Halloween can be a scary time for teachers, due students’ sugar highs, costumes gone wrong, and the  “ghosting” of students” the day after. For Jinafer Brown’s French students, the learning takes on a fatal feel, as well.

Jinafer used a Fund for Teachers grant to explore the mysterious megalithic stone structures in Western Europe, gather evidence from French forensic scientists and archeologists on the origins of the civilizations that built these structures and create an inquiry-based unit to improve students’ science literacy skills.

This fellowship focused on death is rooted in data: 79% of students at Jenks High School scored below proficient at in science. Additionally, an Academic State Standards for World Languages that Jinafer struggles to meet is “expanding students’ knowledge of other disciplines while using the language to develop critical thinking.” Researching Neolithic stones in Western Europe and the French forensic evidence of their origins offered the perfect mix of science and language (and also speaks to the free reign our grant recipients have when crafting their unique fellowships).

Read our 2022 Halloween post about FFT Fellows’ research of Jack the Ripper here

At Carrowkeel Mounds near Sligo, Ireland, I was able to explore freely without any restrictions other than my own fear. Believe it or not, I did muster the courage to skinny into the tomb behind me. It was for science!

Enter If You Dare — And She Did

Last summer on her Fund for Teachers fellowship, Jinafer documented:

• the Megalithic Passage Tombs of Boyne Valley of County Meath, Ireland (older than Stonehenge in England and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt)
• the Gavrinis Tumulus in France, built in 3500 BCE;
• Roche-aux-fees, a 5,000-year-old passage tomb in Western France (pictured at the top of this post);
• the Carrowkeel Mounds near Sligo, Ireland; and,
• the Clava Cairns, a 4,000 burial site near Inverness, Scotland.

Her research included filming the sites for VR headsets, touring museums — such as the Archeology Museum of Dublin, where remains of “bog people” from AD 20 are on display — and interviewing docents. Jenifer participated in a workshop about the first villages of France at Paris’ Musée d’Archéologie Nationale in conjunction with annual European Archaeology Days and joined summer solstice celebrations at stone circles in Scotland.

Her Haunting Question

Throughout her learning, one question haunted her: “Should I be here?”

“I found that I had an internal debate as to whether or not funeral sites should be excavated. Should the remains of these kings and respected leaders be disturbed and viewed by thousands of visitors each day or should they remain closed out of respect for their cultures and their beliefs?” said Jinafer. “My professional mindset is that one’s intention makes all the difference. If one is studying these remains in order to make connections and remember the culture of that civilization, this is honorable.”

Demystifying the Megaliths

Jinafer created this fantastic website for students to discover the “Mysteries of the Megaliths.” Here they will view videos and interviews in the French language.

“I gathered PDFs and hard-copy books that explain the Neolithic civilizations in French. I collected articles and 360-degree photos that allow students to examine artifacts extracted from tombs in Ireland, Scotland, and France. Using Virtual Reality headsets [which Jinafer secured with a second grant], these materials will come to life.”

Using a THIRD grant, Jinafer purchased friction kits and students will follow the science lab friction experiment procedures in French.

“In small groups, students will propose prototypes of sleds and other means to Move a Megalith, she said. “Community partners (retired engineers and business owners) will work with students to build their prototypes. Last, in a school-wide event, students will carry out their experiments to see if they can move a megalith using only materials available in the Neolithic era.”

Take advantage of the website, that includes Jinafer’s FFT grant proposal, here.

Ariadne Prior-Grosch and Tom Bradway both teach at the Academy for Software Engineering in Manhattan, NY. This summer, they used a $10,000 Fund for Teachers grant to explore Enduring Issues and Crosscutting concepts in 10th-grade global history and earth science curricula across the African continent to highlight content connections, interdisciplinary learning opportunities and culturally responsive case studies and develop project-based learning units that integrate themes in global history and earth science. Three weeks after they returned home, Morocco experienced a 6.8 magnitude earthquake. We appreciate this reflection and their desire to give back to the people who welcomed them so warmly.

