Tarah and Dan meet the individuals responsible for creating Chattanooga’s VW Akadmie

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

“As we reflected on the impact of Volkswagen in our county, we grew curious about the influence of European branches of the company in educational communities abroad,” said Daniel. “We designed a Fund for Teachers fellowship to explore how assembly plants in Barcelona, Brussels, Ingolstadt and Wolfsburg, Germany, partner with schools to create an interdependency that produces gainfully-employed high school graduates.”

Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant

With help from Volkswagen’s senior vice president of human resources, the teachers researched real-world skills modeled in European plants and discovered that most of the employees on assembly lines were 17- or 18-year-olds who left work in nice cars and drove to comfortable homes. Technical and vocational training during primary school years positioned these students for careers and often fully-paid graduate degrees with the company.

Exposure to the inner-workings of the automobile plants helped Daniel and Tarah realize that the missing link between their students’ knowledge and future STEM professions was a deficiency in engineering design. In response, Tarah established a network among local business executives to increase students’ exposure to job opportunities close to home. She also pitched an idea to Public Education Foundation’s Teacherpreneur program to obtain funding for a 3-5 year initiative that promotes hands-on, project-based learning through a culinary unit. Daniel applied funds saved from the FFT grant toward the purchase of robotic kits and invited mechanical engineers from a local pump manufacturer to partner with students on prototypes.

“If you ask our students about career goals, they would list being a YouTube personality, sports star, video gamer or fashion designer,” said Daniel. “Through exposure to industry opportunities and engineers, we want students to say, ‘I want to make things, design things, do this for a living.’ We want them to know there’s so much opportunity out there and empower them to make a life for themselves and the world awaiting them.”

(pictured above touring Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg plant, the largest automotive factory in Europe.)

Students wielding knives at North Haven High School are par for the course – Traci Planinshek‘s Culinary Arts course. She teaches food preparation and presentation skills to her Family and Consumer Sciences students and envisions them as future members of the local workforce, supporting a community’s economy, ancestral traditions and personal nutrition. This trifecta of impact materialized in the form of an FFT fellowship focused on F.L.O.S.S.

Two years ago Traci planted a small school garden to support a curriculum promoting fresh, local, organic, seasonable and sustainable food (FLOSS). Student engagement increased as they experimented with produce, herbs and spices associated with the area’s first inhabitants, the Quinnipac tribe. Inspired to take the learning one step further, Traci used a Fund for Teachers grant to explore historic culinary movements of the Pacific Northwest, including contributions of indigenous people in that region.

Traci worked alongside chefs at Tillicum Village, an island off of Seattle promoting British Columbia tribes, and visited organic dairies and gardens on Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound. From the lock system supporting salmon migration to fishmongers of Pike Market and food trucks in Occidental Park, Traci observed the farm-to-table movement in action. All of these experiences harvested hands-on learning for her students, who produced a community-wide luncheon in collaboration with surrounding farms and vegetables from the school garden. Funds raised from the event supported five students’ participation in Disney’s “Cook Around World” contest in Orlando, FL.

A student harvesting for the community luncheon

“On field trips to farms around North Haven, students negotiated the purchase of produce while witnessing the passion for what is, for many owners, decades of a family business,” said Traci. “Teenagers took responsibility for their own learning and developed an awareness of the required work ethic for this local citizenry.”

Even if students choose to pursue careers outside the food industry, Traci feels confident in their futures. She embeds literacy, numeracy skills, science – and now history and culture – into every lesson, giving students opportunities to develop critical thinking skills and cooperative learning capabilities sought out by employers.

“Having the financial support to follow something that I’m so passionate about was beyond words,” said Traci. “I feel that many times teachers are not validated, but this grant changed that for me and now I incorporate that energy into the daily curriculum — passing on that spirit and learning on to my students.”

Traci’s students competing at Disney World

This annual look back represents what can happen when teachers chart their course to keep content relevant and students engaged. We hope they inspire you to dream big about what 2019 could bring for you and your students!

For extra inspiration, enjoy these videos of our 2017 and 2016 FFT Fellows. To be part of next year’s recap, start your 2019 grant application today at fft.fundforteachers.org.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]T[/minti_dropcap]his week marked the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to proclaim the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being — regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Fund for Teachers is equally proud of the learning all of our grant recipients pursue because each fellowships represent a teacher’s initiative to bridge a gap in knowledge, be it theirs or their students’. That said, the activism of FFT Fellows always inspires, as you can see from our most recent fellowships focusing on Human Rights…[minti_divider style=”1″ icon=”” margin=”10px 0px 10px 0px”]

Jenny at one of Pinochet’s prison camps in Chile’s Atacama Desert

Jenny Quirindongo & Laura Bennett
University Heights High School & Mott Haven Village Prep. High School | Bronx, NY

Fellowship: Investigate how human rights violations compare in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to consider how people have attempted to reconcile atrocities and combat future violations to

“My learning aroused a range of emotions, from feeling both horrified and depressed, to inspired,” said Laura. “For me, what I will take away from this experience and teach in my classroom is empathy and empowerment. Empathy to want to make the world a better place and empowerment to do so. Young people need to feel they have a voice and can make a change. Once we lose that, and our spirit of activism, (and I hope it’s not too late) I feel we are only steps away from the unimaginable ourselves.”

Brian Peck & Zach McCullough II
Osborne High School & Mumford High School | Detroit

Fellowship: Experience language and cultural immersion within a Honduran Garifuna village to improve personal understanding of this unique Afro-Latino community fighting for ancestral lands and produce a novel with accompanying digital curriculum for novice Spanish students about the African diaspora in Latin America, human rights and Honduras’ current crisis.

