Take a closer look at this image.  What story does it tell?  Who do you think is telling the story?

Our Fellow, Stephanie Graham, embarked on an in-depth study of forced migration of the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe from New York to Wisconsin. Not only did her Fellowship lead her to deepen her understanding of the history of her community but it also helped her and her students grapple with important questions like, Who gets to tell History? To learn more about the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe, you can learn more on these Tribe-created websites:

• History of the Stockbridge Munsee Community
• Brief History of the Mohican Nation
• The Mohican People – Their Lives and Their Lands A Curriculum Unit for Grades Four to Five

Fellow Curated Resources

• Stephanie’s Fellowship Passport
• Art project 1: Altered Book Project
• Art project 2: Hexagon Project

“In the current teaching and understanding of indigenous peoples, students in my school feel very removed from the stories. I have seen this in my high school art classes in the superficial use of imagery in their practice of making objects. I also see it in their lessons in social studies, where the knowledge is presented as history and not as living culture that continues to be affected by westernized notions of stories, practice, and object relevance. Students should be taught to understand their role in the relationship between past atrocities and the current climate of injustice… However, the ideas are almost too abstract for children to understand because they lack a sense of connection to the land, stories, and practices of their place of living and learning. Our land is not only tied to indigenous history, it is also the home of important figures in black history, including Mumbet, Dubois, and others. It is through that connection to “place” that students will better understand their identity, which is necessary in developing a sense of empathy towards the people from whom the place was stolen.” 

Additional Fellow-Created Resources

• Hannah Sherk – How landscapes influence and inspire our creative endeavors.

• Sunny Zheng-Herb – Exploration of Native Alaskan arts and culture.

 

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Mural Legend

Today marks the final Friday in August, the end of summer and the conclusion of most of our our 2022 grant recipients’ fellowships. We’ve proudly introduced you to many of these deserving educators through this Fellow Friday series by grouping them in similar categories (math, literacy, music, world cultures, etc.) But some of our Fellows’ plans defy being pigeonholed. To close out the summer, we share a few of those below…

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients.

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Thomas Houston | Sturgis Charter Public School West – Cape Cod, MA
Gather resources and learning about the historiography of the Irish Independence movement in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to create a model International Baccalaureate paper 2 for the Independent Movements unit.

“As a student and teacher of history I have learned with increasing clarity that the memory of history is almost as important as the actual events themselves. This historical memory; how we teach students about the past, and how that changes – the historiography – is fascinating to explore with students. The Irish Independence movement carries a lot of historical memory in Ireland and informs actions that people take today. It played a huge role in the Troubles in Northern Ireland and is now being reassessed again in Ireland due to the centenary anniversaries of the events of the Independence struggle and the discussions over what Brexit will mean for Northern Ireland and the border with the Republic. “

Darlene Martino | Wayne Primary – Ontario Center, NY
Participate in puppetry workshops for teachers in San Francisco, CA and Eugene, OR to introduce puppets as tools for students to build social skills, experience other perspectives, tackle difficult conversations, express opinions, and resolve conflicts.

“Compared to previous youngsters I have worked with over the past two decades of my career, many of my current students are profoundly more emotionally needy. My students are hungry for conversation, they ask for opportunities to work with peers, and they are eager to find connection with others. I see a need to nurture resilience, develop active listening skills, and grow empathy among students and am optimistic that I have found a solution in puppetry. I believe that this highly engaging medium will help students build civic skills, experience other perspectives, tackle difficult conversations, express opinions, reduce prejudice, and resolve conflicts.”

Rachel McMinn | Success High School – Meriden, CT
Bryce McMinn | Orville H. Platt High School | Meriden, CT
Research notorious crimes of the 19th and 20th century in the United Kingdom to create cross-curricular learning through the lens of technology in the field of forensics and the role of investigative journalism in solving crime.

“Our fellowship focuses on real-life examples of crimes that were investigated by pioneers of forensic science and journalism in England. We will visit, photograph and 3D survey the the crime scenes for the late 1800 serial killers of London. We will also visit crime labs, and interview historians, detectives and newspapers to discuss crime scene evaluation, handling of suspects, and collection and analysis of evidence collected from the crime scenes. We will learn the role of the media reporting to determine how this helped/hindered identifying and apprehending suspect(s). This will be high interest content that will be used to engage students and teach to the appropriate level of rigor in our classrooms.”

Amare McPherson & StaceyAnn Palma
New Beginnings Family Academy | Bridgeport, CT
Document best practices associated with the Reggio Emilia experienced-based pedagogy where it was founded in Italy to implement its progressive, student-led and focused learning experiences with PK-8 students at an urban charter school.

“Reggio Emilia has a long history of progressive, student-led and focused learning experiences that we as educators can learn from. Reggio Emilia encourages students of all ages to express themselves through their hundred languages, giving voice to the social, and emotional needs and challenges that are particular to students in our urban charter school community. Giving students the power to authentically and constructively express their thoughts, fears, joys and concerns can generate meaningful discussions, observations, ideas, and possible solutions to personal, familial, communal and global issues of impact.”

Krista Peltier | Mohegan Elementary School – Montville, CT
Investigate the differences in Italian, French, British, and Dutch fashion culture — past and present — to inspire self expression, self reflection, and creativity amongst students in their own fashion designs during makerspace.

“Fashion is a method of self expression and who we are as individuals, while also being a creative outlet. Through examination of fashion in France, Italy, England and the Netherlands, I can bring back historical perspectives and cultural differences amongst fashion in different countries to my classroom. I want to inspire my students to create their own pieces of fashion during Makerspace that express who they are as individuals, but also promote self-reflection and their cultural identities to intermix our academic and social emotional learning.”

Michelle She | District of Columbia Public Schools – Washington, DC
Learn to repair broken braillewriters through Perkins’ Braillewriter Repair Workshops; study non-visual and adaptive techniques for personal care through CN Vision Image Consulting, and improve fluency while learning healthy cooking skills in Oaxaca, Mexico, to enrich the personal and educational experience of students with visual impairments.

“One of the biggest problems facing our vision team today is the lack of fully functioning braillewriters. We currently have approximately 30 broken braillewriters in our inventory. As a result, one of my main goals for this professional development project is to learn about the inner workings of a braillewriter and how to repair broken ones. My second goal is to learn adaptive hygiene, grooming, and self-care techniques to teach my students so that they can be more aware of how others perceive them while in public. People who are visually impaired often feel very ‘other,’ and learning some skills to make sure they look their best will help boost their confidence and self-esteem.”

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“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

If you missed any of this summer series, take the time look back and meet many of the other educators whom we highlighted on Fellow Fridays. Their courage, curiosity and creativity could be just the thing to propel you into another schoolyear. We are proud to call these and ALL of our 9,000+ grant recipients Fund for Teachers Fellows.

We are winding up our “Fellow Friday” summer series next week, after focusing on 2022 grant recipients who are pursuing similar categories of learning, such as literature, special education, Holocaust studies, math, conferences, indigenous studies, music education, and even farming. In advance of International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition on Tuesday August 23, today we share FFT Fellows’ varied approaches to the topic of the Transatlantic Slave Trade…

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients.

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Elise Barnes – KIPP Academy Chicago Primary | Chicago
Janae Reynolds – KIPP Zenith | Houston
Compare and contrast enslaved experiences in Ghana and Cape Town through museums, historic sites, and storytelling, to create a unit in which students learn about the art of African storytelling and create personal stories reflecting their heritage.

“What we know about our student population is that we both teach black and brown children. Some of those children are exposed to their family’s culture daily, and others unfortunately do not have that knowledge. When a child knows or understands their story or what brought them to where they are today, they can feel a sense of belonging and self-worth. We believe that through this fellowship, we can give students more of a sense of identity and who they are.”

James Dolan & Brad Vinson
Sparkman High School | Harvest, AL
Research in Ghana, the United Kingdom and Williamsburg, VA sites pertinent to the Atlantic Slave Trade to create location-based videos, lessons, and primary source activities on Triangular Trade that are currently lacking in availability for history teachers.

“As citizens of the United States, slavery is everyone’s history. The Atlantic Slave Trade is a hard subject to teach, but even harder without resources to supplement. Visiting the locations of the Slave Trade and learning from their local environs will help us showcase their histories to our students. We plan to include primary sources such as maps, pictures of artifacts, and first-hand accounts that can be used in our classrooms, and uploaded on the internet for mass consumption. We plan to interview experts, in videos and outside of videos, to obtain information on the Slave Trade during the 16th and 17th centuries then and its continual impact on the world today.”

Pratia Jordan | O’Donnell Middle School – Houston, TX
Retrace the transatlantic journey through historical sites in Africa, Europe and North America to create multi-modal, 3D virtual learning experiences that allow students to deepen content knowledge and make personal connections to the past and its continued relevance to our present.

