Town and Country Teacher Awarded Excellence in Teaching Grant

Janet Kieffer, a teacher at Town and Country's Churchill Center and School was awarded a grant to fund a project aimed at teaching students about St. Louis architecture.

St. Louis-based Emerson awarded the grant to Kieffer as part of Emerson’s Excellence in Teaching/Gold Star Grant program, Emerson spokesperson Allison Olson said in a news release.

The company said a total of six grants totaling $60,000 were recently awarded to area teachers as part of the program. 

Kieffer is an art and remedial reading teacher for learning disabled students and received the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award. Kieffer tells Patch she is receiving a $2,500 grant, which she plans to use for a hands-on, multisensory learning opportunity for students to explore local architecture. During the project, Kieffer said students will design and build 3D models of a building. 

"I think a lot of the kids aren't exposed a lot to the wonderful architecture that is around St. Louis," Kieffer explained. "It was an opportunity to get out of the classroom and explore all that is around to St. Louis and an opportunity for them to build three dimensionally." 

The grant will also fund a field trip, art materials, and teacher education materials. 

"There is a local historian that will come and do a slide presentation and she will conduct our field trip and gear it toward the age group so I think it should be really worth while," Kieffer said.

Kieffer plans to initiate the project with her students during the next school year.

Churchill Center and School will also receive $2,500 from Emerson.

Allison Olson, a spokesperson for Emerson, said the grants are awarded annually through a competitive application process open to past recipients of the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award.