2013-14 Grant Awards

Archie R. Cole Middle School

• Global Studies: We Are All Connected: A $5,000 grant funded a four-day-a-week, eighth grade International Studies class. The class curriculum was designed to achieve the following goals: to inform student of critical issues facing developing countries to examine multiple aspects of different cultures to encourage students to be catalysts for change to emphasize the worldwide contributions from other cultures.

East Greenwich High School

• RealCare Babies: EGEF funded the integration of 22 RealCare infant simulators into the 9–12th grade health curriculum. A state of the art curriculum was designed around students caring for the “babies” as would actual parents. Goals include teaching students about healthy choices, problem solving, responsibility and decision-making, while providing information to lessen risky behavior.

Meadowbrook Farms Elementary School

• Reaching Reluctant Readers Program: This grant provided funds to build an interactive and engaging library program to instill a lifelong love of reading in students and assist with classroom research projects. A collection of science, history, and popular series books, as well as biographies and graphic novels, were purchased to appeal to a wide variety of readers. Corollary activities such as book talks, library classroom activities and book displays engaged student readers during the 2013-14 academic year.

• The Learning Garden: First funded in 2009, an additional round of funding helped The Learning Garden project investigate the correlation between student involvement in school-based garden projects and improvements in their math and science scores. Students continue to have the opportunity to calculate bed size, manage a budget, harvest crops and enjoy healthy snacks.