Deirdre Barrett, right, is pictured above with Alice Feldman, Linda Young, Anne Garcia Garland, and Margaret Gottshall. (Submitted photo)
To the Editor:
The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation would like to extend its thanks to all who contributed to the Dreams and Innovation program honoring Oak Ridge teachers who received Foundation grants for the 2013-2014 school year.
Our thanks and appreciation goes to:
- B&W Y-12, which provided the location, New Hope Center, for the celebration attended by more than 150 people. B&W Y-12 also provided assistance with sound and information technology for the event.
- Aubrey’s Restaurant, one of Oak Ridge’s newest restaurants, for providing appetizers for the event.
- Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc. (MCLinc), which provided booths for the event.
- Deirdre Barrett, the ceremony’s keynote speaker, author, psychologist at Harvard Medical School, and graduate of Oak Ridge High School. She spoke on the theme of the event, describing how dreams contribute to innovation and problem solving, relating research from her book, “The Committee of Sleep.”
- The Oak Ridge public schools teachers who provided demonstrations of materials and programs funded by past Education Foundation grant awards, showing how students have benefitted.
- Oak Ridge JazzCats and Michelle Hairston, who provided entertainment during the event.
- The ORPSEF board of directors, for their support for this event.
At the ceremony, the Education Foundation presented a check for $81,000 to the Oak Ridge Schools. The funds provide a variety of educational materials in each of the city’s public schools through 13 grants to teachers. The gift was part of the Foundation’s “Making the Critical Difference” campaign that provides teachers with small grants for materials or programs not available in the city’s education budget. Since the program began in 2004, the Foundation has awarded a total of more than $408,000 to more than 100 teachers.
The Education Foundation is conducting the “Making the Critical Difference” campaign to raise $500,000 for grant awards. The Education Foundation board believes that these grants make the critical difference in sustaining the tradition of excellence in Oak Ridge schools, as well as rewarding teachers for innovative ideas. Those interested in learning more about the campaign may call (865) 241-3667 or contact me at Lila.Metcalf@orau.org.
Again, we offer a very special thank you to all who helped honor teachers receiving grants from the Education Foundation.
Lila Metcalf
Director, Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation
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