Arlington Education Foundation Announces Grant Recipients

Arlington Education Foundation Announces Grant Recipients
Nearly $17,000 Awarded

The Arlington Education Foundation (AEF) recently awarded $16,928 in grants to Arlington Public School educators. AEF is grateful to all the applicants who join us in our commitment to enhancing Arlington’s public schools through innovative education.

AEF’s Innovations in Education grants support programming, materials and professional development that allow students and teachers to delve deeper into their studies or explore a new element within the curriculum. The Innovations in Education grants awarded include:

Math Anytime, Video math tutorials directly aligned to the curriculum will support sixth graders as they learn new concepts
KerbalEdu, Hands-on learning for High School astronomy students teaches orbital mechanics by designing, building and flying virtual rockets
3D Printing for All, A 3D printer for the High School Makerspace will allow students to explore the link between digital design and the creation of objects
Cold War Pinball, Some ninth-grade history students will create a Pinbox3000 pinball game, bringing Cold War history to life in an engaging way
Teaching Artistic Behavior, A Peirce after-school art program will inspire confidence through small group exploration, cultivation and expression of ideas
Story Box Library, Visually-impaired students will use touchable objects that illustrate story concepts and enhance student understanding
The Colors of STEM, A rotating exhibit at Brackett will foster diversity awareness about prominent American people of color in the fields of STEM
ChillVille, High School REACH program students will maximize their readiness to learn in a sensory room that provides a supportive and relaxing environment

Many of these Innovations in Education grants tie in to the district’s current focus on making sure that all of Arlington’s students feel that school is a safe and supportive environment. AEF is working with the district to support these endeavors and to enhance student learning in a variety of ways, from bringing storybook illustrations to life for the visually-impaired to encouraging broad access to cutting-edge technology.

Additionally, AEF is pleased to announce two recent Continuing Scholar Award recipients: Jennifer Breneisen, SLC social worker at Stratton Elementary, for a three-day conference on Social Thinking-Clinical Training; and, Julie Harrington, fourth-grade teacher at Hardy Elementary and one of the district’s literacy leaders, to participate in Columbia University’s Teachers College Conferring and Small Group Institute in Reading.

Supported solely through individual donations and local business sponsorships, AEF awards approximately $100,000 in grants annually to the Arlington Public Schools. AEF is dedicated to enriching public education in Arlington and is not directly affiliated with the Arlington Public Schools. The spring Innovations in Education grant cycle will close April 15. For more information or to donate, visit www.aefma.org