“When discussing the content and context around the transatlantic slave trade it is imperative that I get it right, because for some students I am talking about a place they call home. Many of my African students who were born in Africa or are 1-2 generations removed have a strong sense of identity, heritage and pride in their tribe and culture connected to Africa. My sense of responsibility has also been heightened knowing that the lessons I create will not just impact the 120 students I serve in my classroom, but thousands of students who will be taught using the curriculum I am revising for the entire district. I intend to breathe new life into our TST curriculum with the results of this fellowship by seeking out and bringing back vibrant, personal, relevant and multi-dimensional information, primary sources, artifacts and audio-visual documentation on the content such as interviews with historians, residents of West Africa and my own personal blog/vlog.”

Garrett Griffin | East Rock Community Magnet School – New Haven, CT
Ray Walters & Kurt Zimmerman| Highville Charter School – New Haven, CT
Experience UNESCO sites associated with the enslavement of people in Connecticut, Louisiana, as well as related museums in Massachusetts and Washington D.C. to facilitate culturally-relevant and emotionally-thoughtful classroom conversations about the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.

“Having a diverse collection of books is essential in any school library, but I think it’s especially important in a school with such little diversity. The graphic novel books are some of the most popular reading materials in the library: The combination of the written word and pictures make them accessible to all students, even those whose reading comprehension is below grade-level. I believe understanding the culture will help when students have questions about Japanese culture and beliefs that frequently come up while they are reading manga, and help in the decision-making process to bring appropriate, engaging materials to the students who desire it.”

Daniel Warner & Valen Warner
East High School | Memphis, TN
Explore understandings and experiences of Black identity abroad by examining the legacy of the Transatlantic slave trade; abolitionist & anti-lynching campaigns in England; and the emergence of African American artists and intellectuals to Paris to create interdisciplinary curricula on Black identity & belonging throughout the African diaspora.

“Our students bring an impressive depth of knowledge about their own varied experiences as Black Americans to the classroom, and as teachers who strive to value the cultural experiences of our students, we have geared previous professional development toward this subject…Yet both we and our students find ourselves limited in our knowledge of the Black experience abroad. We want to begin our study of the questions raised by our students in our classrooms by looking at Black identity and experience in England and France, with special attention to Black Americans who have chosen to depart the United States to seek personal respite from discrimination and exclusion in the United States.”

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“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

Join us next week for our final installation of “Fellow Friday” for the year!

Today we continue our “Fellow Friday” summer series — despite knowing that many of you are completing your first few days of school. Let these peers be inspiration for you to begin thinking about what YOU could learn and where next summer with a Fund for Teachers grant! These FFT Fellows who designed learning around various aspects of literature…

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients.

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Drew Bicknell-Gates
Mohegan Elementary School | Uncasville, CT
Experience Key West’s influence on Ernest Hemingway’s writing and explore my own creativity at Walt Disney World, culminating in a writing retreat aboard a train, to motivate my students to grow in their writing and creative-thinking skills through inspiration in their everyday lives. (Pictured at Hemingway’s studio)

“As a special education teacher, I often struggle with how to balance teaching incredibly structured programs to meet the needs of my students receiving special education services with creative teaching that I know will be more engaging for my students. Creative people are able to think critically about problems and come up with unique solutions, skills which are gained through practice and experience. I want to help my students build these crucial skills to help them set a foundation on which they can continue to learn for the rest of their lives.”

Stephanie Brown | Floyd I. Marchus High School – Concord, CA
Research in England key sites from Jane Austen’s life and the novel “Northanger Abbey” to design a curriculum that incorporates the use of social thinking curriculum to make novels and their focus on interior thoughts accessible to neuro-diverse students.

“The ability to imagine how another person thinks and feels is a long-recognized weakness among students on the Autism spectrum. However, reading literature improves one’s capacity for empathy and strengthens one’s theory of mind. How, then, do we accommodate students with these challenges so that they may access contemporary literature? The modern novel depends heavily on understanding the thoughts and feelings of others. The very insight the modern novel is meant to provide, then, is potentially inaccessible to students with communicative disorders like autism. My fellowship seeks to make novels and their focus on the “interior” thoughts individual accessible to such students.”

Kim Buckley | East Lyme High School – East Lyme, CT
Get firsthand knowledge of Shakespeare and Bronte by visiting English sites in which they lived and worked and also access the knowledge of experts there to improve anti-racist teaching by adding counternarratives that address the problematic nature of White-centered texts, specifically canonical texts by these authors.

“One genuine problem of my practice is making Shakespeare and Brontë relevant to my students and supporting their engagement with these writers who they see as outdated. Furthermore, I want to address the passivity of students in my classroom to get them actively engaged in their learning through performance. Finally, I want to continue to improve my anti-racist teaching by adding counternarratives and addressing the problematic nature of White-centered texts, specifically canonical texts by Shakespeare and Brontë, an approach that will benefit students not only in my AP classes but also in my other classes as well.”

Kaycee Hallett | Mohawk School District – Sycamore, OH
Interview therapeutic horticulturists and horticulture therapists in Denver, Knoxville and Nashville to create for highly capable students addressing eating disorders the opportunity to utilize plant care/gardening for personal stress management and demonstrate the ability to practice health enhancing behaviors through skills learned.

“Having a diverse collection of books is essential in any school library, but I think it’s especially important in a school with such little diversity. The graphic novel books are some of the most popular reading materials in the library: The combination of the written word and pictures make them accessible to all students, even those whose reading comprehension is below grade-level. I believe understanding the culture will help when students have questions about Japanese culture and beliefs that frequently come up while they are reading manga, and help in the decision-making process to bring appropriate, engaging materials to the students who desire it.”

Brook Hopkins | Soddy Daisy High School – Soddy Daisy, TN
Explore cities in Northern and Central Europe that are the settings for two popular graphic novels pertaining to individual experiences of the Holocaust to build a greater understanding of the systematic way the Nazis exterminated more than six million Jews and help students feel connected to the victims, perpetrators, and bystanders of the Holocaust and its terrible place in our history.

“Great age-appropriate literature, especially graphic novels, create a literary space where students of all reading levels can grow intellectually, emotionally and with empathy in their views of others who differ from themselves within our world. These two graphic novels: Maus: A Survivor’s Tale and Anne Frank’s Diary and The Graphic Adaptation (adapted by Ari Folman) are the focus for an enhanced literary unit and the structure and itinerary of my fellowship. My experiences will deepen my content growth, empathy, and ability to help my students feel connected to the victims, perpetrators, and bystanders of the Holocaust and its terrible place in our history.”

René Peña-Govea | June Jordan School For Equity – San Francisco, CA
Attend the Tin House Summer Workshop at Reed College in Portland, OR, to hone writing, workshopping, and editing skills that inform student writing workshops and provide them additional spaces for self-expression.

“As a teacher-librarian, I am well-versed in encouraging and teaching literacy, but not so much in teaching or holding space for creative writing. I would like to add to my experience as a student of creative writing so I can put myself in my students’ shoes as well as observe skillful teachers to hone my own skills as a writing teacher. My goals are to engage with creative writing as a student in a writers’ workshop and then put my teaching hat on to dissect what the writing faculty is doing. I will then bring those skills back to my school to open creative writing workshops, clubs, or other spaces up for students.”

Victoria Rosenburg | St. Matthew’s Parish School – Pacific Palisades, CA
Explore Great Britain’s geography, cultural landmarks, and historic sites to revitalize a middle school English curriculum with a unit on heritage and literature that expands a nature writing component and brings Shakespeare’s works to life.

“While I am very lucky that my family has been able to trace our ancestry, many of my students do not have access to information about their ancestry. I have taught students who are American Born Descendent of Slaves, who are refugees, and who come from chosen families. I am cognizant of these different backgrounds and aware of how that can impact a student’s experience when participating in a unit on ancestry or heritage. My learning plan, and in turn, the revitalization of my 6th-Grade unit, will be focused on cultural heritage – the traditions, artifacts, history, and stories that are passed down from generation to generation. By refocusing my unit, I broaden the opportunities for students to make connections, experience engagement, and feel included.”

Lorrie Storozuk | Tolland Intermediate School – Tolland, CT
Journey through two National Parks and part of the Nez Perce Historic Trail in Montana and Wyoming to experience the historical setting of the book Thunder Rolling in the Mountains and enrich learning about Native American history for an integrated English Language Arts/Social Studies curriculum unit

“By sharing personal visuals, photographs, and current stories of travel from the region, I can show students the evidence that people eventually understood how the Native Americans’ lifestyle and culture is connected to their homeland and the natural resources because, not only did the U.S. government protect the land of the region by creating several National Parks, but also preserved the Nez Perce National Historic Trail from 1877, and we are still able to visit it today.”.

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“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act defines special education as: “Specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.” Those needs run a wide gamut, with the essential similarity being students who are not best served in a “general education” setting. Teachers called to this sector of school communities often work in non-traditional environments and employ out-of-the-box skill sets to most effectively impact their students and their families. So it should be no surprise that the Fund for Teachers fellowships these teachers design are equally as unconventional. Meet a few of our 2022 FFT Fellows pursuing experiential learning to benefit their special education communities.

