ORAU awards more than $36,000 in grants to East Tennessee teachers

East Tennessee teachers accept more than $36,000 in education grants from Oak Ridge Associated Universities during a ceremony last week. (Photo submitted by ORAU)

Oak Ridge Associated Universities awarded more than $36,000 to about two dozen East Tennessee teachers during a grants ceremony last week.

The grants were used to buy educational materials and equipment such as interactive white boards, iPads, robotics kits, computers, and more. The equipment will help teachers “continue to meet rigorous, state-wide curriculum standards and enhance the learning experience of their students,” a press release said.

The grants were awarded to 23 teachers from 15 schools during the 11th annual ORAU Education Grants ceremony.

“ORAU is proud to assist teachers and administrators in gathering the tools they need to capture and secure students’ attention in a variety of subjects,” ORAU President and CEO Andy Page said. “These educators have shown true dedication to teaching, and we appreciate all of their effort and hard work.”

Norris Middle School, one of the biggest winners, received a $4,800 grant to buy an iPod Touch Mobile Teaching Lab, the press release said.

“Consisting of 12 iPod Touches, a MacBook Pro, Apple iTunes cards, and Apple TV, the equipment is kept on a mobile cart that can move throughout the school, giving all sixth-grade math and science teachers and students equal opportunity to utilize the technology,” it said.

The second largest grant of $4,000 was presented to Anderson County Career and Technical Center for the purchase of a TI-Navigator Classroom Learning System, which will allow teachers to actively engage students in the mathematics classroom by giving them the opportunity to take part in classroom discussions using their graphing calculators.

Briceville Elementary School was also granted its request for a library Technology Station, and Dutch Valley Elementary School received two N-Computing Desktop Stations. Both systems help update and extend the schools’ computer labs. Each grant is valued at $3,60

The other grant winners were:

• Robertsville Middle School—a $3,225 grant for the purchase of three VEX Gateway to Technology Robotics Kits that will allow students to experience robotics and automation.

• Lake City Elementary School—a $2,600 grant for the purchase of five Rhymes ‘N’ Times kits, which will allow students to be engaged in multi-sensory activities that increase fluent, accurate computation skills.

• Lake City Middle School—a $2,020 grant for the purchase of an interactive Promethean Board for a sixth grade social studies classroom, and a $450 grant for the purchase of scientific calculators.

• Andersonville Elementary School—a $2,020 grant for the purchase of an Epson Bright Link Interactive Whiteboard to help improve kindergarten students’ achievement in literacy, math, science, and technology, and a $600 grant for the purchase of calculators for fourth- and fifth-grade students.

• Woodland Elementary School—a $2,000 grant for the purchase of four iPads to be used in the school’s science center for research, simulation, and data management during lab time.

• South Clinton Elementary School—a $1,500 grant for iTunes cards to purchase applications for existing iPads, a $300 grant for the purchase of a GoPro Hero2 HD Camera that will be used to capture time-lapsed photos for visual learning, and a $362 grant for the purchase of a portable science habitat and live butterfly larval kit to create a butterfly garden.

• Clinton Middle School—a $1,450 grant for the purchase of a TI-Nspire Graphing Calculator Kit and Teacher Software to help the teacher develop a math curriculum that is centered around the use of technology.

• Fairview Elementary School—a $1,310 grant for the purchase of a classroom projector for the school’s K-5 library.

• Claxton Elementary School—a $1,076 grant for the purchase of two iPads to be used in a kindergarten classroom for cross-curricular activities throughout the school day.

• Clinton Elementary School—an $800 grant for the purchase of four Nook Tablets to be incorporated into all second-grade classrooms to enhance reading skills, a $730 grant for the purchase of an ELMO Interactive Document Camera for a second grade math classroom, and a $360 grant for the purchase of various hands-on math tools including pattern blocks, place value dice, geoboards, base ten sets, clocks, and measuring units.

• Grand Oaks Elementary School—a $610 grant for the purchase of Instant Learning Centers to promote learning about magnets, weather, seasons, life cycles, animal habitats and plants.

The awards, based on competitive proposals submitted by the individual schools, were presented by Page, ORAU Executive Vice President Eric Abelquist, and ORAU Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Phil Andrews.

Since 2002—the beginning of the ORAU Education Grants program—ORAU has provided more than $311,000 to area schools for projects that complement ORAU’s mission of enriching science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs, the press release said.