sciences students and envisions them as future members of the local workforce, supporting a community’s economy, ancestral traditions and personal nutrition. This trifecta of…

2018: Destinations & Inspirations

This annual look back represents what can happen when teachers chart their course to keep content relevant and students engaged. We hope they inspire you to dream big about what 2019 could bring for you and your students! For extra inspiration, enjoy these videos of our 2017 and 2016 FFT Fellows. To be part of next…

#StandUp4HumanRights

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]T[/minti_dropcap]his week marked the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to proclaim the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being — regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property,…

The Era That Will Live in Infamy

On Pearl Harbor Day, we remember the 2,403 people killed in the surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. The “date which will live in infamy” launched America’s entry into World War II; the bombings also resulted in the internment of 7,000 Japanese American citizens in relocation centers by order of President Franklin…

Lives Well Lived

On this national day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, we also remember the life of Nelson Mandela, who died on this day in 2013. Many Fund for Teachers grant recipients choose to research Apartheid as a vehicle for teaching racial reconciliation and social justice. We share glimpses into recent fellowships below: Christine Mariano…

Advocating for Vocational Training

Every teacher strives to prepare students for a productive future. For students with special needs, that future can look atypical. Fortunately, in New York City’s public education system, Anne Cortissoz is an atypical teacher. Recognizing few opportunities for vocational education, especially for students with disabilities, Anne used a Fund for Teachers grant to attend the…

Restoring Peace and Identity

Kindergartners at John M. Moriarty Elementary in Norwich, CT, sit on carpet squares in a circle, passing a stuffed turtle around and saying one nice thing about their class. The activity is in response to one student showing a lack of respect for their teacher, Alan Reichle; it is also modeling the Kwakwaka’wakw tribe‘s restorative…

Bringing Knowledge of Native Americans into the 21st Century

The mascot at RHAM High School is a Sachem, or tribal chief, in association with local tribes near Hebron, CT, and that’s about all the exposure Margaret Clifton’s students (95% white/0% Native American) had to this demographic’s history or culture. Their lack of awareness also hindered their interaction with Senior English texts, including Sherman Alexie‘s…

Giving Haitian Students Something to be Thankful For

The motto of Edward W. Morley Elementary School in West Hartford, CT, is “Character Builds Community.” Principal Ryan Cleary and the school’s staff sought a meaningful way to put that motto into action and decided to focus special attention on the country and people of Haiti. In collaboration with the nearby Crosby Fund for Haitian…