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients.

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Melissa Florio & Carissa Miller
Emerson-Williams Elementary School |Wethersfield, CT
Complete a yoga/mindfulness retreat in Portugal’s Sintra National Park to learn techniques for supporting children exposed to trauma and replicate these strategies within the school setting so students can develop emotional regulation skills that empower them to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

“Trauma impacts the brain and the body. Students who are dysregulated are unable to access the executive functions they need to pay attention, emotionally regulate, and problem-solve. By attending this retreat, we will gain techniques that will help students calm their amygdala so that they can be successful learners in the classroom.”

Sam Gurung | Hanes Elementary School – Irving, TX
Complete a Spanish immersion program while staying with a host family in Cusco, Peru, to learn culturally-relevant information that enhances communication with Spanish speaking special education students and their families.

“I am excited for the prospect of innovating in collaboration with my students and the school community as a whole to bridge the gap (specifically the communication gap) between the special education students and general education students, and monolingual students and bilingual students. The fellowship will enable me to design learning experiences for my students where we will make personal connections, work in collaboration and communicate effectively with one another, while also reflecting on our progress, ways I can improve and celebrate our actions, talents and abilities.”

Ryan McGoff | East Boston High School – Boston, MA
Complete intensive language lessons in Medellin and Cartegena, Colombia, to enhance fluency and develop culturally-responsive curriculum for English Language Learners with disabilities.

“By approaching this learning experience through the framework of Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices (CLSP), my goal is to gain a deeper grasp of the cultural, political, social, and economic influences that shape these realities. Additionally, I hope to be responsive to the conditions of a student’s lived experiences and the histories that created them..”

Laure O’Keefe | The Anna Westin House – Saint Paul, MN
Interview therapeutic horticulturists and horticulture therapists in Denver, Knoxville and Nashville to create for highly capable students addressing eating disorders the opportunity to utilize plant care/gardening for personal stress management and demonstrate the ability to practice health enhancing behaviors through skills learned.

“This grant is to provide students the opportunity to utilize plant care or gardening as a personal stress management plan and demonstrate the ability to practice health enhancing behaviors through skills learned. Discussion of personal container gardens and life-long benefits of plant care or gardening will precede selection of a particular garden type (fragrant, colorful, textural, herbal) and the beginning of the plant selection process to create a that personal garden. That little patch of nature will sit on the student’s table and our class will be full of lush plants to feed our hearts and calm our minds and hand “

Michelle She | DC Public Schools – Washington, DC
Learn to repair broken braillewriters through Perkins’ Braillewriter Repair Workshops; study non-visual and adaptive techniques for personal care through CN Vision Image Consulting; and improve fluency while learning healthy cooking skills in Oaxaca, Mexico, to enrich the personal and educational experience of students with visual impairments.

“My passion as an educator is to give my students the tools they need to become meaningful contributors to society. As someone with a visual and physical disability myself, I can say that we are often the ones in need of others’ help, and nothing is more powerful than realizing that we, too, can make a positive difference in others’ lives..”

Jeff Timberlake | Guild Elementary School – East Boston, MA
Investigate in Medellin, Colombia, the Metrocable and railway system, learning how it became a symbol of transformation for low-income communities, to inspire English Language Learners and students with special and/or high needs to harness their unique strengths and interests so they have the best opportunity to be productive and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

“All students need to harness their own unique strengths and interests and reflect the myriad of opportunities that exist so they have the best opportunity to be productive and thrive in a rapidly changing world. This is especially vital to the students in my school which is made up of 71 English language learners (ELLs), 25% students with “disabilities,” and 92% “high needs” because they have a difficult time integrating into their communities and the wider society.”

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“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

This summer, every Friday is “Fellow Friday” — an opportunity to introduce you to the caliber and creativity of our grant recipients. Generally speaking, the learning our grant recipients pursue falls into recognizable categories: Music Education, American History, Indigenous Studies, English Language Learners, Gender Studies, Astronomy, Holocaust Studies, Global Citizenship, Health & Well-Being, Math Education, World Cultures, Geography, etc. But we couldn’t classify Cynthia Renshaw’s learning  — she’s the only person researching Vikings this year!

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients

The unique nature of Cynthia’s grant reflects one of the most distinctive aspects of our organization, which is the freedom and respect we give teachers to design an experiential learning endeavor that they deem most relevant to their classrooms and careers. How do Vikings fit into that equation? Read on…

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I believe my students will be inspired by the fact that in the wide-ranging seafaring wandering of the Vikings, who travelled by boat as far as North America in the west and Central Asia in the east from about 700 C.E. to 1100, they were being in essence, bands of immigrants. I believe that learning about their Nine Noble Virtues and the Viking social rules of mutual respect will inspire our COVID battered population to cohere. Economic blight, violence, racism, bullying, food insecurity and mental illness continue to create barriers for cultural acceptance in our population. Ornate and meaningful creation, community building through government, currency and trade, a reverence for craftsmanship and commitment to enriching the community with unifying symbols are powerful lessons to be learned from the Viking Age.

I chose Scandinavia due to the popularity of cultural references such as Loki, Thor and Oden and after a student survey confirmed a lack of cultural awareness. The natural beauty and rich artistic contributions of the Viking Age will provide compelling material for lesson plans and discussions. Instead of having a cartoon-like association with this majestic culture, I wish to bring to life the factual wonders of Viking longships and what they brought to the world; examples of superb craftsmanship in Viking engineering and ornamentation as well as the stunning natural wonders of the physical landscape. As we explore together, even though we are all coming from different cultural perspectives, we will find our mutual connections and appreciations of Viking culture actually are not that different after all.

I’m seeking to model the courage of a Viking too: as I travel long and far with unknown companions and chance encounters in a rapidly changing COVID environment. In a world of uncertainly and fear, learning about how a teacher goes about deeply exploring, researching and risk-taking during a cultural immersion is a model of planning, investment and reward. Sadly, positive modeling of an unfamiliar country, state or even neighborhood experience is rare for most of our students, yet they yearn and dream of it. On this professionally designed and guided small group tour over land, sea and air, I will access comprehensive historical resources and travel on the geographic path of the Vikings for 14 amazing days. Thinking with the eyes of a student, and modeling research like an archeologist, I will bring this amazing culture to life back in the classroom using artifacts and personal documentation.

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“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

Based on much of the images and narratives we share concerning our 2022 FFT Fellows, one could assume each grant recipient travels to far flung locales for their chosen experiential learning. (Have you BEEN following the learning of Marina Outwater in Uzbeckistan??) However, the majority of our Fellows actually remain in North America. Furthermore, many use their grants to attend conferences, like the following teachers…

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients

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Nora Abbott, Jordan Alley, Molly Fredrickson-Leonard, Julia Gudmunson and Julia Vaughn
Invest Collegiate Imagine School – Asheville, NC
Complete multisensory math training at the Siena School in Oakton, VA, to gain knowledge of cutting-edge practices that give students fun and rewarding experiences and provides real-world practice to prepare them for successful lives.

“Our students feel constantly defeated in the general education classroom when faced with concepts that their peers understand easily. Those learning neurons are sometimes permanently closed when trying unsuccessfully to complete math tasks. By presenting students with a system that has been found to be successful in teaching our students reading and writing and applying it to math, we know our students will be engaged and more likely to love what they are doing and persevere.”

Sasha Cameron, Grant Pearson & Kristy Westbrooks | Yoncalla High School, Yoncalla, OR
Participate in the AVID San Francisco Summer Institute to learn key academic supports and curriculum opportunities that use writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading-based activities that promote college- and career- readiness.

“With this fellowship, we have two learning goals. The first is to provide students with key academic supports. These academic supports will provide students the necessary foundational study skills and practices to be a successful student. These supports are based around WICOR – Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading, and would be the foundation of each teacher’s lesson. The second is that we believe that these supports, in addition to college and career awareness which is an integral component of the AVID curriculum, will provide students the opportunity to explore college and career options earlier and be more prepared forthe avenue they choose in the future.”

Katie Dugas, Jodi Rynearson, & Kimberly Whetzel | Tri-City Elementary School – Myrtle Creek, OR
Attend the “Get Your Teach On” national conference in Orlando, FL, to learn how to foster a safe social and emotional environment in and beyond classroom walls in which students can thrive.

“It is our intent to attend the Get Your Teach On National Conference to meet and learn from the most current and innovative teachers that have proven efficacy in this field. We will bring back with us the tools and ready-to-go lesson plans that will best assist our students in developing these skills. Once these skills are developed, we can then focus our efforts and energy on their academic growth that they will continue to utilize as lifelong learners.”

Tim Dutton | The Bridge Academy Charter School – Bridgeport, CT
Attend the Monterey Bay Math Institute in Santa Cruz and interview professors at UCSC to create a more active, cooperative learning environment that better engages and prepares students for the changing jobs of the future.

