The Bristol Warren Education Foundation recently announced funding of more than $60,000 in educational grants to Bristol Warren schools for the 2017-18 school year. The amount covers 23 grants, initiated by teachers and staff in each of the schools of the Bristol Warren Regional School District.

BWEF Grants Committee Chairman Tyler Dixon informed each of the teachers with accepted applications over the last several weeks after his committee completed its review and scoring process against detailed standards.

“BWEF is pleased to be able to continue to support these exciting teacher-led initiatives,” said Mr. Dixon. “BWEF’s goal is to support innovative ideas and programs that impact all students in Bristol and Warren. We are equally thrilled to see several former grant ideas incorporated into the districts planning and funding for next year.”

Colt Andrews School

• One School, One Book – One School One Book is a family involvement initiative that has been growing and now exists in many schools throughout the United States. This program allows students, family members, teachers, and administrators to come together outside of school hours to read and explore a book together. It fosters a culture of reading and collaboration. Additionally, this year’s chosen book includes a community service aspect, laying the seeds of volunteerism in the young minds of Colt Andrews students.
• Sign Language Club – An opportunity for K-5 students to learn American Sign Language (ASL). This program will benefit children in a multitude of ways. Besides the known benefits of acquiring a second language, learning ASL supports greater understanding of alphabetic and conceptual literacy principles, develops awareness and sensitivity to both linguistic and cultural diversity, and fosters communication skills within our community.

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Guiteras School

• Philharmonic Link Up – The Link Up curriculum, based on a curriculum developed at the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall, allows fourth grade students to learn to play the recorder, fostering an interest in music, an important part of a well-rounded education. In addition students learn about, play instruments and sing along to a program of diverse musical selections, which are performed at the culminating concert at the Veterans’ Auditorium in Providence.

Rockwell School

• Performing Arts (Trinity Repertory) - Using materials provided by Trinity Repertory Theater Company, students engage in investigating dramatic enactments using dialogue from “A Christmas Carol.” After extensive, integrated classroom activities, students travel to Trinity Rep to view a live performance.
• Spanish Language Enrichment – This Spanish Language Enrichment Program provides opportunities in grade 1 - 5 that engage students in reaching higher levels of social, emotional, and academic achievement. Learning a second language can be an enriching experience for children, and create greater cultural sensitivity.
• Art Docent Program – The art docent program uses works of art to promote interdisciplinary and multicultural connections through direct experiences in creative expression. Parents and members of the community bring their unique expertise and vision to this art appreciation experience.
• Science Collaborative with Audubon Society – This project would provide an opportunity for students to participate in five (one hour) hands on science lessons in the classroom provided by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. Each lesson is aligned with specific content standards from the district science curriculum. This project will complement and enrich the existing curricula by allowing students to participate in more meaningful experiences to increase their understanding of specific district science content standards.

Hugh Cole School

• Responsive Classroom Behavior – This project aims to provide teachers and staff with innovative and positive approaches for addressing the growing social and emotional concerns of students, improving the classroom experience for all students. Additionally, this program also empowers parents and guardians to continue this work outside of school.
• One School, One Book – This grant provides funding for all students to receive the same book, by our writer in residence Bill Harley, as well as an evening event to launch the program. This is a community event that allows students, parents, and teachers to share in the joy of reading and allows peers the chance to discuss the book.
• Writer in Residence - Bill Harley – This project gives students the opportunity to work with storyteller and writer Bill Harley, a program that will see them exploring the craft of writing, the stories within their own lives, and how to translate those stories to the page. Additionally, Bill Harley will be performing for all students during two assemblies, lead teachers in a storytelling-based training session, and perform at an after-school family event benefiting the entire community.
• Technology applications in Weather Reporting – Using a combination of science techniques and technology, a WPRI meteorologist will help students explore weather patterns and predictions, facilitating the student creation of weather reports. The program will culminate with a visit to the news studio to experience live weather reporting.
• Colonial Days – The goal of this project is to expose fifth grade students to hands on projects relating to the Colonial time period. The day serves as an activator for the Social Studies unit on Colonial times as well as the Revolutionary period. Part of the goal is to introduce members of the community, parents and itinerant staff members as well.
• Our Community – Running in conjunction with their Social Studies curriculum, this grant gives third grade students the chance to focus inward and study their own local community. The students will then engage in writing exercises tailored to their community, as well as the team creation of a mural depicting Warren, RI.

Kickemuit Middle School

• Natures Classroom - 7th Grade – BWEF helps to subsidize funds for Nature’s Classroom, creating an extraordinary opportunity for students to learn in a way that cannot be duplicated in a classroom. Over a five-day period of time students engage in activities that promote learning about science and nature, teamwork and self-awareness.
• Beginning Band Program – BWEF funds the Beginning Band Project, providing students with small group instruction by professional musicians at the beginning of the school year to ensure each student has the resources needed to succeed.
• Generation Citizen – Generation Citizen uses action civics education to help young people recognize their critical role in our democracy. The program trains school teachers to lead an in-school action civics course using an innovative student-centered, project-based approach. The lessons in the curriculum provide students with the civic knowledge, skills, and disposition to promote long-term civic engagement.
• Science Olympiad –The goal of the Science Olympiad club/team at KMS is to increase interest in science and Engineering. The objective is to involve students in active, hands-on learning and develop problem solving, time management, and study skills. The cognitive skills learned in this team exercise can be applied to many other areas of a student’s life.
• Breakout EDU – Breakout kits allow for a number of hands-on, student led, team exercises. Through collaboration and communication, students apply critical thinking to solve the various challenges within this program. This builds real world skills such as cooperation, adaptability, perseverance, and creativity.

Mt. Hope High School

• A Day of Shakespeare – 250 students will take part in the Shakesperience signature series of in-class Shakespeare workshops. This involves two actors demonstrating a honed teaching style to make the text accessible to all students. These actors lead the class through Shakespeare's language and time period, introduce and emphasize the use of literary devices, and perform universally themed scenes featuring student performers. This unique format permits the celebration of the spoken language and empowers students to gain confidence and essential public speaking skills. Rather than condescending to the students, Shakesperience invites them to rise to the level of the language.
• Food, Nutrition and Wellness partnership with Hope & Main – This project is a collaboration with Hope and Main and offers students the opportunity to tour their facility and work in their demo kitchen alongside professional chefs. These field studies will ultimately increase student knowledge about the local food economy by creating a community of support for food entrepreneurs and cultivating an environment where emerging culinary startups can test, create, scale and thrive.

Over the past 10 years, BWEF has funded more than $400,000 in local school grants. The areas of study that will be supported this year include math, science, engineering, art, reading, geography, music, foreign language, nature exploration, history, problem solving, special education and health education. 
“We are excited by all of the amazing ideas presented by the faculty, they continue to impress us with their innovative approaches to learning,” said Mr. Dixon.

“Supporting these creative ideas that promote student excellence in our schools is how we fulfill our mission.”
For more information on BWEF visit bwedfoundation.org.