We ended our fellowship journey in Morocco less than three weeks ago, staying in Marrakech and visiting the High Atlas Mountains. Every person we met was incredibly excited to tell us about the deep history of Marrakech and its peoples and excited to know that we would incorporate what we learned into our classrooms.

In the mountains, we visited the town of Imlil, a gateway for hikers and the ancestral home of the Amadigz (Berber) people. We were welcomed into our guide’s home for a delicious meal and shown around their hillside farmlands and innovative water management systems. Now, the photos and videos coming out of the rural communities in the High Atlas Mountains and the city of Marrakech are devastating following the 6.8 magnitude earthquake on September 8th with the loss of life now over 2800 people…2800+ people who all had families, friends and loved ones. 

Earthquakes are not unknown in Morocco, but the last seismic event of this magnitude was in 1960 in the region of Agadir, about 150 miles from Marrakech. Morocco sits on the African (or Nubian) Plate which has an active convergent tectonic plate boundary to the north with the Eurasian plate.

However, the epicenter of this earthquake was in the southern part of the country in the High Atlas Mountains. The timing of the earthquake at night (11:11PM) made it all the more deadly given that many people were asleep in their homes, houses which are often made of mud bricks or unreinforced masonry that came tumbling down, unable to withstand that level of tremors. These rural mountain communities don’t have the infrastructure, resources, or access to medical facilities to respond to a tragedy of this magnitude so the response from international aid organizations is critical. 

In the historic Medina of Marrakech, the streets are narrow and winding, an incredible network of bustling markets, stores, homes, and mosques; many of the buildings are 1000 years old! The earthquake brought some of these historic structures crashing down, left gaping cracks in others and rained debris as people tried to flee to open areas. People are now sleeping outside in the open in the city squares and in the middle of rotaries as they fear for the structural integrity of their homes, or their homes are no longer standing.

Our hearts break for everyone who has lost a loved one in this tragedy and hope that the international aid organizations and foreign governments step up to provide rescue teams and emergency assistance to help the people of Morocco recover from this natural disaster.

This Mother Jones article provides multiple ways to support relief efforts in Morocco through organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF and Global Giving. Read more about Ariadne and Tom’s fellowship here and follow their learning on Instagram at @mspglovesrocks and @bradwaysenduringissues.

The  day after Labor Day is synonymous with the official return to the classroom and the age-old prompt: “What did you do this summer?” FFT Fellow Kelsi Horner is hoping students at Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, KS, ask HER that question. With two colleagues, Kelsi engaged in an immersive experience of the language, history, and culture of Costa Rica to improve Spanish language skills and explore the impact of colonization on Latin American cultures to strengthen relationships with English Language Learners and build culturally responsive, relevant lessons for all students. Kelsi writes:

“Returning to work brings the “what did you do this summer” questions. This summer I had the pleasure of FINALLY getting to execute our 2020 Fund for Teachers fellowship!

Way back in 2020, myself Kristen Reyes, Nancy Blackburn and I applied for a Fund for Teachers grant. We all taught some form of World Regional Studies and wanted to improve our knowledge so that we could improve our instruction to help our students. Well two months after we applied, COVID happened. And our fellowship was put on hold, all the way until this June! Our timing was not the only thing that changed. Due to some political unrest, we decided our location needed to change and Fund for Teachers trusted us.

In June, we finally left for our fellowship! Our first stop was Monteverde. We stayed with three different Costa Rican families and attended Spanish immersion classes in the morning. Both my family and my teacher were very patient (and for that I am very grateful!)!

In the afternoons we tried to learn whatever Monteverde could teach us about environmental geography- from the El Trapiche Tour in Santuario Ecologico, a night walk through Bosque Eterno de los Ninos (lots of creepy crawlies!), and even learned some history (while atop some horses).

We had one more stop before departing- Sarchi! We stopped in Sarchi as it was the birth place of the oxcart (also where they paint them nice and pretty)! A pretty significant item in terms of the movement of goods and a nice way to conclude our adventures.

