Teachers at 14 Beaufort Co. schools are getting classroom grants. Is yours on the list?
Producing a musical at Whale Branch Elementary School. Designing a pickleball court in technology class. Teaching cooking classes for special needs high school students.
These are just a few of the projects getting money from the Foundation for Educational Excellence in its fall 2021 grant cycle.
The 19 grants awarded total more than $26,000 and are going to pay for projects at 14 schools in Beaufort County School District.
“The grants will provide individual learning opportunities for almost 7,000 Beaufort County students this year with some projects providing multi-year experiences,” said Michel Claudio, the foundation’s innovative grants chair, in a press release.
At Robert Smalls International Academy, teacher Peggy Dumler is getting money to continue a pen pal program between students in Beaufort and Kenya. She’s adding literature that students in both Beaufort and Kenya will read for the second year of the exchange.
At the Beaufort Jasper Academy for Career Excellence, instructors Jennifer Calcorzi and Chelsey Bates are buying heart and lung torso mannequins to train students in the emergency medical services and nursing programs, helping them to get certified for jobs in the healthcare industry.
As a fund of Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, the Foundation for Educational Excellence sponsors a grant for the district’s Teacher of the Year and grants for first- and second-year teachers, among other projects.
“The Foundation is thrilled to help equip both teachers and students for an excellent return to classroom learning,” foundation board chairperson Lisa Carroll said in a press release. “These projects that exceed typical classroom budgets represent the passion and the dedication that our Beaufort County School District teachers have to provide their students with an educational experience that goes above and beyond.”
All Beaufort County School District teachers are eligible to apply for the foundation’s grants. For more information, visit https://www.foundationedexcellence.com/grant-applications.
Here’s the full list of grant recipients for fall 2021:
GRANT NAME | SUBMITTED BY | SCHOOL |
Manipulating the World | Megan Hutto | Bluffton Middle School |
A CPR Feedback Manikin | David Shervin | Beaufort High School |
Inspiration in 3D | Melissa Rosen | Robert Smalls International Academy |
Global Understanding-It’s a Small World- Part 2 | Peggy Dumler | Robert Smalls International Academy |
The Science Behind Tuning a Guitar | Jeffrey Stinson | H E McCracken Middle School |
The Wildcat Compost Zone | Laura VanHorn | Bluffton Elementary School and Early Childhood Center |
Go Fish: Exploring the Impacts of Fish on a Hydroponic Lab | Bree Lauffer | Okatie Elementary School |
Can You Hear Me Now? | Jennifer Calcorzi and Chelsey Bates | Beaufort Jasper Academy for Career Excellence |
”In a Pickle” | Jennifer Friend-Kerr | Hilton Head Island Elementary School for the Creative Arts |
Full STEAM Ahead | Lynda Jernigan and Amanda Freeman | Mossy Oaks Elementary |
Carolina Fence Garden | Heidi McAllister | Bluffton Middle School |
Leaders of Excellence in Diversity | Christy McCullough | Robert Smalls International Academy |
Alphabet Affirmations | DeAnna Daniels | Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center |
Learning STEAM Through Lego Education | Marlayna Tracy & Eric Mohrman | River Ridge Academy |
Throwin’ Clay in the Art Room | Jacquelyn Visscher & Rebecca Himes | Red Cedar Elementary School |
Bobcat Bistro | Elizabeth M Reber | Bluffton High School |
Full STEAM Ahead | Dara Kappel | Bluffton Elementary School |
Sand, Sand, Everywhere! Phonics fun! | Kristiana Valentine, Lindsay Binkley, Whitney Knopf, Sandra Viskovich | Red Cedar Elementary |
Developing Language and Reasoning through Musical Theatre | Kelly Turner | Whale Branch Elementary |