“Essentially, I want to work to “gamify” math instruction with the goal of giving students multiple reps with different skills in an environment that makes learning math fun and builds confidence. With the extra paraprofessionals I now have in my classroom, I will be able to run groups small enough to make these games and investigations effective enough to provide accelerated learning and increased engagement. The plan is to make my curriculum at least 30% interactive, truly changing the current structure and flow of the math classroom.“

Donna Kaiser | Stamford High School – Stamford, CT
Participate in the ASM Materials Camp for Teachers at the University of Maryland to learn methods for making math and core science principles more enticing and relevant to high school chemistry students.

“In my urban high school, we lack resources to have state-of-the-art equipment, so the teacher camp in Maryland will provide inexpensive projects and activities to help me as a chemistry teacher to ignite student interest, bring curricula to life, and show practical applications of materials in students’ everyday lives.”

Elizabeth Lucas, Michelle Smith, Cathy Smith, Tara Vance & Amanda Workman
Harts P-8 School | Harts, WV
Attend the Innovative School Summit in Las Vegas to learn strategies for reaching students with a variety of emotional and behavioral challenges and enhance student, school, and the community climate.

“Our students come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from living with grandparents, drug addicted family members or homelessness. Many students, especially those in poverty and those who do not receive family support, are seeing larger learning gaps than those who have family support at home. This fellowship will allow us to immerse ourselves in ways to help our students become resilient and will provide us with strategies and behavior management skills needed to help our students have greater achievement and successes.”

Jason Malli | Vinal Technical High School – Middletown, CT
Attend the Summer World Music Pedagogy Workshop at West Virginia University, SPLICE Institute for Arts and Technology Innovations at Western Michigan University, and Restorative Practices Online at the University of Maine to create opportunities for student self-expression-fostering performance as an experiential, self-paced, recreational, therapeutic, inter-leveled, individualized workshop.

“This experience will help renew my own knowledge of ethnomusicology and learn new manners by which I can share the wonders of unknown or little known music with students and encourage them to use instruments we have in the school to explore new narratives as freely as ancient and indigenous cultures have done for generations.“

Katherine Wetmore | Mathewson Elementary School – New Haven, CT
Attend the ISTE Conference in New Orleans to elevate instructional practices and develop more innovative lessons that challenge students.

“This experience will teach me new and exciting benefits of technology and how to implement them in my classroom. I will build confidence as an educator, learn to guide my students in the practices of being uncomfortable in learning something new, and I will be able to collaborate with experts and teachers from around the globe.“

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“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

This summer we’re closing out each week with a look at what some of our grant recipients are tackling with their fellowships. Topics so far have included: Music Education, American History, Indigenous Studies, English Language Learners, Gender Studies, Astronomy, Holocaust Studies, Global Citizenship, Health & Well-Being, Math Education, World Cultures, Geography and even Anthophilia (the study of bees).

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients

This year, we received a surprising number of proposals from teachers wanting to pursue various aspects of farming and agriculture education, including aquaponics, sustainability, school gardens and food deserts. Meet a few of these Fellows extending the walls of their classrooms into their school campuses and surrounding communities…

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Sara Ballard & Julia Welsh | Rockrimmon Elementary IB School – Colorado Springs, CO
Explore the world of hydroponics in the U.S. Virgin Islands to guide fifth graders’ design and construction of a hydroponics system that supports a new transdisciplinary unit of inquiry that connects science standards of plant needs, water on Earth, and the protection of Earth’s resources. (Follow their learning on Instagram @rooted_in_growth5.)

“Hydroponic systems use 90% less water than traditional gardening because a large portion of the water used in soil-based gardening is lost into the ground and not absorbed by the plants. Similar to the US Virgin Islands, water is also a valued resource in Colorado, which has a semi-arid climate and water is a very limited resource. Once back in Colorado, our 5th-grade team will create a 6-week IB unit of inquiry where we teach our students about hydroponic systems and how they relate to ecosystems, plant growth, decomposition, and Earth’s water use. Our school already has a large beautiful pollinator garden and greenhouse on the west side of the school, which is run by our 5th-grade team with help from students. We successfully transformed the garden four years ago and we bring this vast experience to implementing a hydroponics system.”

Amy Duffy, Regan Marti & Ben Noetzel | Monarch Academy Glen Burnie – Glen Burnie, MD
Research in Costa Rica how local organic farming and other sustainability practices benefit local communities and the environment to expand students’ cultural frame of reference and diversify their perspectives on the impact of sustainable farming and the protection of the rainforest.

“Through tours and interviews with locals, we can bring our students a greater volume of primary sources including various plant and animal species of the rainforest, sustainable agriculture practices and an understanding of the importance of a local ecosystem to a community. We can bring first hand accounts from people who live near rainforests on its importance and communities experiencing the positive impacts of local and viable agriculture.”

Lexis Foster | Mohegan Elementary School – Uncasville, CT
Experience farm stays across Spain to develop a working knowledge of health, eating habits and food culture that helps elementary students build awareness of where food comes, its distribution and how it fuels our bodies.

“Seeing the education system lack health and food awareness in my district and curriculum, I am determined to bring my learning back from Spain back to my students. After researching farm stay experiences and cultural immersion opportunities in Spain, I will have a deeper knowledge of where food comes from and its distribution. I want to inspire my students to think about the process it took for the food on their table to arrive to them and how that food is fueling their bodies. Through this fellowship I will bridge my passion for food with my students’ health while encouraging healthy eating habits.”

Lori Howell| Wayland Union Middle School – Wayland, MI
Join an Earthwatch expedition in Costa Rica studying the impacts of climate change on pollinators, then work alongside local farmers attempting to mitigate these changes by planting trees in experimental plots, to replicate a pollinator studies project with students on the school grounds.

“I will be taking personal action to improve our environment today which gives me hope for our future. With our warming planet we are seeing rising sea levels, increased frequency and intensity of weather events, and species loss. These consequences lead to socio-economic impacts for humans including food insecurity, lack of clean water, loss of livelihoods, and negative health impacts. Through this opportunity, I can help mitigate some of these issues in Costa Rica and at home and inspire my students to do the same.”

Summer Johnson | Lodestar Community Charter – Oakland, CA
Lex Schoenberg | Latitude 37.8 High School – Oakland, CA
Volunteer on, then bicycle between sustainable farms from Whistler, British Columbia, to Portland, OR, to create faming programs rooted in critical hope and climate change resistance at two Title I schools. (Follow their learning on Instagram @teachntour.

“The city we live in is stratified by race and class, and a large portion of the population we serve has limited access to fresh and healthy food, to green spaces like parks, farms, gardens, and many lack access to information about nutrition and where their food comes from. Both of us feel confident in our ability to teach about the causes and effects of an unsustainable food system. However, neither of us have first-hand or practical experience with sustainable farming practices, nor do our curricula focus on sustainable alternatives. We feel as though conversations about our food are incomplete without imagining a better future and seeing concrete solutions to the problems we study.”

Brandy O’Neal | Paul Revere Elementary – Chicago, IL
Participate in trainings, conferences, and a farm immersion programs through Shelburne Farms’ Project Seasons for Young Learners, the Soul Fire Farm Immersion in Petersburg, NY, and the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx to learn strategies for integrating nature-based education in my classroom that promote deep learning, identity building, and health and wellness.

“I could read a book, watch webinars, and download curricula—all of which I’ve done before and will continue doing. However, it is essential that I create content that is most meaningful to my school and community. And there’s nothing like experiential learning. Being the student during these journeys will make me a better teacher when I facilitate the same learning experiences for my students.

Matthew Shea | Old Saybrook Middle School – Old Saybrook, CT
Research ways to incorporate regenerative farming, holistic nutrition, and earth healing along the coast of Maine into a physical education and health curriculum that promotes wellness and connection with nature.

“My passion is to give my students the best opportunity to be well- physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and environmentally. I believe to foster this connection, our students need innovative education about mindfulness, connecting with nature, connecting with the food they eat, opening their minds to how they can do their part in making the planet a better place and in turn create a positive and healthy environmental and social climate in the world around them. Through my experiences at Funds for Teachers, I will be able to network with other educators in my field of students and professionals in the world of regenerative farming, wellness and nature.”

Danielle Smith | Tallulah Falls School – Tallulah Falls, GA
Complete in the Ecuador’s Andes Mountains and around the Cotopaxi volcano an outdoor educator course in preparation for the launch of a program that give students a hands-on permaculture experience through the restoration of an old farm on school grounds.

“My learning goal is to advance my knowledge of environmentally sustainable farming practices, outdoor education curriculum, and leadership skills in order to bring that knowledge back to my classroom and start engaging students with meaningful outdoor education projects that begin to eradicate mindless existence. Thinking is powerful. I want to begin to give the power of thought to my students by shaking them out of the ‘normal routine’ of crazy online learning and bring them back out into the natural world, and in biology, I have the perfect subject area to start.”