I cannot say enough good about Fund for Teachers – they are an organization that TRUSTS teachers and wants to keep teachers in the classroom. I hope to let everyone I know, know that this organization exists and that they should take part in it and dream up their own fellowship! Thank you, Fund for Teachers, for making this come true for us! We can’t wait to take this information back to our schools in the next few weeks. Teacher friends- ASK ME! I will help give you all the info you could possibly need! It’s worth it. 

Kelsi Horner is an instructional coach at Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas. While currently teaching Student Success Skills, she has taught everything in the social studies world from World Regional Studies to Economics to AP US History. In addition to her work in the classroom, she also assists in the creation of district-wide social studies and world language curriculums. In her free time, Kelsi enjoys entertaining her corgi, Stella.

For the past eight years, I have been a middle school social studies teacher in an American Indian pre-kindergarten through eighth grade magnet school. Our school was created by community elders to provide an American Indian perspective and to welcome students of all backgrounds where teaching is rooted in American Indian culture, traditions, values, history and art. The challenge is finding relevant resources to create lessons that are geared toward the school’s mission of teaching from American Indian cultural perspectives.

Some additional background: I grew up the son of a naval officer from the Cold War. It was instilled in me to honor the sacrifices made by all military, but I have always sought more knowledge and information about the contributions made by American Indians, especially during World War II. I grew up with stories about my great uncles landing on the shores of Normandy and have always wanted to visit there and other sites in Europe where the war was fought. A recent article about the dedication of the American Indian Memorial at Normandy renewed my passion.

I combined that passion with the aforementioned curriculum challenge into a Fund for Teachers fellowship. Last summer, after a two-year delay due to COVID, I researched at major European World War II sites the American Indian warriors who fought for their country. In France, Belgium and Luxembourg, I gained first-hand knowledge and experience of this war by visiting some of the major sites, which solidified my own understanding, and I can now share with my students what I have experienced and documented about the American Indian warriors who fought and died there.

Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery-Belgium. Given the choice, 40% of families chose to have their soldier interred in a US cemetery in Europe. As I looked out over this sacred ground, I pondered the difficult choice these families had to make.

Walking the cemeteries of Normandy and Henri-Chapelle and the grounds of the Battle of the Bulge, was a powerful, moving experience. One could still feel the soldiers’ presence, their spirits, 76 years later. The emotion, knowing that these soldiers gave the ultimate sacrifice, was quite raw. Many were teenagers, not much older than my students. I walked the beach at low tide and crouched in a foxhole trying to grapple with what sounds, smells, sights, fears these individuals experienced.

I am proud of my Native American Heritage. My family is very involved in our tribe. Having said that, I am not one to wear my heritage on my sleeve. Furthermore, I am considered an introvert. When we pulled into Normandy’s parking lot-a parking lot full of cars and tourist busses, nervousness and apprehension flooded over me. My wife and friends talked me through this anxiety. I donned my regalia shirt, stepped up to the plate and took my best swing.

At Normandy American Cemetery, I was expecting to say a prayer for three Native soldiers, instead, I said a prayer for five. The guide told about brothers that were buried near each other, Sam and Gafford Sanders-Native soldiers. She asked if I would say a prayer for them. Sand from Normandy’s beaches was rubbed into the engraved name, flags were placed beside the cross. I said my prayer and placed tobacco. I was given the flags from each grave along with the remaining sand. The reception was humbling.

Battle of the Bulge foxhole. After touring the museums and battle sites, as I knelt in this shallow foxhole, it was hard to comprehend the smells, sounds, hunger, terror, cold and confusion that gripped this area in the winter of 1944/45.

When I teach the WW2 unit in the spring, I can incorporate my Fellowship experiences into the unit. The curator of the Henri-Chappelle Cemetery gave me a list of 17 Native Americans buried in US cemeteries, in Europe. The list will be a starting point for a research project honoring Native soldiers. I plan to have students investigate these soldiers, create a display and present their findings at the yearend school and community powwow.

Beyond the classroom, I’m thinking about riding my motorcycle to some of these warriors’ communities during the summer and reaching out to their tribes and family members to share my photos and experiences. Many tribes have cultural centers and/or sections that honor their warriors}. It would mean a great deal if I could share a picture and the flags from the graves with family and tribal centers. It would be such an honor to learn more about these soldiers’ lives.

