BLACKSTONE VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EDUCATION FOUNDATION

2008-2009 Grants to Teachers

Nearly $30,000 was distributed to 14 successful applicants from among the 11 members of the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation for grants that support the development of 21st century work and learning skills among our students. Many thanks to the businesses and individuals who contribute to the Foundation and who participate in the annual Golf Tournament, and particularly of the Lampin Corporation in Uxbridge for their generosity and consideration for a stronger community of learners.

Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District

• $500 Watch your Mouth. Dental Assisting High School students will conduct table clinics at various Blackstone Valley middle/high schools to educate the community on the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene, the importance of seeing a dentist and of protecting their teeth in order to maintain them for a lifetime. Students are expected to learn about dental research, public presentation and the nuance of their profession.
• $4,400 Manufacturing and Technology Education. High School Students will develop manufacturing and technology skills through a focus on renewable energy. Through visitation by elementary student to view solar thermal panel, wind power technology, biodiesel fuel and electric truck, soap manufacture and robotics project development, BVT and other students will learn about design, engineering, and manufacturing and to implement diverse and interrelated concepts and practices relative to renewable energy through cross-curricular instruction.

Douglas High School

• $3000 Bringing Biotechnology Education to the Blackstone Valley. Faculty at Douglas will develop a lab-intensive year long Biotechnology High School course, during the summer of 2008, that will explore the technological applications fo life and living organisms. Through direct application of modern biotechnology lab skills students will be ready for 21st Century career opportunities in the Biotechnology industry. Students will have access to professionals in these fields as well as opportunity to address social and ethical issues surrounding biotechnology knowledge and research.

Grafton High School

• $2500 Microsoft Certification Center. A Microsoft Certification Center located in Grafton High School will allow students to become fully certified in each of the Microsoft applications for use as a worthy resume entry and foot in the door of good employment opportunities.

Millbury High School

• $500 My Career Portfolio and Recognition. High School Students will locate a relevant internship, schedule an interview, keep a daily journal and report about their experience. Students will learn about connecting work and learning and about the importance of developing good work skills and habits for satisfying careers.
• $3500 21st Century Careers and Post secondary Exploration. High School students will increase their knowledge and understanding of the skills necessary for employment in the 21st century through exposure to careers and post secondary education at site visits, through classroom career speakers, and through an alumni speakers bureau.

Northbridge Middle School

• $875 Mummies and Me. This project will offer about 200 7th grade students to learn about a breadth of careers involving science, history, research and preservation through a Fun with Science presentation about Egypt and Mummies and through a local embalmer who has been featured on the Discovery Channel.
• $450 Democracy at its Best. 6th grade students will learn about making informed decisions using the Presidential Election as subject. Speakers, research, and persuasive activity outcomes will provide information that will be used in math, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies.
• $1100 Implementing Algebraic Concepts. This project will develop and broaden algebraic concepts by using innovative educational methods and techniques focusing on 7th and 8th grade math students. Hands-on activities will provide students with challenging and engaging experiences that will integrate math with real-world problem-solving.

Sutton High School

• $1500 Design Space. This class project will mimic a web design business by providing High School students various skill sets and opportunity to assume matching positions in the business. Tests and performance based assessments will be used to enable students opportunity to assume various positions in the company. Class projects will be tied to local businesses.

Touchstone Community School

• $1000 School and Community Through Gardening. This project is a continuation and evolution for last year's successful middle school program. This year the students will learn about farming "for profit" along with their experience with the Community Harvest Project and Community Service Learning. Nutrition, seed development and culture, irrigation, greenhouse management, harvesting, storage, transportation and farm economics.

Uxbridge Public Schools

• $2400 Imagination Station. The Imagination Station is a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach to teaching that empowers High School students and develops their creative thinking, problem solving and team working skills. Students are given opportunity to explore a number of career choices related to running a non-profit organization such as museum guide, marketing, program coordinator, development and gallery manager.

Blackstone Millville Regional High School

• $5000 Entrepreneurship..From business plan to Business. This project will provide to High School students career insight about manufacturing, construction, culinary arts, business and general problem solving/creative thinking. The program also uniquely serves severe and profound special needs students through service and socialization not otherwise available. A collaboration between Family & Consumber Sciences, Business, Technology/Engineering and special Needs Departments will result in a redesign of space from underfunctioning Food Labs to high function entrepreneurial restaurant.

Mendon-Upton Regional School District

• $500 T3 Tomorrow's Teaching Today. This project is designed to enable available technology and its use among teachers to better engage their elementary students in learning.

Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce
110 Church St.
Whitinsville, MA 01588-1442
Phone: 508.234.9090
Fax: 508.234.5152
administrator@blackstonevalley.org
An Affiliate of the Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce
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