“Our goal was to capture stories of young Garifuna people who can help our students understand the history of this dynamic Afro-latino community.  I joined a Witness for Peace walk for a human rights delegation across Honduras (pictured below) and interviewed people at Arcoiris, an LGBT organization in Tegucigalpa that has faced unfathomable repression since 2009 after a military coup usurped the democratically elected president.

Prior to this trip I didn’t comprehend the magnitude of indigenous people’s history in Honduras and the degree to which they must struggle for their rights and land. I think I will always keep the essential question of how indigenous people are impacted by policies as a foreground of any inquiry in my classroom. Whether we are speaking of foreign policy or immigration, my students and I need to know how to research and understand indigenous history and present-day narratives.”

Brian walks with a member of the indigenous village Locomapa learning about loggers who are violently taking their land

Listening to first-hand accounts from Freedom Ridersat the Smithsonian

Meaghan McKinnon & Christina Caceres
Harvey Elementary | Kenosha, WI

Fellowship: Visit civil and human rights museums and meet with grassroots organizers in Atlanta and Washington DC to explore historical changemakers and connect this learning with the federal government’s structure to identify how individuals can make a difference in order to cultivate a change mindset among students.

Erin Houlihan
Sunset Ridge School | East Hartford CT

Fellowship: Study current and past human rights issues by traveling to landmarks/sites in Belgium and the Netherlands, including the European Commission, Humanity House, and Anne Frank House. This will broaden my understanding of human rights issues in order to enhance my teaching at an International Baccalaureate school that focuses on global perspectives.

“The Holocaust and human rights are topics that I was already passionate about, but now I have new knowledge, understanding, and a renewed energy to address these topics in my classroom. Students will benefit because they will be able to hear my first-hand experiences and see my photos of the Anne Frank House, concentration camp, and a variety of museums. I am also bringing personal accounts and texts back to my classroom that will enhance my lessons and make learning more relevant and authentic.”

At the Grand Mosque in Paris, which provided refuge for Jews during World War II

Lisa Trebtoske, Byron High School | Byron MI

Fellowship: Study multiculturalism in Western Europe and the methods used by human rights organizations, museums, and educational institutions to promote tolerance to develop a school-wide social justice curriculum focused on global awareness and student advocacy.

“This experience afforded me a magnifying glass to peer into the stories of individuals who are affected by a fear of multiculturalism, from Anne Frank to Ammar from Paris. Each story, each artifact, was a lesson on what it means to be human. After talking with Lore Gablier from the European Cultural Foundation, I have decided to emulate her project, Idea Camp, with my English 12 students. I am going to create a senior exit project based around student advocacy. Idea Camp is a project in which participants from across Europe may submit proposals that will affect their communities. Similarly, I will use the methods she suggested to implement a student advocacy project instead of traditional curriculum.”

Motivated by Margret Atkinson‘s two FFT fellowships focused on advocacy, her students started an enterprise to educate, inspire and engage people in real-world change based on the United Nation’s Declaration on Human Rights. Watch their recent interview on local television and support them and human rights by purchasing items from their Upstander Brand website.

(Top photo taken by Meghan McKinnon at the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.)

On Pearl Harbor Day, we remember the 2,403 people killed in the surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. The “date which will live in infamy” launched America’s entry into World War II; the bombings also resulted in the internment of 7,000 Japanese American citizens in relocation centers by order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Teaching the complexities of this time is complex in and of itself for Tim Barry. His students at Nathan Hale Middle School in Coventry, CT, fall within a wide range of ability levels.

“This drastic range creates difficulty when choosing and providing engaging and appropriate text for students of all abilities,” explained Tim. “Fortunately, with the broad scope of our World War II unit, we are able to provide high interest and appropriately leveled options so that all students may contribute and draw connections to classroom discussion and produce work that they can be proud of.”

But that unit lacked dialogue about the domestic impact of the war. Tim designed a Fund for Teachers fellowship fill that gap and, last summer, examined life in and around Japanese Relocation Camps in Utah and Colorado to help students:

• Connect to the past and apply that knowledge to the current climate in the United States?
• Draw parallels between the treatment of Japanese Americans in the United States and Jewish (and other minority) people in Europe during WWII?
• Understand the Pyramid of Hate and how the act of dehumanization impacts individuals and large groups through self reflection and journaling, and
• Support other disciplines across the curriculum such as math (budgeting), social studies (constitutional questions), and science (geographic significance of camps and land features that made them ideal).

We are grateful that Tim shared his experiences and insights from his fellowship below.

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Last summer, I was fortunate to travel to Colorado and Utah to study Japanese Internment Camps as part of my Fund For Teachers fellowship.  My intention was to supplement our current World War II unit with experiences from the home front to allow students to draw parallels in today’s climate of cultural bias.  I want my students to draw inspiration my own curiosity and go out and explore the world.  I want them to challenge what they know or think they know and I want them to be acutely aware of how history has a tendency to repeat itself.

Granada Relocation Center memorial

Trip Details: I spent nine days traveling from the Topaz Camp in Delta, Utah to the Moab Isolation Center in Moab, Utah and finally to Granada Relocation Center (Amache) in Granada, Colorado.  In Delta, I was struck by the beautifully curated Topaz Museum which highlighted the blending of traditional Japanese culture with the easily recognizable American identity of the time.  High school yearbooks, recounts of baseball games, and a letterman’s jackets sat side-by-side with instruments of the Japanese tea ceremony and watercolor paintings.  Despite the dramatic civil rights violations perpetrated by the United States government, these proud people still created a sense of normalcy and everyday life.  The message of their resilience is one that I hope will resonate with my students.

