Teacher Innovation Grant Recipients for the 2019-2020 School Year Announced

Teacher Innovation Grant Recipients for 2019-2020 School Year Announced
Posted on 12/12/2019
The Allentown School District Foundation (ASDF) is pleased to announce the newest cohort of Teacher Innovation Grant (TIG) recipients. These grant applications are developed by ASD educators to bring Allentown students added, enriched learning experiences. This year, the major grant support from The Donley Foundation and The Sugra Memorial Foundation were augmented by additional supporters as the Foundation is committed to growing the program. Sponsors are identified on each grant below:

2019-2020 Cohort of TIG Fellows

Recipient/School

Grant Sponsor

TIG Program Title

Grant

# Student Participants

Grade

Michelle Bruno

William Allen HS

Allentown Education Association Award

Digital Preservation of Allen History

$1,188

35

9-12

Sara Rice

William Allen HS

WAHS Class of 1967 Award

Art Therapy

$1,200

20

9-12

Crystal Sterner

William Allen HS

First Student Field Trip Award

Putting the Field in Field Trip

$1,192

20

9-12

Jeffrey Dutt

Louis E. Dieruff HS

Blankowitsch Civics Award

WW II Experience at Hyde Park

$1,200

44

11

Matthew Roth

Louis E. Dieruff HS

Schweighardt Science Award

Drone Technology in Modern Applications

$1,178

186

9-12

Meghan Smith

Building 21

Donley Foundation Award

Recipes as History

$833

60

10

Beth Roba

William Penn Alternative School

Donley Foundation Award

Trauma Informed Yoga & Mindfulness

$1,200

50

6-12

Joan Preston

Harrison-Morton MS

Donley Foundation Award

Class Dojo Student Accounts

$1,196

80

6

Melissa Betar

South Mountain MS

Donley Foundation Award

Journalism Through Multi-Media Creation

$964

130

6-7

Jane Dotter

Cleveland ES

Judge Cahn Award

Student Historians

$1,000

75

5

Melanie Beck

Dodd ES

Sugra Foundation Award

Cross Your Tea’s, Dodd Your I’s Cafe

$700

12

2-3

Donna Reitenauer

McKinley ES

Sugra Foundation Award

Telling A Story Through Puppetry

$300

50

1

Kim Burke

Mosser ES

BBraun Technology Award

3D Printing & You

$1,200

25

4

Janice Green

Newcomer Academy K-6

Stevens Good Health Award

Garden to Table

$1,200

175

K-6

Braidyn Womer

Newcomer Academy K-6

Schweighardt Science Award

Introducing Computer Science & Coding

$1,097

100

3-6

Connor Hughes

Ritter ES

Donley Foundation Award

Rocky’s Den: Ritter School Store

$1,151

572

K-5

Kelly Gehret

Roosevelt ES

Angello Literacy Award

Building Home Libraries

$1,200

12

3-5

Jacqueline Howard

Roosevelt ES

Donley Foundation Award

Trauma Focused Classroom

$1,125

740

K-5

Nisha Marshall

Roosevelt ES

Gallagher Insurance Award

Ozobots for Math & Literacy

$831

12

K-2

Michelle Chelton

Sheridan ES

Donald & June Hinkle Music Award

Orff Instrument Addition

$1,162

600

1-5

Susan Wigfield

Sheridan ES

Sugra Foundation Award

Cultural Fair

$1,050

140

1-5

Stacy Cunningham

Sheridan ES

Donley Foundation Award

Ergo for LS Classroom

$1,140

16

2

Katie Seagreaves

Union Terrace ES

Schweighardt Science Award

3D Printing to Solve Real World Problems

$518

15

4-5

Jillian Emert

Washington ES

Sugra Foundation Grant

Help Give Me a Voice

$1,193

60

3-5

TOTAL # Student Participants: 3,229 (estimate)

Selected by the ASDF TIG Committee on November 26, 2019, the Teacher Innovation Grants were approved and announced to ASD educators through surprise visits to their classrooms December 9-12. Highlights from this year:

The ASD Foundation is awarding 24 Teacher Innovation Grants totaling $25,018.  The grants fund projects in 16 ASD schools and will include:  seven STEAM, eight English/Language Arts/Social Studies, nine Special Education/Social Emotional Learning.  Thirty proposals with a maximum request of $1,200 were submitted by ASD educators and reviewed by the eight members of our volunteer TIG Committee. All grants were also reviewed and approved by ASD curriculum directors to meet standards.

The Teacher Innovation Program was founded in 2010 with a small grant. Since that time, more than $143,000 has been granted to 147 teachers. TIG is pegged to be a high-growth program for the Foundation, with a goal to fund 10 percent of the teacher corps, or to reach about 140 – 150 ASD educators with grant support every year.  To do this, the TIG Committee has begun fundraising with a broader focus.

Says Dr. Dennis Blankowitsch, Co-Chair of the ASDF TIG Committee, “The quality of proposals is rich with commitment to make a difference in the lives of ASD students and they are immensely creative.”
 
“We extend our gratitude not only to the TIG Committee for its dedication and diligence, but to our sponsors and all ASD educators who submitted TIG proposals,” added Jane Marks, Co-Chair. “These innovative plans will create a spark that ignites a life-long love of learning and impact not just minds, but hearts as well.”

The grant ceiling continued this year at a cap of $1,200 per proposal. Project funding to recipients will be released right after the winter break in January 2019.  Part of the innovation grant process includes an evaluation component, which happens at school year-end.

These 24 TIG projects were selected by the TIG Committee consisting of Altagracia Mercado (Urban Affairs Liaison for Senator Pat Browne); TIG Co-Chair Dr. Dennis Blankowitsch (retired ASD Administrator); TIG Co-chair Jane Marks Co-Chair Jane Marks (retired ASD Teacher and Student Teaching Supervisor at Muhlenberg College); ASD test administrator Lizabeth Hutchison; retired ASD teacher Anita Stevens; Diane Wittman Koch (Newspapers in Education Manager, retired, The Morning Call); Ralph Todd (retired ASD Administrator), and Linda Bortz (retired ASD Teacher and member of the Lehigh Chapter of PA School Retirees). The Committee scored each application using a quantitative rubric by placing a total score of up to 25 points for each submission. 

There are more stories and photos of the 24 TIG Fellows on ASD Foundation Facebook.

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