Friends of Confluence awards $75,000 to enhance learning experiences

The Friends of Confluence, a non-profit foundation that provides support to Confluence Charter Schools, awarded more than $75,000 in grants to teachers and staff to impact student experiences. Teachers and staff submitted grant applications in the spring to fund projects and opportunities in 2016-2017.

The grant program encourages teachers to think of project ideas that provide an education opportunity not covered within the general school budget; integrate technology into curriculum; promote parent involvement initiatives; foster collaborations; and demonstrate creative approaches to boosting student achievement.

In its first year for the Friends of Confluence grant, 39 applications were submitted; 26 were funded. Entries were reviewed based on criteria and a scoring guide; the grants were awarded on a merit basis. Projects and opportunities range from creating science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classrooms to bilingual libraries to books for staff professional development and more.

Congratulations to the 2016-2017 Friends of Confluence grant recipients:

 

John Titsworth, Old North                 STEM Classroom                               $5,351
Yelena Juracsik

John Titsworth, Old North                 Technology Software,                         $3,894
                                                          Math Curriculum

Michelle Oyola, GCAA                       Flipping the Expected                        $1,603
Sara Schmittgens, South City            Bringing Books Alive!                         $1,065
Deborah Meng, South City                Bilingual Mini-Library, PreK-2             $577

James Young, Old North                    Gymnasium Sound System               $8,519
Scott Mitchell

Jan Antrim, South City                       Leveled Literacy Intervention             $7,936
Theresa Bates

Matthew Naes, GCAA                       Assessing Assumptions                       $12,000
                                                         Industry Standard Software

James Edmond, Elite Academy        PBIS Reward Day                              $5,000
Maria Casaleggi, South City             Elementary Book Battle                     $393

Andrew Goodin, GCAA                    Caine’s Arcade: Circuitry                    $1,000

Annette Chamberlain, CPA                Project-Based Learning                    $873

                                                          7 Habits Highly Effective Families     $263

                                                          Highly Effective Teens                       $1,898

                                                          New Teacher Orientation                   $335

                                                          Schools that Deliver                            $369

                                                          Reflective Practice                              $351

                                                          Schools, Districts & Systems              $94


Nez Savala, Resource Office             Confluence in the Community            $1,500
Beth Cunningham, Old North             Primary Math Lab                               $1,500
Deborah Bertish, South City               3-D Printer                                          $1,200

Gloria Willis, Elite                              Supplemental Books                           $1,358
Shaire Duncan                        

Leslie Muhammad, Aspire                 Therapeutic Expression                       $1,969

Debra Bahr, Aspire                             Lego’s Technology, Math, Science     $5,132
                                                           Eureka Math, Science                        $6,364                           

Matt Gandolfo, Aspire                       Makerspace, Design Thinking               $4,485