Pictured with Mr. Kitajima and Dr. Clark

The highlight of my trip was being able to connect with Denver University at their biennial open house at the Amache site in Colorado.  There, I was introduced to Dr. Bonnie Clark who is the Project Director of the DU Amache Research Project.  I was able to meet several former internees of the camp, including 87 year old, Mr. Ken Kitajima who was a resident of the camp from ages 12-15.  My hope is that I can provide my students with a first hand account of what it was like to be of middle school age in a Relocation Camp.  I plan to connect with Mr. Kitajima virtually to conduct interviews and provide insight into his experience.  Perspective is one of the most important things I can offer to my students.

Middle school is a trying time and although the experiences of my students will be different than those of the past, the challenges will not be unique.  My hope is that my journey will foster a sense of intellectual curiosity as my students create their own world view and tackle the test of growing up in an increasingly demanding world.  The digital world in which we live in allows people to instantly access information and make snap decisions based on their own experiences and biases, yet we don’t often slow down to assess all sides of a story. Ultimately, I want my students to be willing to challenge what is accepted by society and greet people from all walks of life with an open mind.

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For more than a decade, Tim has empowered his students to take ownership over their education and to become independent learners while focusing on character and integrity. Throughout his teaching career, he has coached athletics at both the middle and high school levels and views the competition field as an extension of the classroom where students can push themselves.

Anne interviews a vocational educator in Zurich

Every teacher strives to prepare students for a productive future. For students with special needs, that future can look atypical. Fortunately, in New York City’s public education system, Anne Cortissoz is an atypical teacher.

Recognizing few opportunities for vocational education, especially for students with disabilities, Anne used a Fund for Teachers grant to attend the International Conference on Inclusion and Special Education in Zurich. Afterwards, she researched the Swiss Vocational Education and Training system and observed students in workplace environments. She heard success stories from world-renowned experts and witnessed students’ with multiple intelligences flourishing in post-secondary career options.

“In American society, people are justifiably sensitive to relegating students with disabilities to the vocational education track,” said Anne. “However, in Switzerland I researched apprenticeships and industries that took pride in their inclusion of students like mine. That country’s sustained high employment rate made me question whether families and students might choose that track if it were offered or encouraged.”

Back in the Bronx, Anne worked with guidance counselors to introduce vocational planning in ninth grade and sought out student internship opportunities with community mentors. Her math classes pivoted to provide project-based problem solving with relevant applications in fields such as construction, plumbing and graphic design.

Drawing on a model from Switzerland, Anne now teaches a “Virtual Enterprise” track that leads to technical certifications and diploma credentials. Students design business plans and develop products with the help of local businesses, which facilitate job shadowing, mock interviews and resume writing workshops.

“Greater real-world math applications through authentic learning opportunities now promote career readiness in my classes,” said Anne. “And, for the first time this year, students are participating in paid internships, for which they develop job descriptions and maintain time sheets. It’s been an extraordinary experience for them and a dream come true for me to see them ultimately head into the workforce.”

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Formerly a part of the telecommunications industry, Anne is now certified in both Mathematics and Special Education and utilizes a range of successful instructional, literacy and technology strategies, “real world” applications and differentiation techniques to foster critical thinking, higher order problem solving skills, and student growth.

Alan is one of only two non-tribe members ever invited to the Nimkish Tribe’s Big House

Kindergartners at John M. Moriarty Elementary in Norwich, CT, sit on carpet squares in a circle, passing a stuffed turtle around and saying one nice thing about their class. The activity is in response to one student showing a lack of respect for their teacher, Alan Reichle; it is also modeling the Kwakwaka’wakw tribe‘s restorative circle Alan witnessed during his fellowship on Vancouver Island. And soon, students throughout Connecticut will learn this skill as part of a new curriculum Alan developed to help students develop their identity and impact the community.

Alan chose to research those living on Vancouver Island because of the resident tribes’ successful amalgamation of histories and traditions. Fifty years ago, seven tribes that originally lived inland were forced onto this land by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who torched their homes and farms and stole their artifacts. Nearly 150,000 children were sent to residential schools to enculturate them as “Canadians.” (The government destroyed the final such school two months before Alan arrived on his fellowship.) In the face of colonization efforts, disparate tribes unified as one (the Kwakwaka’wakw), maintaining unique attributes while furthering their efforts to survive and thrive.

The logo for Alan’s new wellness curriculum

“My time spent with the First Nation tribes in British Columbia changed the course of my life and career,” said Alan who, before his fellowship, taught second grade. Now he’s the lead special education teacher and promoting with his students wellness and collaboration, like the tribes taught him. To do so, he’s collaborating with a superintendent of schools and the Mohegan and Mashaneucket-beuuot tribes which are constructing a casino nearby. He created a curriculum and named it after the otter, an animal known for its protective nature of family. “Otter” is also the nickname given him by the Nimkish tribe in recognition of his intention to protect its history and culture with students.

For now, Alan’s K-1 students continue using the restorative circle to talk about, not pass blame on, one’s individual impact on the group. Additionally, they emulate First Tribes’ pride of heritage by researching their own, expanding students’ appreciation of their peers from Tibet, China, Cambodia, Africa and three First Nations tribes near the school.

“Everyone I met on Vancouver Island is connected and they give back to one another,” said Alan. “In our political climate, this is a great example that no matter what, we can all come together and learn something new and great every day.”

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Alan holds a Bachelor in Science and Elementary Education and a Masters in Special Education. His teaching philosophy is a hybrid of new age thinking, old school values, and positive kid-center learning, all while having as much fun as he and his students can have each and every day. He’s also a fifth generation Connecticut farmer and integrated aspects of this heritage into his new Otter curriculum.