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Bret Godfrey is a 34-year teacher at American Indian Magnet School in Saint Paul, MN. He teaches 7th and 8th grade social studies. He is also member of the Potawatomi Tribe. Listen to our interview with Bret prior to completing his fellowship on this episode of Fund for Teachers – The Podcast.

Top photo: At the Charles Shay Indian Memorial, Bret said a prayer for all Native American soldiers who fought during the Normandy Beach invasion, including his great uncle.

You might not know that October 25 is the birthday of Georges Bizet (composer of the opera Carmen) and Johann Strauss II (composer of multiple operettas). Or that today is World Opera Day, the fourth year in a movement to increase awareness of access to opera. Perhaps most surprising of all, one of our grant recipients designed a fellowship around OPERA.

Lucian Guilmette (Meriden, CT) crafted a fellowship to attend the Ancient Greek Music seminar in Riva del Garda, Italy, research the origins of opera in Florence, and the later development of opera and origins of antiphonal polyphony in Venice, to facilitate teacher collaboration across disciplines and increase student engagement through the use of authentic materials and deeper context. Why did a high school music teacher choose opera as his focus?

“Our western musical tradition, like so much of our culture and society, can be traced back in a direct line to the music that was studied and practiced by Greek philosophers, poets, and musicians in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries B.C.” said Lucian. “Like most music teachers, however, my formal training in musical history is very scant before the year 1700. I have done what I can to fill in the gaps in my own education, because I recognize how important it is to be able to draw a solid line from the past to the present, whether my students are studying the theory or the history of music or musical theater.”

See Lucian’s complete post-fellowship summary here.

We checked in with Lucian to ask about any updates since his 2017 fellowship…

The Church of San Giorgio

My fellowship was indeed an amazing experience.  One night in Venice I went to the church of San Giorgio. I had heard that the monks there sing vespers every night, and it was my hope to be allowed to listen to Gregorian Chant sung by those who truly understand it and do it the way it is supposed to be done. Imagine my surprise when the abbot handed me a missal and invited me up with them! It seriously taxed my language and music skills, but I participated fully. It was a profound and moving experience.

 

In the conference room in Riva del Garda. The students and professors I met here are some of the most intellectually accomplished people I have ever known.

In addition to singing with the monks, I also attended two operas–La Traviata in Venice, the city where it had premiered, and Barber of Seville in Florence in the Pitti Palace, site of the very first opera performance ever, back in 1597.  But the centerpiece of my fellowship was the week I spent in Riva del Garda attending a conference on ancient Greek music.  That conference was made up of the most important figures studying ancient music today.  For example, when I was in college, we learned that while we had surviving examples of written music from ancient Greece, no one could read the symbols and therefore we didn’t know what that music actually sounded like.  Well, in the intervening years people have indeed deciphered those symbols–and those people were at the conference!  Much of the conference was over my head–I was by far the least knowledgeable, least educated person in the room.  I was amazed to watch, for example, a young Italian graduate student asking questions in English about a book she was holding that was written in ancient Greek, then making notes in the margins in Italian (as she was receiving answers in English).

 

At the feet of David–it was amazing to see so many fabulous works of art!

I did learn quite a bit however and came back with a much more solid grasp of how music worked, both technically and philosophically, in the ancient world.  I was able to do two things with that–on one hand, I injected that material directly into the college-level class I teach in Music History.  On the other hand, I was able to give a Professional Development session (both well-attended and well-received) on the lessons we can draw from the Greek approach and utilize in our classrooms today.

The biggest change for me is that beginning in the fall of 2021 I now teach primarily mathematics at my school.  I didn’t change schools, just departments!  And while I am now primarily a math teacher, I still teach a college-level music class every year and still incorporate what I learned during my fellowship.  I should also mention that I know of three other fellowships that happened fairly directly because of mine–two different ones by other teachers in my school and one by my cousin who teaches in a different school.  It was a very rewarding experience to assist those people with their applications and to see them be awarded the fellowship and then be able to have their own experiences.

