MAKERSPACE
$10,000
Aaron Smith, Odyssey Middle School
Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering technology, and the arts. With a makerspace providing basic woodworking, electronic, robotic, digital, and textile tools, Odyssey Middle School teachers can help young makers pursue interests, engage their hands and minds, find passions, and empower themselves and others. Diverse tools and materials in this makerspace will assist our students with prototyping, woodworking, electronics, robotics, digital fabrication, textiles and sewing. Make-on Gryffindors!
MUSIC INDUSTRY EXPLORATION
$9,000
Ethan Chessin, Choral Teacher, Camas High School
Many young musicians, confident as performers and creators, are surprised to discover what else a musician does. Thisgrant funds a new program called Music Industry Exploration, allowing students to explore and understand all aspects of the music industry including marketing, branding, publicizing & selling music while building an online presence for promotion. Collaborating with professional composer, arranger and director Kelly Pratt, students work with musicians outside their area of expertise (band, choir, orchestra, and popular music) to create a multifaceted musical performance capable of attracting an audience. Finally, students record an album to be publicized and released online as a real world project from start to finish. Music Industry Exploration takes student knowledge from the classroom to the real world!
Here are some links to articles and video from last year’s project opening:
http://camasonian.camas.wednet.edu/2016/11/04/chs-choir-continues-to-thrive/
PROVIDING ANOTHER STORY
$5,000
Sarah Widdop, Camas & Hayes Freedom High Schools
Required reading in Camas High School and Hayes Freedom HS English classes is getting a makeover. This grant funds an update that provides multicultural books and increases student exposure to a diversity of authors and characters at all grade levels. Sarah Widdop wrote: “We wish to increase the diversity of authors and characters that students have access to and therefore would look to purchase texts written by women, minorities, members of the LGBTQ community, etc. Our intention is to allow teachers to meet the needs of the diverse learners in their classroom while also delving deeper into the current standards.” She believes that a more innovative approach to literature will increase student interest in texts as well as help students gain important skills in critical thinking, global perspective, and social awareness that are pertinent in our current world. We believe that’s worth supporting. Happy reading students!