The motto of Edward W. Morley Elementary School in West Hartford, CT, is “Character Builds Community.” Principal Ryan Cleary and the school’s staff sought a meaningful way to put that motto into action and decided to focus special attention on the country and people of Haiti. In collaboration with the nearby Crosby Fund for Haitian Education, students exchanged artwork with the L’Ecole Papillion primary school in Deschapelles, Haiti, an exchange that culminated in a community-wide art auction to perpetuate the international relationship. Further, students and parents raised money (teacher Kimberly Ashworth taught students how to knit hats, which they sold) to sponsor four Haitian students’ tuition for one year. Inspired by students’ sustained interest in the project and their new peers, a cross-curricular team of teachers designed a Fund for Teachers fellowship to visit L’Ecole Papillion, learn more about the needs there and strengthen collaborative learning opportunities.

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Kimberly, FFT team member Dave Aparo, and a student sponsored by Morley Elementary.

FFT Team from Morley Elementary in Deschapelles.

“Prior to our fellowship, much of the content I presented to my students was based on hearsay and information I had found on the internet,” said Kimberly upon her return. “Now my teaching is based on actual experiences and personal knowledge. My goal is to inspire them to help others and appreciate other cultures and ways of living.”

Judging from the actions of students Olivia Chambers and Ella Haggerty, GOAL ACCOMPLISHED. After learning about the plight of Haitian children unable to pay the requisite school fees, these fourth graders set out to be the change they want to see in the world. This dynamic duo recently presented to the local school board their impact and next steps and were gracious enough to share the transcript of their speech:

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Olivia: Since the middle of last year, we’ve been raising money for Haitian kids to go to school.  We never thought that donating money to a charity would lead to writing, rehearsing and performing a speech.  We would like to thank our families for supporting us and overall just being wonderful about our bumps, needs, and even our wants.  Now you’re all probably wondering, why are two 10-year old’s here speaking tonight?

Ella: Thank you, Olivia.  Our story started last year when we were in 4^th grade.  We had something called academic choice time where we could do anything that involved self-driven learning for an hour on Friday afternoons.  We knew we wanted to do something together, so we narrowed it down to something to do with making a donation, but which one?  After some thought, we decided to work towards a way to donate money to Haitian girls and boys to go to school and to purchase supplies.

Make up application and mani/pedis were a few of Spa Haiti’s services.

There are a couple of reasons why we chose this path.  Last New Year, I made a resolution.  I told myself I would make a difference.  At our school in West Hartford, we have a sister school in Haiti.  We’re helping to raise money for the children there.  Olivia had a big role, she’s our treasurer, so she keeps all the money safe.  Olivia and I decided we would save our own birthday money, tooth fairy money and pennies from our penny collection. We also raised money through bake sales, car washes and even by offering spa services at our own spa.

We saved money all through the school year. By June, we had saved $200 to provide a Haitian child a 1-year scholarship. Morley teachers who traveled to Haiti this past summer were able to meet 10-year-old Sophia Melissa Albert. She was the girl who received a scholarship with the money we raised. We were especially glad to hear that she was chosen because we found out she no longer has her own parents. Over this past summer we continued our effort and raised an additional $375 by hosting a fundraising event to provide a 2^nd scholarship and to buy school supplies.

Olivia: Getting invited to this event touched our hearts and made us proud, excited, nervous, and now we feel like global citizens, as we know you all are too.

What we want to come out of this is not fame, or to put it on a college application.  We want to change the world for the better.  We want this to go national and have people donate and help us make a difference.  And, we want the 2 kids that we are sponsoring to complete primary school and go on to high school and college. We hope they get a job and send their kids to school (if they have kids) –– and to create a snowball effect of goodness.

We would also like to acknowledge our 4^th grade teacher for all she did to inspire us.  She will always be our favorite teacher.  Thank you, Kimberly Ashworth! Thank you also to Mr. Cleary, our Principal, for encouraging Morley students to do self-driven learning. Also, we are grateful that the Fund for Teachers helps educators to go on their own self-driven experiences and that the Dalio Foundation provides the funding for them to go.

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To watch news coverage on Ella and Olivia, click here.

Pixar’s Coco familiarized many with the tradition of Dia de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead.” And before Nancy MacBride‘s fellowship to Oaxaca, Mexico, the annual holiday inspired Voluntown Elementary’s singular art project honoring Latin American history and culture. Now, the celebration honoring life and death is just one in a series of year-long art opportunities linked with Latin culture in a preK-8 school that only offers 60 hours of social studies instruction annually.

“Voluntown, CT, is a rural, homogenous community with only one school (ours) where only 1% of students have other languages spoken at home,” explained Nancy. “The insular culture creates challenges for children to learn about different cultures and accept the differences in others. I felt our students needed cultures, not walls, so I designed a fellowship to make it happen.”

Usually Fellows’ implementation of their summer grants begins upon their return to the classroom, but Nancy started the learning when she applied for her FFT grant in the fall of 2017.

• Through the school’s PTO and a local Mexican restaurant’s sponsorship, three groups of Mexican folk artists visited the school.
• Older students read Esperanza Rising in English and created ofrendas, or altars, for loved ones who’ve passed away.
• Kindergarteners created multi-media collages of a Mexican desert landscape.
• Second graders learned Zapotec weaving techniques.
• Fourth graders read and illustrated a Mexican legend and painted portraits of Frida Kahlo.
• Fifth graders created metallic masks inspired by Pre-Columbian versions.
• Multiple grades watched PBS’ “Craft in America” episodes on Mexican art and were introduced to an artisan Nancy would meet on her fellowship.

The “pre-learning” culminated in a community Noche Mexicana last spring, attended by students, their families and government dignitaries.

