A whopping $30,497.65 in teacher grants was awarded at this year’s Convocations by the North East Educational Foundation (NEEF). Three grant recipients will soon be able to incorporate outdoor learning into their curriculum.
Michelle Saenz, a pre-K teacher at Bulverde Creek Elementary School, received $2,266.80 for an outdoor interactive classroom. The outdoor space will feature a mud kitchen, workbench and other activities.
Another outdoor learning grant was awarded to Jennifer Humphrey from Nimitz Middle School for $4,500. The outdoor learning center will provide a sensory garden where students will be able to touch, smell and taste different plants growing in the garden. They will also see and listen to birds and pollinators, as well as make music of their own.
Alicia Jeffrey and Caitlyn Khoury from Tuscany Heights Elementary School were awarded $3,000 for a mobile imagination station. With assorted indoor/outdoor building blocks and moveable items, children will enjoy physical activity and learn through unstructured play.
Katherine Dalton from Madison High School’s Agriscience Magnet Program (AMP) was awarded $1,566.41. Beekeeping is key to maintaining a balanced and ample food supply. This grant will give students the chance to gain hands-on experience managing beehives.
Pamela Stevenson from Thousand Oaks Elementary School received $5,880.44 for a media production and collaborative common space setup. This will provide an environment for creativity and collaborative opportunities in media production where students will produce and share original ideas.
Claudia Cardona, Luis Badillo and Alejandra Campos from Walzem Elementary School jointly applied for a $3,710 classroom transformation grant. Thematic learning experiences will engage students in learning that goes beyond the walls of the classroom by converting classrooms into medical offices, construction sites, restaurants and much more.
At Oak Meadow Elementary School, teachers Yasleitza Natal-Rivera and Mary Koudelka received $9,574 to create immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experiences for students, enabling the viewer to better understand subjects and topics without leaving the classroom.
Congratulations to all of our grant winners!
