Minneapolis—November 12, 2012—Now in the sixth consecutive year of its grant program supporting nationwide National Education Association (NEA) Educator for a Day events, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University today announced the five preK–12 schools that will each receive a $5,000 grant. The funds will be used to enhance classroom education, provide educational technology or supplies or sponsor special activities. Since the grant program began in 2006, thousands of educators and students have benefited from Walden’s Educator for a Day grants to help improve teaching and learning in their schools.
“Educators and administrators across the country go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of our children every day, and this year’s five recipients illustrate that dedication and creativity are alive and well in our nation’s education community,” said Dr. Kate Steffens, dean of the Riley College of Education and Leadership.
Grants were awarded based on teachers’ and administrators’ answers to essay questions about what noneducators should know about their school, what makes their school unique and how their school would use the grant money. Applicants also shared their ideas for hosting at least one aspiring educator who will shadow a teacher during Educator for a Day events on Thursday, Nov. 15. Educator for a Day events are part of the NEA’s 90th anniversary celebration of American Education Week.
“This grant provides us an opportunity to continue to provide quality education to our students in a partnership with parents and the community. With this generous funding we can also explore new projects that give our students additional assistance and support as they work toward their academic goals,” said Doug Bridwell, principal at Goddard High School, one of the five schools receiving the grant.
The 2012 Educator for a Day grant recipients are:
Dulaney High School, Timonium, Md. Ranked by Newsweek among the top 1% of public high schools in the United States, the school will invite parents and stakeholders into classrooms to shadow, co-teach and provide real-world examples illustrating how the content students are learning in school is relevant to workforce skills. The grant will be used to fund “Building Your Future,” an all-day sophomore retreat using the talents of teachers, counselors, juniors and seniors, parents and community members to assist 10th-graders in planning for their future.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School, Laurel, Md. Located in an urban environment, the school’s goal is to make sure that all students are exposed to aspects of science and technology. Scientists from the Howard B. Owens Science Center will shadow educators and participate in different research activities and experiments while sharing their expertise. The grant will help fund a Mathematics and Science Saturday Institute for the school’s students and a select group of students from elementary feeder schools, using a curriculum prepared by the Owens Science Center and the Prince George’s County Public Schools science department.
Goddard High School, Goddard, Kan. A 2012 Blue Ribbon School located in a rural setting with urban ties, the school’s event will focus on a day in the life of educators, with students from local higher education institutions who have expressed an interest in becoming an educator participating. The grant will be used to create a Parent University for the Goddard High School community to assist parents in providing skill training to their children and will also provide information about homework help, college and career readiness and making high school successful.
Kilmer Center School, Vienna, Va. A public special education center serving students with severe intellectual disabilities paired with a medically fragile status and students with intellectual disability paired with severe autism and behavioral disorders. The event will demystify the student population by letting guest educators know what to expect in terms of disabilities, behaviors, adaptive equipment, progress measurement and achievement celebration. The grant will be used to expand a new expressive-arts program, which is a modified music-education class created to give students guided opportunities to find their voice through investigating different modes of expression.
Kumeyaay Elementary School, San Diego, Calif. Serving a diverse student population speaking 19 different home languages and also a large military community, the school’s Educator for a Day event will feature three of its teachers of the year, who will introduce the rewards of teaching via participation in hands-on classroom activities to 20 guest educators. The school will use the grant to ignite students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education through an active learning environment, including an entry-level robotics program.
The Riley College of Education and Leadership, accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), is the choice of more than 53,000 students and alumni who are leaders in their classrooms and schools, including more than 80 state teachers of the year. The college is dedicated to improving educators’ effectiveness and preparing them to make a positive impact on student achievement.
The college became a proud partner of the NEA Academy in October 2010. For more information about the college’s degree programs, visit www.WaldenU.edu/education.
About Walden University
For more than 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 48,500 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 60 campus-based and online universities in 29 countries.
Walden offers more than 65 degree programs with more than 330 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration and information technology. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.hlcommission.org.