This summer, students followed Nancy (a working artist herself) via Instagram as she lived out the learning they shared the year before. Nancy spent a month in Oaxaca, staying in a community that caters to local artisans, taking language classes, sketching World Heritage Sites and experiencing Pre-Columbian and folk art in surrounding museums and cultural centers. She practiced weaving through the Weaving Oaxaca initiative alongside a twelve-year-old teacher whose family has dyed natural wools and created art for generations; she also worked with Zapotec ceramist Adrian Martinez for a week. The highlight was visiting the artist studio of Magdalena Pedro Martinez, whom students came to know through the “Craft in America” series.

This fall, Nancy’s experiences in Mexico continue to inspire projects and discussions with students. Fifth graders are preparing to create wooden assembled animals inspired by Mexican alebrijes. Sixth graders are creating their own versions of sculptures modeled after artifacts Nancy brought back from Josefina’s Oaxacan workshop. And beginning this week, students of all ages will have the opportunity to join a new Spanish Club Nancy initiated as an elective.

Perhaps more importantly, students have a new appreciation for “our neighbors to the south,” according to Nancy. As a volunteer with the Voluntown Peace Trust, she collaborates with the Hartford Catholic Worker to bring urban minority children out of the city to enjoy the surrounding nature. Nancy’s leadership as a role model through this effort, combined with the cross-disciplinary learning she provides, is creating a new culture in the school community.

“My admiration of artists from other cultures helps break down the walls and build bridges to other cultures for students,” she said. “My Fund for Teachers fellowship wasn’t just about the place visited, or knowledge, skills and capabilities I gained; it also moved appreciation of Mexican culture from my head to my heart and that passion is now spreading to my students.”

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Nancy (pictured with a state selectman and superintendent at Noche Mexicana) has taught art for 31 years, a career that has included teaching sculpture to widows and orphans in Zambia and earned her Connecticut’s Outstanding Elementary Art Teacher award. She frequently exhibits her own work in galleries and museums, which you can see on her website. (Top picture of students dressed as Frida and her fawn at the Noche Mexicana.)

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

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2018

Panning for gold in Mineral Creek.

Robin Barboza-Josephson & Catherine Gardner (New Milford High School – New Milford, CT) joined an expedition through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and Denali National Park to demonstrate the work of scientists and move ecology education to a model supporting Next Generation Science Standards. (Featured in clip above.)

“We hope to trigger a need for changes in human behavior to try and combat global warming before it is too late. I hope that by sharing my photos and experiences with them, they will realize that their behavior here (4000 miles away) still has an impact on environments they have never seen before.”

Listening to a lecture by Sheeren on Glacier Bay.

Two weeks ago, Fund for Teachers opened the 2019 grant application. Have you been thinking about where you want to go and what you want to learn? For a little inspiration, today we share excerpts from a piece produced by the Stamford (CT) Education Association highlighting the learning of FFT Fellows from the area. Maybe you’ll see yourself in them and be inspired to start your online application, due January 31, 2019.

Kristin Baldovin above the Theatre of Dionysis at the Acropolis.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”I[/minti_dropcap] wanted to travel to a place I had not been before to expand on my world view, and I wanted the location to be relevant to curriculum for my fourth graders. Our first literacy unit of study centers around Greek mythology, so going to Greece seemed like a natural fit. I also noticed that my students often struggled with some of the historical context that I knew I could gain going to Greece myself.

Do it! Apply! I would highly suggest submitting a proposal if you are interested in furthering your knowledge and learning as an educator or person in general. Choose a place and/or topic you’re passionate about. When you have passion, it makes the writing/work easy.

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Diane with founder of Rainbows Within Reach.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”M[/minti_dropcap]y main goal in applying for an FFT grant was to improve how I teach writing to English Language Learners. Thanks to Fund for Teachers, I was able to attend the I Teach K! conference in Las Vegas. I attended a variety of sessions on writing, guided reading, and helping ELL students, as well as those with behavior issues. Now, more than a year later, I still refer to the strategies and techniques I learned.

I would urge anyone who has a desire to learn and explore to take a chance and submit a proposal. You just might get some exciting news in April!

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Sarah spent the day interacting with 35 orphans living at a children’s shelter in Atenas.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”I[/minti_dropcap] chose this experience because, very simply, I realized that I could be far more effective in my work with families if I could speak basic conversational Spanish. I spent two weeks in Grecia, Costa Rica, attending Academia Centroamericana de Espanol’s program specifically designed for social workers. Through classes and living with a host family, I developed a small sense of how some of our families must feel when they can’t advocate for their children due to a language barrier. I am much more mindful of this now and also have found that if I make an effort to speak Spanish, parents are often willing to try a bit of English. Just making an effort opens a lot of doors.

Whatever program you design for yourself, you need to make a strong case for how your fellowship will benefit students, their families, and/or your school community. If you want to know more about my fellowship, visit my blog at https://costaricasarahblog.wordpress.com.”

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Jenna Cinelli developed a global network of peers during her fellowship.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”I[/minti_dropcap] had the amazing opportunity to attend the Hawaii National Great Teachers Seminar in Hilo. This was unlike any other conference I’ve attended: Gone were the rows of desks, teachers on laptops and lectures. It was just 60 teachers from around the world meeting together in small groups to talk about education, the issues we face as educators and how to become that “great teacher” our students need. By deciding what learning would be best for your teaching, you are in control of your own growth. No one dictates what you are learning or how you should take it back to your classroom. I was able to decide what I was going to learn and what I was going to take away from it.”