Surendra Surujdeo-Maharaj | Booker T. Washington High School – Houston, TX
Complete mini-internships with Ohio State University’s Horticulture Division; Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company in Mansfield, MO and Fairchild Botanical Garden in Miami, FL to research the current state of Controlled Environment Agriculture and inform three classes on the use of agriculture as a tool to address climate change and food insecurity. (Follow Surendra’s learning on Twitter @SurujdeoMaharaj.)

“My problem of practice is insufficient knowledge and practice in the areas of climate conscious food production in outdoor and controlled environments, post-harvest processing, quality control, value addition, marketing, and distribution. It is important to address this problem of practice by building a curriculum aimed to address the issue of food insecurity surrounding food deserts in urban schools to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice.”

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“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

This summer we’re closing out each week with a look at what some of our grant recipients are tackling with their fellowships. Topics so far have included: Music Education, American History, Indigenous Studies, English Language Learners, Gender Studies, Astronomy, Holocaust Studies, Global Citizenship, Health & Well-Being, Math Education, World Cultures, and even Anthophilia (the study of bees).

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients

Today, we elevate the experiential learning of one of our most intrepid Fellows, Marina Outwater (Long River Middle School – Prospect, CT). When her original fellowship was derailed due to civil war in Ethiopia, she pivoted to pursue her intended topic – the Six Essential Elements of Geography – but in Central Asia, specifically Uzbekistan. Marina’s time there has not been without civil unrest, but we caught up with her on the eve of Eid al-Adha (the second holiest holiday of Islam) to hear about her experiences in this ancient land with a population that is 90% Muslim and that encompasses routes of the historic Silk Road.

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Q: Following you on Instagram, one is easily awed by the landscape and also by the unique nature of your fellowship. You’ve helped herd cattle to a summer pasture in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, watched a father instruct his three-year-old son in the tradition of eagle hunting and explored abandoned Soviet-era buildings in Tashkent. How would you describe these experiences?

A: Beautiful. The people here are the most hard-working, hospitable and welcoming hosts. When I arrived at the yurts of the nomads who agreed to let me join them, there was a feast waiting for me. When my driver (who also owned the home where I stayed in one town) dropped me off to go to the animal market for a sheep, I asked if I could join and he said, “Sure!” The landscapes are breathtaking and the history is so rich with things I knew little about before coming here.

Q: Fund for Teachers stresses that our grants are not “travel” grants, but opportunities for teachers to pursue what they believe they need to be effective in the classroom — which could mean a workshop across town. How did you decide to craft this particular experience?

A: I moved from teaching sixth grade to seventh grade last year and my colleague and I were supposed to teach the Six Essential Elements of Geography. The learning was so dry that we didn’t even try. Initially, I designed this fellowship to explore the Six Elements in Ethiopia because my students had little knowledge of sub-Saharan Africa and I wanted to add context to the content. But due to the civil war there, I pivoted to another area that we didn’t know much about. Then, I found a contact who could coordinate authentic experiences for me. For example, when I asked if she knew how I could work alongside temporarily nomadic herders, she said, “Let me call someone.”  Tomorrow, I’m going to bake bread with some local women. I’m going to the market to find fabric and then learn to sew a traditional dress with other women. I wasn’t interested in tourist experiences. I wanted to know what it is really like so I can tell and show my students.

Q: You have two children back home who know their mom is crossing deserts and exploring Soviet-era spaces. Are they concerned? Are you?

A: Not at all. I haven’t been afraid once. Like I said, the people and the places are wonderful. I would unreservedly encourage anyone to come here. There have, however, been a few instances that were surprising. For instance, a guide was showing me Uzbekistan’s White House, the official presidential office in Bishkek. The weather is extremely hot and dry, so we were talking beneath a tree where this young man sat. He didn’t move the entire time. Afterwards, my guide said, “That person was part of the secret police.” My 14-year-old son didn’t believe me! Another time, I had to cancel plans to visit a Russian ship graveyard near the Aral Sea because of political unrest. But this gave me the opportunity to ask people about the protests and hear their perspectives.

Q: What do you want your students to get out of your experiences?

A: First I want students to realize that they don’t have to have a lot to be happy. These people are so gracious and kind and live incredibly full and productive lives. I also want them to see commonalities between these people and themselves. And lastly, I want them to see the importance of history and how it shapes today. The Silk Road was operational before the Common Era and facilitated the growth of our modern world. And in a more current example, I sat next to a young man on a plane who talked about how he would love to come to America, then quickly added, “But let me ask you a question. Why do young people not live with their families?” I explained that I believe it goes back to our country being founded on independence and, for us, children going out into the world is a reflection of that. He replied, “Are you telling me that your lifestyle is based on something that happened in 1776?” and I said, “Yes, I am.”

Q: Last question. What would you say to a teacher who is considering applying for a Fund for Teachers grant, but sees you in Uzbekistan and says, “I could never do that”?

A: You don’t have to! Fund for Teachers is all about empowering you to do what YOU need to do. Also, I’ve received two previous grants from organizations that required previous participation and/or training to be awarded. Fund for Teachers just wants you to be passionate about an idea and then they walk you through the application process. There are so many resources to guide you. You don’t have to do something this adventurous. But you do have to do something that benefits your students — that’s at the core of any successful proposal and meaningful fellowship. It all starts with the students.

Follow Marina’s experiences through the Instagram feed she is updating regularly.

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“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

Thank you to FFT Fellow Bethany Seal and her team mates, Hannah Jones and Heather Serpas (West Harrison High School – Gulfport, MS) for sharing this reflection on independence after recently completing their fellowship contextualizing American history to create a new unit celebrating and reflecting the diversity of their students and bring to life literary texts used in the classroom.

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Growing up, we celebrated Independence Day without fully understanding the meaning, or the purpose, of the holiday–cookouts, family gatherings, and fireworks were what “independence” meant to us. Throughout our years in school, we learned about historic events like the American Revolution, read speeches by politicians about freedom and independence, and recited the “Pledge of Allegiance,” always, of course, ending with the phrase “with liberty and justice for all.” 

As English teachers, we have studied beyond the basics of these events, and have more closely analyzed these words, but it wasn’t until our Fund for Teachers fellowship experience that the enormity of the history, and the weight of the words, became fully apparent to us. 

We’ve all heard “give me liberty or give me death,” and we actually use the speech in our classrooms, but no amount of reading compares to the impact of actually participating in a mock revolution in Boston, or touring the same area where this nation’s founders were bold enough to start a revolution. Our forefathers were literally dying for independence, a right we so often take for granted.

In Philadelphia, we visited the place where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written, and we stood next to the ultimate symbol for freedom, the Liberty Bell; in New York, we visited Lady Liberty herself. Nothing could have prepared us for the weight carried by the experiences of those who were there before us, the people who paved the way for our current freedoms.

In Washington, D.C., we witnessed firsthand the memorials constructed in remembrance of our country’s journey to independence. We felt the impact of those who sacrificed their lives for the independence we have today; there, we thought about the families they left behind–all for the freedom they believed in, the freedom they wanted each of us to experience. We stood in the place where Dr. King expressed his dream for the future, a dream for freedom, independence, and equality for all.

We experienced what it meant to have our safety, our security, and our independence threatened when we visited the September 11 Museum and felt the devastation that an attack on our freedom could have–an attack that happened during our own lifetimes.

These experiences showed us how each of the freedoms we are now afforded stems from brave people standing up against oppression of some kind. Each of these experiences taught us something about independence, bravery, and most importantly, about those people who were involved–people with unfathomable courage and determination, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. 

Through each of these experiences, though, we also began to understand that “liberty and justice” isn’t yet “for all.” Everyone in this country, and many people across the world, currently are not afforded all of the freedoms, all of the independence, they should have. Everyone isn’t able to express themselves freely. Everyone in the world can’t worship freely. Everyone isn’t free from want or free from fear. Though our country and the world have overcome so much in terms of independence and in individuals living freely, realistically, everyone isn’t free just yet. 

Like many, before this journey, we took our freedom for granted. The independence we are afforded now didn’t come freely to others, and for some, these freedoms still don’t come freely. We experienced places where history was made–places where independence was won. We were surrounded by information about those who were brave enough, and those who were bold enough, to make history and to fight for the freedom and independence they believed in. 

Thanks to Fund for Teachers and this fellowship, our view of independence has been transformed. Though the places we visited were significant in history, the lessons we’ve taken from these places are more relevant today than ever. This Independence Day, we will stop to reflect on the experiences we had and the brave people who came before us to ensure our right to be free–and we’ll think about those people currently fighting for freedoms and for their independence still to come.

 

To introduce you to our newest grant recipients, we’ve started Fellow Friday. Last week, we highlighted seven teachers who designed and are pursuing fellowships around music education. For this holiday weekend, we profile multiple teachers who dedicated their fellowships to various aspects our America’s history, including our fight for independence, Westward Expansion, our military in Vietnam and Cambodia and slavery.