 

Now that the five-year window has gone by, it is very much in my mind to apply for another fellowship.  Now that I am teaching math, I am exploring areas where I may be able to gain some deeper understanding of my subject area, and perhaps before long I will be off again!

On October 1, Fund for Teachers launched our 22nd year of investing in educator’s self-designed experiential learning. It’s also our 22nd year of recognizing teachers as professionals worthy of respect and their students deserving of engaging curriculum. We stand by this mission and remain proud of the national cohort of 9,000 strong preK-12 teachers who returned from fellowships validated, empowered and seen as changemakers in their school communities.

Apply today and submit by January 19

2022 FFT Infographic

Our application process is 100% transparent — we even make public the rubric by which proposals are evaluated. The process is also 100% blind, meaning that any identifying information (name, school, district) are redacted. Here are a few more facts to consider when starting your 2023 grant proposal:

• Public, private and charter school teachers from across the country are invited to apply for up to $5,000 as an individual or $10,000 as a team of two or more for a fellowship to take place during the summer.
• PreK-12 teachers are eligible to apply after three years of teaching in a classroom or classroom-like setting at least 50% of the day. Therefore, librarians and coaches are eligible to apply; principals and administrators are not.
• Applicants must plan to return to a classroom or teaching environment the year following their fellowship and demonstrate the ability to incorporate what they learn into their teaching.
• Successful proposals reflect thoughtful documentation on why this experience is vital to students’ learning.  Click here for more grant writing tools and resources.
• This Fellowship Search catalogs 20 years of projects by key word, subject area and grade level to provide examples of what’s possible with a Fund for Teachers grant.
• Previous recipients must wait for five years before reapplying.

To simplify sharing this opportunity, we created this poster, program information sheet and brochure:

We’ve also scheduled multiple opportunities to dialogue with our staff and FFT Fellows to learn more, including:

• Information Session co-hosted with Latinos for Education on October 4 at 5 p CT | Register Here
• Grant Information Session on October 26 at 6p CT | Register Here
• Weekly webinars for Applicants of Color | Register Here
• Travel Tips Information Session on November 9 at 6p CT | Register Here
• Grant Information Session on November 30 at 6p CT | Register Here

Learn more about our grant recipients and their impact on our podcasts, this blog and Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

“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.”

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Want to encourage others to apply? Feel free to use this graphic and direct peers to fundforteachers.org.

September 21 is International Day of Peace, declared by The UN General Assembly as “a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.” Three 2022 FFT Fellows chose to devote their fellowships to the ideals of peace on behalf of their students this summer.

Christina Campbell and Meredith Branch (Vista Condor Global Academy – Santa Ana, CA) designed their fellowship to attend the World Peace Game Master Class in Long Island, NY, to bring the World Peace Game to students who will explore global themes such as the economy, diplomacy, war, and the common good. And,

Ryan O’Connell (Northeast Academy Arts Magnet School – Mystic, CT) attended a World Peace Game Master Class to become a certified World Peace Game facilitator, observing the implementation of the simulation with students and studying its guiding philosophies and unique applications for learning design in his school community.

What is the World Peace Game and why do these teachers find it important enough to design a fellowship around it? We asked Ryan for more information…

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Since meeting World Peace Game (WPG) creator John Hunter as a graduate student and discussing its core principles with him over time, it has been my aspiration to attend a WPG Master Class to train as a facilitator. Observing students’ gameplay and discussing it with fellow educators has reaffirmed my belief that in and beyond our classrooms, no matter one’s background or ability, everyone has something valuable to contribute.

My training took place in Dallas, Texas. Each morning, my colleagues and I viewed the facilitation of the simulation with students in grades 6-8 participating in a summer session of the World Peace Game Camp at The Hockaday School. Each afternoon, per the World Peace Game Foundation, we identified “the essential attributes necessary to facilitate the Game through a series of reflective questions and activities” as well as design “learning that is inspired by the principles and spirit of the Game.” After the five-day Master Class, I am now a facilitator!

Students addressed a variety of crises drawn from current global events, from land and water rights to nuclear proliferation to climate change. Through the WPG experience, my students will better understand these often-intersecting issues and explore ways to create positive change in our school and community.