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Connie in the Boyne Valley with a Neolithic monument built in 3,200 B.C.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”I[/minti_dropcap] kept it simple and didn’t try to see 10 cities in 10 days, but was still able to explore 9,000 years of Irish landscape, mythology and culture through the country’s national treasure of storytelling. I experienced UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the largest Anglo Norman castle, attended evenings of music and storytelling and learned that storytelling is not only just active for the teller, but also the listener. If you are going to apply, first read about other people’s fellowships. There are some amazing ideas! Then start your dream. You do not have to leave the USA. The trip is about YOUR personal growth as an educator!”

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

“Previously, our third grade curriculum included an ‘Explorers’ unit that glorified post-Columbus imperialism and oppression of those colonized under a mask of purported bravery and achievement,” said Rebecca. “I wanted my Latinx students to be aware of the bravery and achievements of their ancestors, and I wanted to communicate with them more fluently beyond conversational Spanish.”

At the Library of Congress, reading, with a magnifying glass, an 1860’s issue of the Frederick Douglass Papers.

With her $5,000 Fund for Teachers grant, Rebecca investigated the richness of Mesoamerica’s indigenous peoples, first using primary sources from  the Library of Congress and the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, and then through language and cultural immersion in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her goal was to gain a nuanced perspective of Mesoamerican peoples and bring this knowledge to students in a way that applies to a broader American and global perspective.

Through guided tours of sites like the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, Rebecca learned the dominant narratives about customs and peoples from the region. She sought out primary source materials as taught at the Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute she attended prior to departing for Mexico, and enrolled in a four-week language school while living with a host family in Oaxaca. Her experience there included touring the Ethnobotanical Gardens and partaking in cultural events, such as a Guelaguetza, the annual celebration uniting representatives from 16 different ethnolinguistic groups.

Rebecca’s view of the Guelaguetza, watching performances from people from across the Mexican state of Oaxaca.

Rebecca plans to host her own Guelaguetza at Chicago’s Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies this year. She’s also collaborating with colleagues on an enhanced International Night in keeping with the school’s International Baccalaureate tradition and is in the process of replacing the “Explorers” unit with a “Culture” one.

“We can change the mindset of those who believe that speaking Spanish is somehow a hindrance to learning or identity,” said Rebecca. “We can break the pattern of Spanish-speaking immigrants feeling shame instead of pride for their home language. We can reclaim our histories, our languages, and our identities. We can build a more empathic world.”

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

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]Q[/minti_dropcap] Can you briefly describe your fellowship — where you went and why?

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]A[/minti_dropcap] We were truly immersed in the culture of non-violence during our participation in the International School for Jain Studies Teaching for Peace Program by living, (even eating!) and studying nonviolence. Additionally, with our side trip to Varanasi, we explored the Buddhist roots of nonviolence in India by visiting Sarnath, the site of the Buddha’s first sermon, where he taught the origins of suffering and the method for overcoming suffering. In Varanasi, we explored the Hindu practice of cremation on the sacred Ganges River—a returning of body and soul to the earth in a non-violent burial practice. From these experiences, we deepened our understanding of ahimsa through the study of Gandhi’s writing and visiting his home in Mumbai, his home in New Delhi and site of his assassination, and the site of his cremation. We were impressed with Gandhi’s commitment to simple living, exemplified by the exhibit on his few possessions. The inspiration for our learning was to determine how schools and students can be agents of peace in the midst of diverse cultures and religious illiteracy.

On the Ganges River in Varanasi.

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]Q[/minti_dropcap] How did your fellowship translate to the classroom?

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Eric: I incorporated the religion of Jainism into my teaching of World Religions. In India, we had the opportunity to learn about the Jain teaching of nonviolence directly by spending a month living in Jain communities. Students were fascinated to learn about how the Jain teaching of nonviolence extends to animal and plant life. I shared with students the strictures of the Jain vegetarian diet—eating no meat, leafy green vegetables, and root vegetables. I had the students read the story of the Mango Tree, which we learned about in India, to teach about why Jains follow this diet. Students read the story, which talks about a group of friends walking through the forest and encountering a mango tree. In order to get the mangos, one friend suggests cutting down the tree, another cutting down a branch, and another picking the mangos off the tree. However, the final friend tells them that if they look around, there are enough mangos on the ground to feed all of them. This friend illustrates ahimsa by limiting his harm of the natural world, and ensuring that there will be enough for everyone to go around. We also learned about the Jain commitment to nonviolence by learning about the lives of Jain monks. After watching an Indian cartoon about Mahavir, the founder of Jainism, and his commitment to nonviolence, students looked at photos of Jain monks and nuns that I took in India. I shared stories of the Jain monks that we met, and we watched a short video I filmed of a woman taking the vows to become a Jain nun. Students then reflected on what Jainism can teach them about nonviolence. Students realize that nonviolence can include what we eat, how we interact with others, and living simply. These Jain truths are relevant to all students regardless of religious traditions.

Katie: I incorporated my experience of Gandhi into my teaching of Religion and Social Justice.  We begin by studying the life of Gandhi through images of him, a brief documentary on his movement, and primary source documents, including his own writings. Students explore how nonviolence is an active, not a passive, method of working for social change. A new student project has students find their own injustice in society and create the idea for a nonviolent movement to address the problem, using the methods of Gandhi. Additionally, students look at how Gandhi’s methods can help them resolve conflicts in their own lives. We watch a Bollywood movie, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, about Gandhi coming back to life to teach a mobster about how ahimsa is more powerful than physical force. The humorous movie builds on the concepts of Gandhi that students explore earlier in the unit. The students then work on applying Gandhi’s techniques in case studies of interpersonal conflicts and then to conflicts in their own life. The goal is to make Gandhi’s teachings of ahimsa relevant, and have his movement educate a new generation of students.

Katie and Eric pictured with FFT Fellow Monica Shah (Chevy Chase, MD) who participated in the same nonviolence immersion program at the Mahaveer Public School in Jaipur.

