Each year the Binghamton City Schools Foundation provides grants to school district staff members for special projects or activities that fall beyond the scope of the district's operating budget. The foundation funds worthwhile programs, equipment, trips, or activities that ordinarily can't be supported as part of the school operating budget but benefit the growth, education, and development of students.
In 2021, the foundation awarded nearly $40,000 in grants. Grants for this year have been awarded across the district and include projects from drones, quiet reading nooks, and exercise equipment.
“We are really excited to support these wonderful grants, especially during this continuing and challenging time of COVID,” said Jennifer Corby, the president of the Binghamton City Schools Foundation. “The teachers came up with super ideas. It was a pleasure to see such a broad spectrum of projects that also reached all of the age groups.”
District Challenge Coordinator, Sarah McLaughlin was awarded a grant for "The Sky's the Limit; Educational Drone Project. Her project will allow students to assemble drones, learn about the practice and coded flight and talk about the ethics of the use of drones. McLaughlin said that she wants students to have authentic experiences that translate to their lives outside of school.
“I think it is important to start building due to the pandemic, students have had limited opportunities to play with their peers. This grant will allow them to engage with other students in a semi-structured environment in a fun way that practices the skills they are learning from our Social-Emotional Curriculum.
Thomas Jefferson Elementary Teachers Mari Anne Hertzog and Kristen Klein applied for a grant to get kids moving through a tracked walking program for students during recess and class movement breaks. Hertzog said that the Fitness Finders Mileage Club allows each student to get a lanyard with an app and card that tracks laps and calculates miles walked. Students then receive charms that they can put on their lanyard for different distances completed.
“We wanted to bring this program to the school to encourage the kids to move more, to get more steps in their day,” Hertzog said. “This program helps students to track their daily exercise and see their progress while offering incentives and rewards for their success.”
Another way the foundation has been helping students get more exercise is through their "Get Up and Move Grant” which provided $20,000 worth of exercise equipment to students across the district.
Aubrie Smith is a Math Interventionist at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. She was awarded a grant to provide toys and activities for first-grade students to use in small groups during indoor recess. These Legos, building blocks, games, and magnetic blocks can be used on days when students cannot go outside.
"This project was important to me because I feel that students need time to play with other students to help develop important social skills, especially in the younger grades," Smith said. "Due to the pandemic, students have had limited opportunities to play with their peers. This grant will allow them to engage with other students in a semi-structured environment in a fun way that practices the skills they are learning from our Social-Emotional Curriculum."
For a full list of grants visit the BCS Foundation webpage.