The School Foundation awards more than $90,000 in funding to Florence School District 1.

By Shireese Bell
Morning News Reporter
Published: May 28, 2008

The School Foundation has awarded more than $90,000 in grant funding for projects for students in Florence School District 1.

“The applications this year left no doubt that there are many innovative and committed teachers in Florence School District 1,” said Debbie Hyler, executive director of The School Foundation. “The School Foundation is dedicated to nurturing and encouraging these qualities.”

Grant recipients were recognized during a reception Wednesday at the Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation Library in Florence.

Grants of $200 to $500 each were awarded in the Mini grants category, while grants of $10,000 or more were awarded in the Major grants category.

The foundation received 29 applications for the Mini grant category and 10 applications in the Major grant category.

“There were multiple projects that were worth funding,” Hyler said. “It’s a shame we can’t fund more.

“Obviously, the more money we raise, the more we can fund,” she said. “It just truly shows, to me, that there are lots and lots of great teachers with wonderful ideas.”

Grants were chosen based on innovation, creativity, educational value, student involvement and level of positive benefits for students.

“We were tremendously excited by the number and breadth of applications,” Trisha Caulder, chairwoman of The School Foundation’s grants committee, said in a press release. “It was an extremely difficult decision this year.

“The grants committee really had a difficult time,” she said. “There were so many more we wanted to fund.”

In the major grant category, Dewey L. Carter Elementary School, Southside Middle School and South Florence High School received $90,000 for a joint project called “Bridging the Divide.”

The project will target at-risk students in sixth through ninth grades. Teachers will be able to enhance instruction and engage students through the use of such technology as laptops, iPods and digital programs.

A total of $4,820 was awarded in the Mini grants category. The amount and projects are:

·      $500, “Around the Town”— A project for three kindergarten classes at Henry Timrod Elementary School to develop oral language and writing skills, as well as develop an understanding of how families and communities lived in the past through a social studies unit about their community.

·      $498, “Video Broadcasting” — Additional equipment to support an increase in students enrolling in South Florence High School’s Video Broadcasting class. The class produces a live morning show (Bruin News Network).

·      $500, “Writing Through the Ages” — For resource books, materials and equipment for seventh-grade students in English language arts and social studies at Williams Middle School to research periods of history.

·      $500, “The Round Table” — For the creation of an afterschool book club at West Florence High School.

·      $500, “It is Rocket Science After All” — A project to help develop interest in science and technology. The Wilson High School Rocket Club will be able to design, build and fly a model rocket.

Five grants were awarded to Theodore Lester Elementary School:

·      $500 for “Cooking and Eating Our Way Through the Standards” — A project designed to enhance the teaching of the curriculum standards for third-grade students through cooking activities and reading.

·      $460, “Math Munchers” — A project designed for students to improve their math skills through cooking activities at school and at home.

·      $362, “Puppets in the Classroom” — For the purchase of puppets for a five-year-old kindergarten class. The puppets will be used as a motivational tool and for academic instruction.

·      $500, “Family Folk Stories” — A writing project for third- through sixth-grade students in English language arts.

·      $500, “Literacy Through Listening” — A literacy project for fourth-grade students. Audio media will be used to help students improve reading skills.

Hyler said the foundation will offer a grant writing workshop Feb. 6 for schools interested in learning about writing Mini and Major grant applications.

On the Web
The School Foundation: http://www.theschoolfoundation.org

A look at What's Happening week of June 2, 2008 in Florence School District One