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients.

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Cristina Bettesworth & Anna Villegas | Highland Elementary School – Reedsport, OR

Document prominent sties relevant in US History from the 1600s-1800s, particularly the westward expansion, Oregon Trail and gold rush, to develop a working knowledge and database of resources that engage third graders with a high level of adverse childhood experiences.

“Rich, historical content was never a focus in teacher preparatory classes, where reading and math is generally the focus. Another huge roadblock for us in the classroom is the lack of access to materials to teach history in a meaningful way. We currently do not have any history curriculum and have to pull from a variety of resources to present any history to our students. Our learning goal is to educate ourselves better in US history so that we are able to convey the importance of topics to students”

Tracy Dunn | Franklin School of Innovation – Ashville, NC

Survey with a questionnaire adapted from the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project eyewitnesses to American military actions in southeast Asia between 1965 and 1975 to develop resources that teach the consequences of America’s military presence and actions for civilians in conflict zones.

“While American educators have the resources to teach the causes and consequences of our military presence and military actions for Americans, we do not have the resources to teach the consequences of our military presence and actions for civilians in conflict zones. My meaningful examination of civilian eyewitness accounts of American military actions will fulfill and expand upon state standards and provide the full history that American educators need.”

Shira Engel | Elm City Montessori School – New Haven, CT

Conduct on-the-ground research in Washington, D.C. and attend the Bard College Institute for Writing and Thinking’s “Thinking Historically Through Writing” to create two primary documents-based American History units that integrate history, reading and writing into a Humanities experience for Montessori students.

“My first learning goal is to learn about the history of the United States in ways that, to use Howard Zinn’s words, “emphasize the role of working people, women, people of color, and organized social movements in shaping history” through touring key historical sites in the nation’s capital. My second learning goal is to use my research to develop two American history units that use primary sources as key materials of study: one on the founding of the United States and another on American social movements.”

Hannah Jones, Bethany Seal & Heather Serpas | West Harrison High School – Gulfport, MS
Contextualize American history from Washington, D.C. to Boston, MA, to create a new unit celebrating and reflecting the diversity of our students and bring to life literary texts used in the classroom.

“Our goal is to spark student knowledge a d curiosity by contextualizing historic & literary pieces with stories we’ll tell, pictures we’ll show and videos we’ll create from our experiences — and by adding a new unit where authors and texts more closely reflect the diverse students sitting in our classrooms, ultimately leading to a student driven research project.”

Ray Walters & Kurt Zimmerman | Highville Charter School – New Haven, CT
Garret Griffin | East Rock Community Magnet School – New Haven, CT

Experience UNESCO sites associated with the enslavement of people in Connecticut, Louisiana, as well as related museums in Massachusetts and Washington D.C. to facilitate culturally-relevant and emotionally-thoughtful classroom conversations about the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.

“In our practice as teachers, we have found that when the topic of slavery is brought up, the majority of the children, who happen to be children of color, frequently respond with frustration, dismissive embarrassment, laughter and/or silence. Addressing the embarrassment and shame encountered during conversations around slavery is critical for building our capacity to provide effective classroom instruction that instills cultural pride. Additionally, it improves our ability to facilitate dynamic classroom discussions that provide a voice of pride for African American children and other children of color.”

“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

To introduce you to our newest grant recipients, we’ve started Fellow Friday. Last week, we highlighted seven teachers who designed and are pursuing fellowships around Indigenous Studies. Today, we meet a group of Fellows who chose different avenues of pursuing a range of subjects supporting music education.

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients.

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Mark Billota | Roger Ludlowe Middle School – Fairfield, CT

Enroll in a series of virtual master classes in music composition and arranging from world renowned composers and musicians to develop skills that facilitate music composition that engage students in musical performances.

“There are times when a need arises for me to actually compose a part/song or arrange something for my students in a different format or style, but I’m lacking the skill set to do so, as this was something only briefly touched upon in my undergraduate studies and really not at all in my graduate studies. My students will really benefit from my ability to arrange “fun” pop songs they recognize on my own in a way that matches their current skill set.”

Jason Malli | Vinal Technical High School – Middletown, CT

Attend the Summer World Music Pedagogy Workshop at West Virginia University, SPLICE Institute for Arts and Technology Innovations at Western Michigan University, and Restorative Practices Online at the University of Maine to create opportunities for student self-expression-fostering performance as an experiential, self-paced, recreational, therapeutic, inter-leveled, individualized workshop.

“I’ve struggled to find effective and expedited manners to foster individual and group relationships that honor individuality and learning styles and also induce the curiosity, inquiry, and hunger to learn for sake of growth. Connecting to students in ways of mutual respect during such traumatic times to inspire them to want to
really learn enough to get them to become metacognitive learners is crucial and if that can happen in their
arts elective, those skills can transfer into their entire life long learning makeup.”

Michael Peters, Kim Shaker & Holly Sisk  | Tahlequah Middle School – Tahlequah, OK
Participate in the Broadway Teachers Workshop in New York City to receive intensive, innovative and immersive instruction from professional artists to give students a chance to express themselves through musical and technical theatre and address their need to experience love and belonging.

“While most of my assignments have a heavy component of choice (how to interpret the prompt assigned, what subject they want to photograph), students often struggle to tell their story. I want to study storytellers and artifacts from the past to see how first peoples documented their lives and connect that storytelling to the work my students do with photography. . I want them to experience the beauty of natural surroundings and I want to help them see the beauty in their everyday surroundings. I want them to experience how their everyday surroundings impact the story of their lives.”

Kathryn Morse &  Karin Mitchell| Groton Middle School – Groton, CT
Research in Trinidad and Tobago music rooted in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to create strong historical connections and deeper cultural understanding for students, teachers and parents alike, as they discover the many commonalities within the school’s diverse cultural mix through music.

“We designed this grant to broaden our knowledge of world drumming, specifically African drumming, Steel Pan, and the development of the many other styles of drumming which emerged from the African and East Indian religious, cultural celebrations. We hope to use this new knowledge to create strong historical connections and deeper cultural understanding for individuals within our community, students, teachers and parents alike, as we discover the many commonalities within our diverse cultural mix through music.”

“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

To introduce you to our newest grant recipients, we’ve started Fellow Friday. Last week, we highlighted two teachers from Manilus, NY, who designed their fellowship to impact English Language Learners. Today, we meet Fellows pursuing justice, injustices, history, art, sciences and lifestyles of Indigenous Peoples.

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients.

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Anthony Bergstrom | East Hartford High School – East Hartford, CT

While exploring the historic geography of the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, research the history of the Native American people’s to engage students in the study of indigenous cultures, Westward Expansion and the Progressive Era.

“The impact that westward expansion has had on the Native American tribes of the west is profound. While exploring these national parks, my focus will be on the history of the tribes that inhabited these lands (and continue to), their culture and the impact that westward expansion had on them.”

Rachel Clement  | Two Rivers Public Charter School – Washington, DC

Interview tribal leaders and members of the Patawomeck, Rappahannock, Piscataway, and other indigenous nations of Maryland and Virginia to build community-school relationships and create resources that draw connections between indigenous perspectives and restorative justice practices.

“As an associate member of the VA-state-recognized Patawomeck Indian Tribe, I would like to draw on my connections to indigenous community within the Virginia, Maryland, DC region to learn more about East Coast indigenous concepts of justice, local to our area. My hope is that in deepening my (and my network of educators’) relationships with local indigenous community and ancestral restorative justice systems, I can benefit both the areas of cultivating a truly restorative culture at school, as well as deepening relationships
and knowledge of our local communities.”

John Goodwin | BASIS Phoenix – Phoenix, AZ

Conduct research at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC to build two project-based learning experiences that raise awareness of Indigenous experiences at American Indian boarding schools and enhance the physical and digital presence of one such site in our city.

“I will create an extensive database of materials concerning the history of American Indian boarding schools, as well as the presentation of Native American history to the public. In the classroom, my students’ capstone project will require groups to design a two-pronged proposal for teaching materials, on the one hand creating digital history lesson plans to share with educators interested in implementing primary sources on the topic, and on the other hand proposing enhancements to the public history visibility and utility of an under-utilized site in our city.”

Jen Kennedy | College Park High School – Pleasant Hill, CA
Photograph the Southwest landscape (day & night) and also ancient cliff dwellings to document the relationship of First Peoples to the land and demonstrate for career & technical education students how migration & relationship to the land is a common theme in humanity.

“While most of my assignments have a heavy component of choice (how to interpret the prompt assigned, what subject they want to photograph), students often struggle to tell their story. I want to study storytellers and artifacts from the past to see how first peoples documented their lives and connect that storytelling to the work my students do with photography. . I want them to experience the beauty of natural surroundings and I want to help them see the beauty in their everyday surroundings. I want them to experience how their everyday surroundings impact the story of their lives.”