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]Q[/minti_dropcap] What do you consider the lasting impact of your learning in India?

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]A[/minti_dropcap]In a sense, words fail to describe how fully we were able to deepen our study of ahimsa by experiencing it in our daily life. We maintained a strict vegetarian diet, which may not sound life-altering, but the impetus behind it (that non-violence starts with how you sustain your life at the most basic level) is a completely different world view from an American one. Participating in the ISJS Teaching for Peace Program enabled us to live as and among Jains who are firmly committed in all that they do to reducing violence in the world. While we won’t be testing our students on how to be vegetarian, we will be better equipped to answer questions about belief-systems that are so radically different from mainstream American views. Our fellowship enabled us to meet and with students, teachers, monks and lay people daily striving for ahimsa. Their example became an example to us—ahimsa made visible in their welcoming of us and their daily practices. So our main take away from the fellowship really came from those whom we met as living examples of Gandhi’s quote: “There is no path to peace, peace is the path.”

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At the time of their fellowship, Eric and Katie both taught at Cristo Rey New York High School in Harlem, but have since moved to Portland Oregon and teach at Valley Catholic High School and Oregon Episcopal High School, respectively. They are proud that that their fellowship is affecting three schools on two coasts. Eric received his BA in Religious Studies from Gonzaga University and an MS in Conflict Resolution from Portland State University. Katie is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Harvard Divinity School.

Last week in Chicago, our board of directors meeting agenda included a special guest – 2017 FFT Fellow Paula Dell, teacher at Robert Lindblom Math and Science Academy High School in the city’s South Side. Paula used her grant to work with researchers and professors active in current excavation, research and teaching of human evolution in South Africa’s Gauteng Province – also known as the “Cradle of Human Kind.” In addition to sharing about her experiences, Paula also talked about her unique path to becoming both a teacher and an FFT Fellow.

Homo naledi on display at Maropeng. The discovery of this new species has brought much into question of what we have previously thought about human development.

“I came to education and teaching science later in my working career when a friend who worked in CPS told me that they were looking for science teachers,” said Paula. “I was eager to use my science background so I jumped at the chance. What a great job – teaching science and critical thinking to our youth.”

Over the past 14 years, Paula has led student expeditions to Cuba, China and Iceland. She also researched in the Antarctica with a PolarTREC grant, earned her National Board Certification and applied for a Fund for Teachers grant three times before being awarded.

“Each time I improved my proposal with the insight of Martie Sanders, professor for the School of Science Education at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg,” said Paula. “By the time I received the FFT grant, we had been corresponding for three years!” When Paula finally arrived in South Africa, Martie introduced her to Marina Elliott, world-renowned biological anthropologist and lead researcher at the Rising Star dig. Marina spent one morning showing Paula around the excavation, including the cave where the 250,000-year-old Homo naledi was found.

With Marina Elliott at Rising Star.

Paula leveraged her time spent in the field with leading researchers, asking questions, visiting dig sites, and learning about the latest technologies in dating and analyzing the fossils to create a revised, phenomenon-based unit based on the most current scientific understanding. Marina Elliott even Skyped with her students during one lesson. Paula says her biggest accomplishment, however, centers around “the big picture.”

“The relationships with professors and scientists that I formed while in South Africa are real and we have kept the collaboration alive,” said Paula. “We established a network which include teachers in Canada and America. Maintaining an ongoing collaboration with these impressive researchers is so motivating and translating all of that into the classroom is equally exciting.”

After our board meeting, Paula sent a note of thanks and added the following:

“The Fund for Teachers fellowship has been such an amazing experience for me and, in turn, my students and colleagues. I cannot stress enough that the success of FFT is not measured just through analytics, which I think you know. I don’t think the greatest impact is truly quantifiable – how we bring it back to our classroom in a thousand ways, sometimes bold and obvious, sometimes more subtle. I don’t think the majority of FFT Fellows are any less committed than myself or that I am some sort of outlier. My hat is off to FFT for being one of the (too few) entities that truly places trust in teachers to know what is best for our kids. Not a bad rep to have among teachers!”

Paula with staff at the Tanajane Senior Secondary School in Bushbuck Ridge, Mpumalanga Province, after serving as a guest speaker.

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Paula (pictured Skyping with her Chicago students from Antarctica) believes that scientific exploration at all ages is crucial in understanding the world in which we live. She is a strong proponent of teaching science through inquiry, as evidenced by her students’ design of a successful underwater camera system, Fish Spy, recently deployed in Antarctica. 

Researching the Trans-Saharan trade routes in Tangier, Morocco.

FFT Fellows take planes, trains and automobiles in pursuit of knowledge that will engage students. Kristie Blanchard and Christine Troup’s transportation of choice? Camels.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be hard to get to.

According to the United Nations Education, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Heritage Sites are cultural and/or natural sites considered to be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ with special importance for everyone. Everyone, that is, except Kristie and Christine’s students at Bacon Academy in Colchester, CT.

“Our rural public high school lacks diversity and global acuity,” said the teaching team. “Freshmen also take a year-long geography course that lacks geospacial technologies used by professionals in the field. We designed our fellowship to explore iconic sites of Catalan, Andalusia and Morocco. Documenting the destinations with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) linked world cultures with geography to emphasize WHY these places have value.”

Taking their lead from the UNESCO theme “Protecting our Heritage and Fostering Creativity,” Christine and Kristie started their fellowship at the Creativity Workshop in Barcelona. There, they deepened proficiencies in the “Four C’s of Deeper Learning” outlined by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills: work collaboratively, improve communication, critical thinking and creativity.

