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…

In Memory of FFT Founder, Raymond Plank

WWII Veteran, business leader, philanthropist and stalwart individualist, Raymond N. Plank passed away at his beloved home in Ucross, Wyoming on Thursday, November 8th, 2018 at the age of 96. Throughout his life, he continued working, writing, reading, learning and contributing to society. Plank founded Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA) and managed it for fifty-five years as…

Beyond Dia de los Muertos

Pixar’s Coco familiarized many with the tradition of Dia de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead.” And before Nancy MacBride‘s fellowship to Oaxaca, Mexico, the annual holiday inspired Voluntown Elementary’s singular art project honoring Latin American history and culture. Now, the celebration honoring life and death is just one in a series of year-long…

Wicked Good Learning

Happy Halloween! Today, we’re celebrating the clever teachers who incorporate creepy into their curriculum to engage students. Read on, if you dare… Emily Young (High School for Arts, Imagination and Inquiry – Brooklyn) investigated how places “haunt” writers and readers by exploring Salem, MA, and The Stanley Hotel (which inspired Stephen King’s The Shining) to…

Nature-ally Curious

Starr Weems’ students live in a state that ranks at the top in biodiversity, childhood obesity and unhappiness. Her answer: Get them outside. Scientists refer to the Alabama farmland surrounding Ardmore High School as “America’s Amazon,” but Starr’s survey of students revealed that 56% of them spend less than three hours per week outside —…

Today in History – Alaska!

  The name of our 49th state derives from the Aleut word alyeska, or “great land.” Many FFT Fellows would agree after experiencing the culture and ecology of the land that – 151 years ago today – was acquired from Russia for $7.2 million. In celebration of Alaska Day, enjoy the following images, insights and…

Tips from the Pros (aka Fellows)

Two weeks ago, Fund for Teachers opened the 2019 grant application. Have you been thinking about where you want to go and what you want to learn? For a little inspiration, today we share excerpts from a piece produced by the Stamford (CT) Education Association highlighting the learning of FFT Fellows from the area. Maybe…

Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day?

Columbus may have sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred ninety two, but South Dakota instituted October 8 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in nineteen hundred eighty nine as a counter-celebration. This is the holiday Rebecca Zisook’s students will be commemorating today due, in large part, to her FFT fellowship this summer. “Previously, our third grade…

Peace is the Path

In honor of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday today, we share the thoughts of teachers who analyzed his practice of ahimsa, or non-violence on their 2015 FFT fellowship. Katie Seltzer and Eric Berge spent five weeks in India learning about the teaching of non-harm present in Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. They share some of their experiences and…

2019 Grant Application Available Today

Learning Out of Africa

“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks – on your body or on your heart – are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”…

The Evolution of a Teacher and Fellow

Last week in Chicago, our board of directors meeting agenda included a special guest – 2017 FFT Fellow Paula Dell, teacher at Robert Lindblom Math and Science Academy High School in the city’s South Side. Paula used her grant to work with researchers and professors active in current excavation, research and teaching of human evolution…

What’s Worth Saving?

FFT Fellows take planes, trains and automobiles in pursuit of knowledge that will engage students. Kristie Blanchard and Christine Troup’s transportation of choice? Camels. UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be hard to get to. According to the United Nations Education, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Heritage Sites are cultural and/or natural sites considered to…

At the Intersection of Lane and Kilauea

Fund for Teachers fellowships are NOT vacations. So when a teacher applies for a grant to learn in Hawaii, selection committees raise an eyebrow. The proposal has to be extra convincing that teacher learning and student impact will extend beyond beautiful sunsets and drinks with tiny umbrellas. Christa Phillips’ proposal passed muster. A first-grade teacher…