Because facilitators must construct their own World Peace Game boards, I used a portion of my fellowship funding to purchase building materials and playing pieces. During the 2022-2023 school year, I will facilitate the World Peace Game for the first time in my fifth-grade classroom as part of a social studies unit on understanding and applying concepts of history, geography, economics, and civics to the study of growing nations.

While the Game is the primary focus of the Master Class, fellow educators and I also left with an understanding of how to integrate its principles into lesson design. Hands-on learning and self-reflection are key elements in my instruction, and this fellowship has provided new insights and approaches that I am excited to bring to my classroom. Through this enriching opportunity, I have gained the tools to nurture my students’ appreciation for the role of tolerance and consideration of multiple viewpoints around an issue. The World Peace Game provides a vehicle to help them recognize what they can achieve when they work together.

Above are images of the WPG board Ryan created and will use this spring with his students.

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Through a classroom culture that promotes creativity and collaboration, he inspires his students to push the boundaries of their knowledge and learn through alternative approaches that express their unique talents. He is the 2022 Groton Public Schools Teacher of the Year and a Connecticut Teacher of the Year semifinalist.

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!

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!

We’re in the middle of Arab American History Month, but Karina Escajeda‘s impact on education is just getting started. We asked her to share how her fellowship completing Arabic language & cultural immersion in Egypt informed her career trajectory that led to her work with the Curacao Ministry of Education through the US State Department…

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My 2019 FFT fellowship to Dahab, Egypt, was built around my role as a Maine K-12 English Language Learner (ELL) Specialist. At the time, I had a professional role as an ELL Coordinator at the middle and high school in Augusta, where all of my students and their families spoke Arabic. I was also a board member of the Capitol Area New Mainers Project, a non-profit dedicated to helping New Mainers (primarily Iraqi, Syrian, and Afghani).  I had been working with language learners in Maine, California and Japan, in both private and public settings, for my entire career.  Additionally, as a Spanish speaker myself, I felt that the experience of learning a language and participating in a cultural immersion would be a way of connecting more personally to the central Maine Arabic-speaking community in general.

In Egypt I connected with The Futures School of Dahab and studied Arabic here for five hours a day, then practiced in the community for 2-3 more.  I also had the chance to explore the pyramids along the Nile River, climb Mt. Sinai in the middle of the night to see the sun rise, and experience Bedouin culture and cuisine. While classroom drills were a big part of my Arabic instruction, my clearest memories and sharpest language retention came from interacting with people while shopping, navigating the city, and getting to know the culture and music of Egypt. The entire experience renewed my drive to make sure that all language instruction is context-based and experience driven.

During my fellowship, I was fortunate to meet up with 2019 FFT Fellow Ryan Clapp, who pursued Arabic immersion in Alexandria, Egypt, and kept an incredible blog of his experience. Although my Arabic did not become fluent in just 6 weeks (of course!), I returned to Maine with more confidence in my ability to present myself in initial introductions in the language, and the families that I work with were genuinely appreciative of the effort — and kindly encouraging about the progress that I made.

The fellowship opened my eyes, again, to my interest in creating cross-cultural connections on both a local AND global level. The meticulous effort that I put into the FFT  application was transferable to my Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching application, which resulted in an opportunity in Greece to study effective refugee integration into learning communities and neighborhoods.

After the Fulbright project, I became the program director for Capital Area New Mainers Project, putting my teaching expertise, fellowship learning and project management skills into practice in the non-profit sphere. Once out of the classroom and working from home as the program director, it finally became possible to take on a role that I dreamed for decades:  being an English Language Specialist with the US State Department.  In January of 2021, I took on a contract to work with the US Consulate in Curacao, the Curacao Chamber of Commerce, and the Ministry of Education in Curacao to create the curriculum for a pilot program in the country using English (rather than Dutch or Papiamentu) as the academic language of instruction. I have developed and edited curriculum for preK through grade three, and the school is slated to open the first preK classes in August of 2023. I will remain on as a consultant for the school opening, as well as the training of teachers and administrators on the new program.

TESOL professionals who are interested in knowing more about the EL Specialist Program with the US State Department can find information here.

