Construction of a hoop-style greenhouse will begin on the grounds of Brunswick Junior High School in September. Project leader and teacher Pete Stevens envisions the greenhouse being used to augment various areas of the junior high curriculum including use by students for hands-on experimentation during the sixth grade Life Cycle of a Seed Plant unit.
Funds for this project were provided by Brunswick Community Education Foundation, a local, all volunteer non-profit organization, which recently announced its 2016 grant awards. The hoop house grant was just one of 23 across Brunswick’s four public schools, BCEF will fund in the coming year totaling more than $40,000.
Proposals are solicited from Brunswick School Department employees, then evaluated on their creativity, innovation and educational impact by an independent committee of education professionals. Additional grants funded in 2016 include a revolutionary music teaching keyboard for the junior high music department, fiction and non-fiction differentiated texts for reading instruction at Coffin Elementary, technology to aid nonverbal students at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary, and a ‘Makerspace’ room in the Brunswick High School Library.
“I’m a bit speechless after seeing all these grant awards,” Principal Steve Ciembroniewicz stated in a note to the BCEF board following the grant announcements. “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your funding of these many and diverse projects at Coffin Elementary School. Rest assured, your support will be having an immediate and significant impact on the students of Brunswick.”
Grants were made possible entirely through donations from the local community during BCEF’s 2015 fund drive, including leadership gifts from Goodwin Chevrolet, and Barry and Karen Mills.
“These are ideas generated by our teachers, for our students, supported by our community,” BCEF Board President Melissa Fochesato said. “We are so grateful for the generous support of our donors and business partners and look forward to building on these successes in the future.”
To see the full list of grants, learn about previous grants, donate or get involved, go to Brunswickcef.org
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