Minnesota: Melissa Briski, Mt. Iron-Buhl Schools, ISD #712, Mt. Iron.
NEA Grants
The National Education Association Foundation in Washington announced the winners of its Learning and Leadership grants, which support public school teachers and staff members either as individuals or in groups. Individual grants of $2,000 are awarded to fund participation in professional-development programs, and $5,000 group grants are awarded to fund collegial study or mentoring experiences for faculty who are new to an assignment. A list of recipients is below.
California: Paul Payne, John Marshall High School, Los Angeles, with group members Christopher Denne, Julio Juarez, Susan Kaiser, and Peter Shih; Martin E. Robertson, Peabody Charter School, Santa Barbara.
District of Columbia: Patrice Irby, Bruce-Monroe Elementary School, with group members Ramiro Acosta, Chandra Armstrong, and Lillian Hernandez.
Georgia: Martha Finnegan, Five Forks Middle School, Lawrenceville, with group members Sherry Hart and Antoinette Hravatic.
Massachusetts: Michael L. Whittier, Sutton Memorial High School, Sutton, with group members Tim Anderson, Richard Levansavich, Dennis Stamos, and Ryan Wandyes.
Minnesota: Melissa Briski, Mt. Iron-Buhl Schools, ISD #712, Mt. Iron.
Montana: Margaret P. Aukshun, Billings West High School, Billings, with group members Tammy J. Erienbusch, Jodi Hillberry, Jamie Nixdorf, and David R. Snow.
Oregon: Lori Hornfelt, Maple Elementary School, Springfield, with group members Dawn Gossier, Susan Lanza, Ellen Leinbach, and Denice Ward.
Wisconsin: Therese M. Jilek, North Shore Middle School, Hartland.
NEA innovation grants of $2,000 each support two or more public school teachers, education support professionals, or university faculty who collaborate to develop innovative methods of improving student achievement. Grant recipients are listed below.
Alabama: Angela Kathleen Bailey, Jeter Primary School, Opelika, with group member Kimberly Hogan Ray.
Arkansas: Ashia D. Jackson, J.A. Fair Magnet High School, Little Rock, with group members Sue Nelson and Dora Wallace.
California: Trista Bernato, Norwood Street Elementary School, Los Angeles, with group member Patricia Birk; Ira Rosenberg, Palm Springs High School, Palm Springs, with group members Jonathan Liu, Veronica Nicholas, and Fern Rudd; Ann Tilley Van Patten, Herbert H. Cruickshank Middle School, Merced, with group members Monteen E. Gomes, Shawna Lynn Koehn, and Sheree Smith.
Florida: Jacque Lynne Ross, Charlotte High School, Punta Gorda, with group member Pamela Pedrol-Polito; Bernard Peter Roy, Arvida Middle School, Miami, with group members Vivian Espinoza, and Maria Antonieta Rodriguez.
Indiana: Gary Roberson, John Young Middle School, Mishawaka, with group members Courtney Bulger and Diana Greenwood.
Iowa: Beth A. Swantz, Kalona Elementary School, Kalona, with group member Phyllis Casper.
Kentucky: Andrew Gray, Fairdale High School Magnet Career Academy, Louisville, with group members Nancy Lacer and Viola Puschaver.
Maryland: Elizabeth Rees-Gilbert, Swan Meadow School, Oakland, with group members Kara Rogers Thomas and Robert D. Whetzel.
Michigan: Helene A. Barton, Crockett Technical High School, Detroit, with group members Christine Burkette and Krystal Davison; Devi Fongers, Covell Elementary School, Grand Rapids, with group members Nancy Clements and Sara Kasprzak; Richard Sgarlotti, Hannahville Indian School, Wilson, with group members Ann Dallman, Jodi Gardner, Donald Meshigaud, and Gloria Wandahsega.
Montana: Rachel Christensen, Choteau Elementary School, Choteau, with group member Dale Durr.
New Mexico: Kiva Duckworth-Moulton, Dixon Elementary School, Dixon, with group member Eugenia Cornelius.
New Jersey: Sandra S. Nahmias, Harrison Elementary School, Roselle, with group member Ivonne Jimenez; Christine Romano, 5ive 6ix School at State Street, Hackensack, with group member Cathy DeVincentis.
New York: Denise E. Barkley, International School #45, Buffalo, with group members Marilyn Foote-Kragbe, Tom Herr, and Ann W. Wright; Jessica Jenkins, George Washington Educational Campus, High School for Media and Communications, New York City, with group members Elish Sari, Stephen Shearier, Dustin Shutes, and Diane Wohland; Kim S. Minnier, Hewes Educational Center, Ashville, with group member Megan R. Maisto; Patricia Mueller, Westbury High School, Old Westbury, with group member Brumsic Brandon.
North Carolina: Larry D. Logan, Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, Charlotte, with group member Vincent Mariano.
Pennsylvania: Pat Kuhn, South Brandywine Middle School, Coatesville, with group members Lisa Doan-Harley and Susan Poskitt.
Rhode Island: Tonya Ann LeCour, Exeter-West Greenwich Regional Senior High School, West Greenwich, with group members Anita G. Iannuccilli, Jean Murano, Louise A. Oliveira, and Ronald Rounds.
South Dakota: Jessica Jean Wheeler, Philip Elementary School, Philip, with group member Marie Slovek.
Tennessee: Cynthia Gingold, South Park Elementary School, Memphis, with group member Pam Lawson.
Utah: Karre Nevarez, Westfield Elementary School, Alpine, with group members Lindsay Hadfield, Lana Jacob, and Doug Jolley.
Washington: Henry R. Palmer, Quil Ceda Elementary School, Marysville, with group members Coleen Carpenter, Tim Granger, and Jason Rounds.
West Virginia: Kelly Rae Underwood, Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School, Hambleton, with group members Sara Kovach and Eileen Poling.
Verizon Foundation
The philanthropic arm of New York City-based Verizon Communications donated more than $8 million to 270 nonprofit groups in California in 2006. Many of these groups promote education and literacy. They include:
LA’s BEST After-School Enrichment Program, Los Angeles, $1 million over two years; Discovery Center for Science and Technology, Thousand Oaks, $500,000; Children’s Museum of Los Angeles, Van Nuys, $95,000 for Reading Edge; Western Center Community Foundation, Hemet, $50,000; Greater Sacramento Urban League, Sacramento, $50,000; Mustard Seed Tutorial Center, Redlands, $50,000; Alexandria House, Los Angeles, $25,000; El Centrito De La Colonia, Oxnard, $25,000.
Innovation Fund Grants
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced grants totaling more than $1 million to fund programs at seven nonprofit organizations nationwide. The grants, awarded through the Lansdowne, Va.-based foundation’s Innovation Fund, allow at-risk high school students to participate in international-study programs. The recipient organizations are:
The Asia Society, New York City; The Center for International Education at the Washington International School, Washington; The Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; The Concordia Language Villages, Moorhead, Minn.; The Friends of Woodstock School, Mukilteo, Wash.; The Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore; Youth for Understanding USA, Bethesda, Md.
After-school programs
Four national after-school program providers were recipients of more than $7 million in grants and an additional $1.5 million in gift cards from the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. Boys & Girls Clubs of America, YMCA of the USA, National 4-H Council, and United Way of America were awarded the money to assist at-risk youth who are not in after-school programs or might leave them due to a lack of funds.