Looking back, I see that everything is connected. It is SO important for teachers to be engaged in rigorous inquiry that makes us experience frustration, but in a joyful way because it is learning that WE have chosen to do, not that has been assigned to us as part of our official duties. Students learn from people that they LOVE. That love only comes through authenticity, and teachers can’t be authentic unless we are giving parts of ourselves that are REAL — our love for learning is reignited through funding to pursue our passions.

Fund for Teachers renewed my faith that there ARE organizations in our country that see teachers as educated professionals who know themselves and their communities well enough to be effective advocates for their own needs. Equally as vital, I realized through FFT that I AM a capable expert educator who could contribute meaningfully to my hometown, region, and now — the world.

Karen with other FFT Fellows in her Fulbright cohort. LtoR: Brynn Johnson, Michelle Boger, Karen, Leland Leslie and Deborah Bartley

Day of the Dead is actually a two-day holiday in Mexico when families celebrate life and death simultaneously. From October 31 – November 2, people create ofrendas (or offerings) adorned with items such as foods, photos and items once enjoyed by family members who have died. This year, in the wake of COVID and also their Fund for Teachers fellowship, Rebecca Gauna and Sasha Villagrana decided to host a community-wide Day of the Dead Celebration at Chicago’s Robert Lindblom Math and Science Academy High School.

With their $10,000 FFT grant last summer, Becci and Sasha researched in Nayarit, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, Mexico, indigenous history, traditions, and folklore to inform learning for a Latino culture course, facilitate collaborations with English Language Learners in the special education program, and engage Spanish speaking parents. (Learn more about their experiences at Becci and Sasha‘s post-fellowship reporting.)

This fall, they began implementing their own learning with their students by creating a religious syncretism curriculum for their Latino Culture Colloquium. They also created an advisory lesson that was used school wide to talk about cultural identity. The community-wide Day of the Dead Family Night last week featured an ofrenda (above), performances by the Latino Dance Crew, and five craft stations in which students and their families created sugar skulls, made marigold flowers, and had their faces painted. Students led each activity and explained the significance and symbolism at each station.

“Many Mexican Americans who were born in the United States (including our students) often have a deep sense of feeling connected to Mexico yet have only visited a handful of times,” said Sasha. “The variety of the culture and languages we experienced within each state of Mexico really is so diverse that it is often hard for many Mexican Americans to comprehend or even understand how different it can be. This experience opened my eyes to how diverse the culture and language of Mexico really is and how little many of our students may even know about their family origins.”

“Indigenous groups in Mexico have been oppressed for centuries and this is clear when looking at poverty, access to healthcare, levels of education etc. in highly indigenous areas in Oaxaca and Chiapas,” Becci added. “Their stories too often go unheard when examining the history and culture of Mexico. We want to highlight the importance of indigenous subcultures within the dominant culture of Mexico and bring back inspiration for how marginalized communities maintain their culture and identity.”

Going forward, Sasha and Becci plan to create an interdisciplinary project between the school’s Latino Culture Colloquium, students in the school’s special education program, the art department and the library through a bilingual story time.  The teachers also established contacts with a nonprofit in Chiapas called Sueninos and a nonprofit in the Puerto Vallarta region called Entre Amigos through which will participate in language exchanges and cultural “intercambios,” as well as topics around dual identities and immigrant rights. We will also pursue our relationship with the Mexican Museum of Art in order to conduct an art and identity workshop.

“Our fellowship provided us with pictures, anecdotes, and most importantly, local perspectives and insights into our course units which will help students feel pride and connection with their heritage and engage with the material,” said Becci.

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Becci Gauna has taught Global Civics, Honors Psychology, Honors Sociology, US History, and World History. She has also helped design and develop her school’s Latino Culture program and sponsors the school’s Latino Dance team. Sasha Villagrana has been a New York City public alternative high school teacher for six years — two of which were in prison to a range of incarcerated youth populations facing the most severe challenges. She has also served Lindbom’s bilingual coordinator, foreign language department chair, and has taught the Latino Culture Colloquium, as well as Chinese.