Three local Catholic school teachers recently received grant money to pursue creative projects in the classroom. The grants were locally generated and administered through the Community Foundation of Fayette County.
Geibel Catholic Middle-High School received a grant to purchase individual headsets which will enable the students to practice, perfect, and master the French language. Ms. Marian Cadwallader, chair, Foreign Language Department, stated, “In the spring, students will be preparing for the National French Exam which has a listening component. I’m hoping that using the headsets to review dialogues and podcasts from previous exams will help improve their scores.”
Two teachers at St. John the Evangelist Regional Catholic School received grants. The first award is for the purchase of four Hummingbird Robotics Kits. The robotics kits will be used to enhance the curriculum with an afterschool robotics club for seventh and eighth grade students. The club stems from a workshop at Carnegie Mellon University, attended by Mrs. Amy Palya, third grade teacher. Mrs. Palya explained, “The Arts and Bots program allows students to build and program robots that combine robotic components and craft materials. This program will integrate creativity with technology and aid in the collaboration of ideas among the students.”
The second grant received by St. John the Evangelist Regional Catholic School is for the purchase of six digital cameras for an eighth grade art and history project. Mrs. Mary Chesler, stated, “My plan is to teach the elements of art, as well as discover and record the treasures of nature and history that abound in our community.”
The Idea Fund was created by a local donor to foster teacher creativity at Geibel Catholic Middle-High School and St. John the Evangelist Regional Catholic Schools. Teachers are invited to submit applications that demonstrate a willingness to move outside the box to enrich the learning experience, engage students actively, and use the materials to impact a significant number of students.