Emily Schmidt | Bronx High School of Science – Bronx, NY
Participate in the Earthwatch expedition “Amazon Riverboat Exploration” in Iquitos, Peru, surveying biodiversity and contributing to community-based conservation projects with the indigenous Cocama people, to broaden students’ perspectives of science to include field biology and indigenous science.

“Participating in this expedition will allow me to take part in many different methods of studying animal populations in the field and see how the data are being used to support not only the local biodiversity but also the livelihoods of the indigenous Cocama people. In fact, the project is located in the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo community reserve, which was the first community reserve established in Peru. Community reserves are protected areas that explicitly benefit local communities as well as wildlife and are managed by indigenous groups.”

Lorrie Storozuk | Tolland Intermediate School – Tolland, CT
Journey through two National Parks and part of the Nez Perce Historic Trail in Montana and Wyoming to experience the historical setting of the book Thunder Rolling in the Mountains and enrich learning about Native American history for an integrated English Language Arts/Social Studies curriculum unit.

“By sharing personal visuals, photographs, and current stories of travel from the region, I can show students the evidence that people eventually understood how the Native Americans’ lifestyle and culture is connected to their homeland and the natural resources because, not only did the U.S. government protect the land of the region by creating several National Parks, but also preserved the Nez Perce National Historic Trail from 1877, and we are still able to visit it today.”

Catherine Teulings | North End Middle School – Waterbury, CT
Explore in Australia how Aboriginal art expresses the soul to introduce students to this art form as a tool for promoting self-reflection and deep learning while also building stronger bridges of understanding across cultures.

“This fellowship will offer an opportunity for me to incorporate a different art form into my curriculum, one that offers another way for students to express themselves. Aboriginal art will create ways to be involved emotionally and personally in their art, seeing themselves as part of the art, as well as being part of a solution. This will also give them the sense that they are part of the greater world, and can solve real problems through being creative, and collaborative with their classmates.”

Sunny Zheng-Herb | William Smith High School – Aurora, CO
Explore Native Alaskan arts and culture in Alaska to incorporate elements of this art tradition in the classroom through the teaching of 3D art forms and elevate awareness of non-Western arts practices.

“While my school has offered a few classes centering on local Ute, Apache and Navajo cultures, no class has ever touched on Alaska Native peoples. I believe that the introduction of Alaska Native art traditions in my school will engender new ways of viewing and creating art, more space for mindful practice in the classroom, and opportunities for community and self empowerment through the celebration of diverse and oft-effaced cultures.”

“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

To introduce you to our newest grant recipients, we’ve started Fellow Friday. Last week, we highlighted two teachers from Manilus, NY, who designed their fellowship focused on gender, art and story. Today, we broaden the lens to look at teachers who chose to pursue learning around the topic of English Language Learners (ELL).

According to the US Department of Education, “English learners (ELs) are a growing part of the K–12 student population. Between the 2009–10 and 2014–15 school years, the percentage of EL students increased in more than half of the states, with increases of over 40 percent in five states.” Rather one refers to this set of students as ELLs, First Language Not English (FLNE), Limited English Proficient (LEP) or Language Minority Students, these Fellows value them as vital components of classrooms and our citizenry. And the learning the teachers have planned speaks to the dedication, creativity and passion our Fellows embody for their pupils and profession.

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients.

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Annette Cazley, Eihab Abbas El-Azazy, Adam Peritz & Micah Reyes
Samuel Fels High School – Philadelphia, PA

 

 

 

 

 

Document in Italy and Greece the intersectionality of languages to teach English learners strategies for breaking down vocabulary and decoding words using Greek and Latin roots and, in doing so, empower them to better understand science based vocabulary, musical terms, and historical events.

“The majority of our students have had very limited exposure to English prior to migrating to the USA. Although they are newcomers, they are expected to assimilate seamlessly and read grade level materials in not only English classes but in all their content classes including, Math, Science and Social Studies. They must do this without the prerequisite background knowledge of learning the meaning of word parts that native English speakers are exposed to in elementary grades. We think making this connection quickly is actually vital and the key to bridging the academic gap for English Learners.”

Kristin Delk & Joy McKarns | Northmont Middle School – Claymont, OH
Sarah Gosser | Northmont High School – Claymont, OH

 

 

 

 

 

Experience El Salvador’s culture, language, and school and community functions to better address the academic and social emotional learning needs of English Learners of Latino heritage.

“Dayton, Ohio has always welcomed immigrant families and we see proof of that with the increase in our Latinx student population. Our students of Hispanic heritage have increased 61% in the last four years. The language barriers are enough to shut any student down, but the social barriers can be overwhelming. Educating these students requires extra time, extra responsibility, extra resources, and empathetic-culturally aware teachers.”

Caroline Jewell | New Milford High School – New Milford, CT
Enroll at the Instituto Superior de Espanol (ISE) in Quito, Ecuador, which incorporates literacy, culture and language, to better engage the influx of English Language Learners bringing a rich cultural heritage who are eager to acculturate.

“In order to help my students acculturate into American society, I must first understand their culture. Immersing myself in South American day to day life, language, customs and history will give me a deeper understanding of who my students are as individuals and the challenges they face. It will also help me better understand their goals. I wish to prepare them so that they will be college and career ready and able to meet the demands of a multicultural society.”

Ryan McGoff | East Boston High School – Boston, MA
Complete intensive language lessons in Medellin and Cartegena, Colombia, to enhance fluency and develop culturally-responsive curriculum for English Language Learners with disabilities.

“By approaching this learning experience through the framework of Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices (CLSP), my goal is to gain a deeper grasp of the cultural, political, social, and economic influences that shape these realities. Additionally, I hope to be responsive to the conditions of a student’s lived experiences and the histories that created them. By completing a Spanish language immersion program, I will begin to develop my understanding of all of these factors and become a more culturally responsive educator.”

Jeff Timberlake | Guild Elementary – Boston, MA
Investigate in Medellin, Colombia, the Metrocable and railway system, learning how it became a symbol of transformation for low-income communities, to inspire English Language Learners and students with special and/or high needs to harness their unique strengths and interests so they have the best opportunity to be productive and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

“This deep dive connects to my current content where I teach how transportation has been a transformative power in the US with profound impacts, both good and bad, dating back to 1869 when the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads met in Utah to complete the Transcontinental Railroad. Through this lens of history we see that the transcontinental railroad created new opportunities for well paying jobs, rapid economic growth, and connecting distant people, yet also happened on the backs of exploited laborers and land that was unlawfully seized from tribal nations. This proposal challenges the single story of Medellin as mere murder capital of the world and encourages students to look at and engage with transportation in a new way.”

“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

The upcoming fellowship of Meghan Slesinski and Emily Mamaclay would make the organizers of the United Nation’s World Oceans Day proud: It will also make their students at Highcrest Elementary School in Wethersfield, CT, more aware of their responsibility to preserve healthy oceans and ecosystems. Here, Meghan outlines how she and Emily plan to explore Alaska’s oceans, geology, and evidence of humanity’s relationship with the environment through a scientific lens to broaden current curricula and help students understand and appreciate the importance of water as a natural resource.

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Happy World Oceans Day! 

For our summer learning experience we chose to travel to Alaska, the only Arctic region in the United States.  We will engage in science education focusing on Alaska’s unique geological and ecological history. Alaska has 94,743 square miles of water and has more than 40% of the nation’s surface water resources including over 12000 rivers and 3 million lakes. Three quarters of Earth’s freshwater comes from glaciers and Alaska is home to over 100,000 glaciers. We will spend 10 days on our summer fellowship exploring and learning about Earth’s water, the integral part it plays in all ecosystems and how to behave as global citizens in our quest to preserve this precious resource.  

Our first stop on our educational adventure will be Anchorage, Alaska.  While in Anchorage we will learn about what Alaska is doing to protect Earth’s resources and environment. We will meet with the museum educator at the Alaska Museum of Science & Nature to learn about efforts to preserve the unique biodiversity of Alaska and about the human activities in industry and everyday life that have had major effects on the ocean. We will also tour the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Lab and learn about the effects of oil on wildlife, bodies of water and shorelines and the efforts employed to clean up after this man-made disaster. We will be able to view an exhibit that has photographic and map comparisons of Anchorage when it was covered first by ice and then drowned in the ocean. We will also learn the story of the last Ice Age in Alaska and the glaciers that remain.  Before departing, we will also meet with educators at the Anchorage Museum, as well as a naturalist at the Alaskan Conservation Center.

Next we will travel to Denali National Park & Preserve to view unspoiled nature and crystal clear lakes. We will take excursions to hear about the ecology, geology, and wildlife of this area. Our guides will share information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect Earth’s resources and environment. 

