Robert P. Bell grants totaling $2,258 have been awarded to local teachers for the fourth and final quarterly grant cycle of the 2009-2010 academic year. It is estimated that over 1,500 Delaware County students will benefit from these grants.
- Becky Juday and Rachel Vance, Westview Elementary School, were awarded $160 to defray the cost of fourth and fifth grade students to participate in a unit to gain a better understanding of endangered species, their habitats, life cycles, physical and behavioral traits, and causes of possible extinction. Students will create displays about endangered species and give oral presentations to classmates. Students will have a "penny war" to vote for their favorite endangered species with the proceeds going to benefit charities that help endangered animals.
- Jodie Scales, Selma Middle School, was awarded $316 for seventh grade language arts students to learn about digital literacies in the form of reading and writing multimodal texts. Students will design and develop a digital collection of the written, video, presentations, and pod cast projects they have done throughout the school year.
- Amy Abbott, Cowan Junior/Senior High School, was awarded $314 for high school advanced nutrition students to participate in a school-wide Asian Fair. Students will plan and prepare at least six different Asian recipes including Orange Chicken, Fried Rice, Japanese Cheesecake, Fortune Cookies, Coffee Chai, and Green Tea Sparkler and prepare a poster about the dishes. Samples will be provided at the Fair so that students can try a small sample of each of the Asian dishes.
- Rick Compton, Sr., Muncie Area Career Center, was awarded $350 for high school public safety students to build simulation rooms to allow hands-on experience for students studying fire rescue or law enforcement.
- Lance Brand, Delta High School, was awarded $350 for high school biology students to participate in a unit about biofuel production. Students will conduct an investigation on the enzymes kinetics of biofuel production and then prepare posters and video presentations. The class will join forces with the school's economic classes to host a "Regional Energy Summit" and discuss the economic and environmental issues of modern energy production.
- Kandy Keller, Yorktown Elementary School, was awarded $268 for elementary students to begin a butterfly garden and sanctuary to teach students about raising the delicate insects and the meaning of metamorphoses. This would serve as a visual example that change is possible and sometimes very dramatic. Students will then be encouraged to change any negative behaviors they might have into positive ones.
- Carol Burt, East Washington Academy, was awarded $350 for elementary art students to study the engineering aspects of Alexander Calder's mobiles and stables. To celebrate their similarities and differences as a community of learners, students will create a large-scale wire sculpture of interconnected rings of wire, based on the technique of chain mail (on a larger scale). The sculpture will become a permanent display in the school cafeteria.
- Pamela Stults, East Washington Academy, was awarded $150 for fourth grade students to work in groups to create their own secret gardens after reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Students will demonstrate how climate affects the way people live and the types of vegetation that grow in certain areas, comparing the climates of England, India, and Indiana through their research.
Bell Grants of up to $350 are awarded to teachers with innovative ideas, programs or projects designed to stimulate learning in their students. The next Bell Grant deadline is October 1, 2010 for grants in the 2010-2011 school year.
Click the link for a Bell Grant Brochure, Guidelines, Application, Deadlines, or contact our Community Foundation Program Officer or call 765-747-7181.
