East Tennessee teachers win UCOR ‘mini-grants’

Teachers in more than a dozen East Tennessee schools have won 25 “mini-grants” in an education program meant to recognize and support teaching excellence, and help teachers with specific projects or curricula.

The grants focus primarily on projects meant to help students learn about science, technology, engineering, and math, a press release said. UCOR, a federal cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, announced the grant winners Wednesday.

The winners and their proposed projects and schools are:

• Beth Adler—“Green Campus,” Oak Ridge High School
• Ben Barrington—“Skills for Manufacturing-Drill Press,” Clinton High School
• Amelia Bell—“Learning Lunch,” Glenwood Elementary School
• Janis Bishop—“Jumping into Science and Math with Interactive Magazines,” Briceville Elementary School
• Jessica Bray and Cricket Groff—“Junior FIRST LEGO League and FIRST LEGO League,” Grand Oaks Elementary School
• Dona Mari Clements—“S.T.E.M. Library Resource Enrichment,” Halls Middle School
• Julie Craig—“Probing the Field: Experiments with Magnetism,” Oak Ridge High School
• Catherine DeVillez—“Seedlings Project,” Ridgedale Special Day School
• Madeline Ferguson—“Learning and Serving in the Beaver Creek Watershed,” Powell High School
• Virginia Fletcher—“Teaching Engineering through Alternative Energy,” Bearden Middle School
• Marvin Freezell—“Interdisciplinary Collaboration,” Loudon High School
• Jennifer Goins—“Incorporating Common Core into the Classroom for the Super Source Manipulative Sets and for Mathematics Library,” Anderson County Career and Technical Center
• Kathryn Hall—“Science Research Building Blocks,” Norris Middle School
• Laicee Hatfield—“Scientific Research Presentations,” Farragut High School
• Christy Hicks—“1st Grade Math Flames,” Grand Oaks Elementary School
• Cindy Holmes—“Robotics Team,” Roane County High School
• Jill Hudson and Jane Skinner—“Bringing STEM to Life with 3-D Printing (From Ideas to Prototypes),” Farragut High School
• Vicki McKamey—“Centered on Science,” Grand Oaks Elementary School
• Stephanie Meredith—“Science Listening Stations,” Andersonville Elementary School
• Rhonda Phillips—“Growing Readers,” Grand Oaks Elementary School
• Katie Ruth—“Hands-on-Robotics,” Midway Middle School
• Connie Miller Simpson—“Virtual Water Project,” Sequoyah Elementary School
• Dara Williams Wade—“Appin’ Not Nappin’, This Isn’t Your Momma’s Kindergarten,” Norris Elementary School
• Rachel White—“Reduced Friction Collisions Using Air Tracks,” Clinton High School
• Gordon Williams—“Motion Control through PID Controllers in a STEM Classroom,” Oak Ridge High School

“At UCOR, we strongly support education,” said Leo Sain, UCOR president and project manager. “A strong math and science background will help students flourish when they eventually transition into the work force. Our mini-grant program offers funding for educational initiatives that enhance students’ knowledge base and provide a rewarding experience.”

Applications were screened and awardees selected using a blind process that prevented members of the selection panel from knowing the names of the teachers or the schools applying, a press release said. Schools in Roane, Anderson, Loudon, and Knox counties were eligible to submit proposals.

The press release said UCOR plans to continue awarding the mini-grants annually.

UCOR is a partnership between URS and CH2M Oak Ridge LLC. The company is the U.S. Department of Energy’s environmental management contractor at the Oak Ridge Reservation, and it works at the East Tennessee Technology Park, Y-12 National Security Complex, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.