Our “off the beaten path” guide will share their deep knowledge and help us to experience this rich setting. We will explore glacier-fed, braided rivers, spot cascading ice-falls and the occasional plummeting avalanche, and observe how the ebb and flow of ancient glacial ice shaped the landscape. We will visit and learn about a variety of glaciers. We will be able to witness the calving of glaciers, and learn about sea ice and towering icebergs. Our visit to Denali will include a viewing of Ruth Glacier, a 40-mile-long glacier that flows through the granite-walled Great Gorge – the world’s deepest trench. 

Our learning adventure will end in Fairbanks, Alaska. We will take a geothermal renewable energy tour at Chena Hot Springs which is where the Aurora Ice Museum is located. The Aurora Ice Museum is the world’s largest year round ice environment! It was created from over 1,000 tons of ice and snow. The museum was completed in January 2005 and stays a cool 25° Fahrenheit (-7° Celsius) inside thanks to the geothermal water machine. During our tour we will learn about this energy saving project as well as others that have been utilized in this location. 

By bringing back authentic examples of individuals who have fought to preserve the environment in Alaska, we believe these climate action role models will strengthen students’ beliefs about their own ability to play a key role in affecting positive change on the environment. Our students will learn about water’s integral part in our survival and the survival of our ecosystems as they “go along” on our journey through our blog and vlogs. A new unit, Earth’s water and how it cycles through Earth’s systems and affects human societies, will include a variety of inquiry based learning tasks, exploring the world’s ecosystems, their reliance on water, and our responsibility as global citizens to preserve the environment. Our plan is to have our students seek out similar experts in their own communities and interview those individuals and create their own vlogs that can be posted on our district website for the community at large.

This fellowship will allow us to meet with locals, naturalists, museum educators, and scientists. We will be able to visit exhibits, take part in environmental tours, conduct science experiments, and immerse ourselves in unique and authentic undertakings. We will have the opportunity to gather a multitude of resources and stories to bring back to our students. The stories, personal experiences, documents and artifacts obtained will provide depth to our science units. The proposed learning gained from our journey will inform our content and in turn provide opportunities for inquiry based learning to occur for our students. This fellowship will enable us to drive our curriculum in a way that only this experience can provide.  

To introduce you to our newest grant recipients, we’ve started Fellow Friday. Last week, we highlighted a fellowship focused on the bee population & environmental science. To begin Gay Pride Month, we chose to focus on two teachers who designed their fellowship to link gender, art and story.

Liz Lutz & Elizabeth DelConte (Fayetteville Manlius High School – Manilus, NY) will research across France gender disparities in Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel’s artistic relationship to create a unit of study related to gender and representation in the world of art that springboards student exploration of competing narratives through Literature and writing.

 

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients

“Despite the sheer number of authors and poets writing, our high school students remain exposed to very few writers; those authors they do spend time with still tend to represent mainstream culture: white, male, and straight,” wrote the teaching team in their grant proposal. “We believe that students deserve to be exposed to many voices and stories. Equally important is giving students a chance to experience those stories through competing or complementary voices.”

The primary vehicle for this research will be women’s representation — and the lack thereof — in art history. Through research at the Louvre and Musee D’Orsay in Paris, Liz and Elizabeth will document female artists’ works placement relative to their male counterparts within the museums, as well as stories presented about their work. Observing artwork at the Musée Rodin and Musée Camille Claudel (Rodin’s apprentice/mistress) will provide further material for a new “Competing Narratives” class this fall. Finally, visits to Monet’s home in Giverny and also Versailles allow for reflection on the roles of women in art and history and, as the duo wrote, “unearth forgotten stories” to share with students in 9-12 English classes, as well as those in elective courses including History and Structure of the English Language, Gender and Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Film Studies.

Helping students who feel “other” is the driving motivation behind this fellowship. According to Liz and Elizabeth, the school’s student body has a growing number of students who identify with the LGBTQ community, but that is only one population that tends to feel marginalized: Students who are not high-performing, as well as those with less financial means struggle with mental health issues (which Claudel also experienced).

“We want them to fully experience the issues with representation. This can then be extended to an understanding of how diversity and equity rely on first-hand knowledge. The diversity that many of our students experience is limited, so we want them to understand how limiting that is when attempting to understand others,” they said. “So many of our students express an interest in the stories of the often-silenced. We’d like to harness this energy and curiosity and bring it into the classroom. Our project gives students a chance to broach these conversations in the safe space of the classroom.”

One more thing inspired this work — students’ hunger for change.

“Students have explicitly called for new texts and authors to be added to the curriculum as a way to challenge the often white, male, straight voices typically taught,” said Elizabeth and Liz. “We hope our fellowship will inspire more students to challenge the narratives that reign even here in our school and classrooms. Certainly students who are interested in uncovering silenced stories will be in a unique position to instigate positive change.”

“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

To introduce you to our newest grant recipients, we’ve started Fellow Friday. Last week, we highlighted fellowships focused on Astronomy. Today, we focus on one particular fellowship with implications on food and food security, sustainable agriculture, climate change mitigation, poverty reduction and rural job creation. That’s a lot of pressure on the back of an insect with no knees.

Laura Wilmoth (Oak Ridge High School – Oakridge, TN) designed a fellowship to collaborate with Earthwatch scientists researching in Utah how human behavior is impacting the bee population and ecosystem to develop a citizen science project for biology and environmental science students that builds trust in science through scientific literacy.

 

Click here for a complete list of grant recipients

Laura’s motivation was not to prop up World Bee Day (which the United Nations declared as today, May 20) but to prop up the validation of science. She explains:

“As a high school biology and environmental science teacher, scientific literacy including critical thinking and problem solving is at the core of my mission as an educator. However, just as we have seen throughout the nation in the last 18 months, I have many students whose parents, grandparents, or other care takers have recently begun expressing a strong mistrust of science for a variety of reasons,” wrote Laura, who holds an undergraduate degree in biology and a Master’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology. “If we build a generation of students with a strong science foundation then they will be able to carry those skills into adulthood. As a society, we will no doubt be more prepared to tackle and make informed decisions about some of the most pressing issues facing the world today.”

For two weeks, Laura’s days will bee spent on specimen surveys, scouting wildflower/pollinators, preserving genetic tissue, collecting seeds and related tasks undertaken by researchers. Evenings will be spent listening to lectures by resident scientists.

But why bees?

“Species are facing dramatic declines that have many scientists calling this time period our 6th mass extinction. Some species, called keystone species, have a central role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem,” said Laura. “Bees are keystone species because of their role as pollinators, and therefore, declines in the bee population can have wide ranging implications for ecosystem health and human food resources.”

And, because upon returning to the classroom, Laura plans on developing a project based learning, citizen science project around pollinators so students can experience hands-on science with real-world impact.

“Ultimately, if the data we collect helps in some way protect the bees, we will be benefiting the plants and animals as well as farmers in our community which can have a ripple effect on nearby ecosystems,” wrote Laura in her grant proposal. “Further, the lasting impacts of this experience on my students can improve the community and society as a whole in that students who take part will be more scientifically literate. Then, my students will develop into scientifically literate and curious people who will be better prepared to solve the problems of today and of the future.”

“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

We look forward to introducing you to more 2022 FFT Fellows next Friday!

This month we shipped our 2022 cohort of Fellows branded T-shirts, lanyards, and lapel pins in recognition of their accomplishment and in anticipation of seeing these items again on social media posts throughout the summer. The stylized “A” is the most prominent aspect of our logo, but the image means much more than the first letter of the English alphabet.

Fund for Teachers chose the sextant as our logo because it represents, according to Astronomy.com, “a device descended from antiquity included aboard command modules to assist with guidance and navigation.” Perhaps you recall Jim Lovell, played by Tom Hanks in Apollo 13, using a sextant and stars to navigate safely back to Earth; however, as early as the Phoenicians, people have looked to the stars to navigate land and sea. Again, according to Astronomy.com:

“Sextants measure the angular distance between two different objects — usually distant stars, although on Earth the Sun and Moon can be used as navigational aids as well. Information derived from sextants can be used to identify one’s position on a map or chart and is vitally important when no land is in sight. Sextants were widely adopted after their introduction in the 1700s, as they could be used day or night and operated even aboard a shifting or unstable platform.”

Navigate uncertainties? Works day and night? Vitally important? Operates on a shifting platform?
Sounds like a teacher to us.

That’s why the sextant and associated themes inform our Creed:

Now, when you see images of teachers proudly wearing their swag on our social media posts, we hope you’ll see them as more than grant recipients. Because WE see them as explorers, pioneers and vanguards. And we are proud to call them FFT Fellows.

Enjoy these images of previous Fellows representing around the world and watch for more on our our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds in the coming months. And special thanks to FFT Fellow Julie Valsaint (Wagoner, OK) who shared the top image of the plaque crafted for her by teammate Stephen Biggs (pictured right) after they investigated the effects of water pollutants on local streams, rivers, and lakes, to see how water upstream affects the ocean ecosystem and created a unit on watersheds and conservation to use with Project WET through the nonprofit Blue Thumb.