Then, they set off for the Iberian Peninsula to interview citizens and learn from local guides and docents how UNESCO sites represent the cultural landscape of each unique region. Their odyssey took them to:

• Antoni Gaudi sites, including Sagrada Familia
• the Alhambra
• Alcazar of Seville
• El Torcal de Antequera, and
• the “Blue City” of Chefchaouen

The question that guided all of their research was “What makes a place worth preserving?”

Kristi and Christine began the school by addressing the lack of Middle Eastern and European elements in their curriculum. An ESRI Story Map documenting the fellowship models for students how technology can bridge information with authentic learning in multiple aspects of their lives and their community.

“In keeping with our fellowship’s guiding question, students will be challenged to find sites that they believe are worth preserving in our town,” said Kristie. “Through research, inquiry and writing, students may influence the Historic Preservation Office of Connecticut to add additional sites to their register.”

“We’re now able to make text-to-world applications through our experiences and gathered artifacts,” added Christine. “By using new techniques, all students, including those who read and write below proficiency level, will be encouraged to participate in more personalized ways to tell their authentic stories, as well as those of our community.”

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Christine Troup has taught grades 6 – 12 in three states over the past 23 years. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and traveling, or any combination of the three. Kristie Blanchard has specialized in teaching 9th grade Geography and 10th grade AP Human Geography for nearly 20 years. Her career accomplishments include: the National Council for Geographic Education Distinguished Teaching Award, New England St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society’s Friend of Geography Award, and the American Geographical Society Teacher Fellow.

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

A first-grade teacher at Marshall Primary School, Christa used her Fund for Teachers grant to compare and contrast the culture, natural resources and geography of Hawaii with Belton, SC, to create an integrated unit that increases students’ curiosity, global awareness, appreciation of diversity, and helps make connections between people and their environment.

At first glance, South Carolina and Hawaii have little in common; however, both are home to endangered sea turtles and both lie on faults in the Earth’s crust. (Marshall Primary School performs multiple earthquake drills throughout the year!) Both states also have petroglyphs dating back thousands of years; Christa photographed the markings carved into lava rock by ancient Hawaiians to compare with symbols created by Native Americans in South Carolina’s red clay. She’ll incorporate all of these topics, as well Polynesian culture and the history behind Pearl Harbor, into a new multi-week course that directly addresses state standards for Science and Social Studies.

“I have been in the teacher role for nearly two decades. As an FFT Fellow, I became the student,” said Christa. “This new perspective gave me an appreciation for the challenges of my students in seeking knowledge and understanding of the natural world and the diversity within it. It also inspired me to challenge myself to do things I was previously too afraid to do: flying around the world, hiking through a rain forest, driving up steep mountains at high elevations, walking on lava fields, seeing endangered species in their natural environment, and exploring 8 out of the world’s 13 climate zones! I have a new excitement for learning and teaching stemming from this wonderful experience.”

Christa is a National Board Certified Early Childhood Generalist. For nearly two decades, she’s demonstrated a passion for learning- both personally and professionally. Since 2007, she has partnered with the WebbCraft Family Foundation to provide tens of thousands of free books to children in the community. You can see more images from her fellowship on the dedicated Instagram account.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]A[/minti_dropcap]s part of the “follow up” portion of an FFT fellowship, grant recipients complete a Passport that documents their learning and where they plan to go from here. Teachers answer brief questions in three categories:

1. Personal and Professional Growth
2. Impact on Your Classroom, School & Community, and,
3. Imagining the Future.

During the month of August, we’ll share some of our Fellows’ Passports to get us all in the “Back to School” mode. Today, we’re proud to share the reflections of Nolan Hanson, teacher at Oscar F. Mayer Elementary in Chicago, IL. He described the threefold nature of this fellowship in his grant proposal:

Shopping for paints at Sennelier, where Picasso purchased supplies.

The knowledge and insights I gained into the cultures and environments that impacted Picasso’s life and art have grown immeasurably as a result of my fellowship. Coupling this with my newfound knowledge of him as a person and an artist, as well as the complexity of his background, provided me with an understanding of how each of these elements are displayed in his work. I now feel capable of presenting these characteristics and experiences to my students and school community effectively.

First and foremost, my capacity to teach art in Spanish now exists, which it previously did not (except on a superficial level) as a result of: 1) the instruction I received from multiple museum staff members on art creation, appreciation and analyzation; and 2) having now observed, analyzed and appreciated the art of so many Spanish and Latin artists. Where I previously included art in my instruction, I will now be able to embed art in my instruction as a means for dialogue and inspiration.

Living for a month in Spain has to be the greatest personal accomplishment of my fellowship. During the writing of my proposal, I regarded being a Spanish teacher who had never been to Spain as a personal and professional deficiency. I can now state that deficiency has been satisfied with incredibly memorable experiences and professional growth. The fact that the entire fellowship was centered around the study of one of my Spanish heroes enhances the richness of each experience.

Impact on Your Students, School & Community

On a walking tour of Picasso’s Paris, at the St. Germain studio where he painted “Guernica.”

I will now be able to provide my students with the opportunity to use art in their weekly Spanish instruction. The authentic resources I was able to collect during my fellowship will provide them with quality enrichment tools to better connect with the experiences of Picasso and the culture of Spain. Using all of these resources together will allow us to create a positive social emotional learning environment that up to this point has been challenging to build within a language classroom.

In collaboration with the humanities teachers at my school we developed an interdisciplinary unit to cover the life and times of Picasso. Students will research and discuss the major world events that parallel Picasso’s lifetime in tandem with a micro focus on specific events that happened to Picasso. We will then combine these into an evaluation of his work and what influences we can see in his choice of subject, color, technique and message before students begin making their own artwork.