AKRON, Ohio (May 19, 2016) — The Distribution Committee of GAR Foundation announced Tuesday $374,950 in funding to teams of public and private school educators for its annual Educator Initiative Grant (EIG) program.

Among the 36 grants includes a $15,000 award to Crouse Community Learning Center for The Road to Close the Achievement Gap program. The program motivates and engages readers school-wide through literacy tools and skills to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed. Woodridge Middle School also received support for a discovery center that fosters creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Students will have access to robotics, video production, and coding tools to advance 21^st Century skills.

“Each year we are astounded by the creativity the educators demonstrate in their projects,” said Lucille Esposito, EIG program manager for GAR Foundation. “We’re thrilled to be able to support a variety of programs that align with GAR’s education strategies to advance the profession and prepare students for college and career.”

The EIG program is separate from the foundation’s regular grant-making in the area of education, and offers grants to teams of K-12 educators in Summit County public, private, and non-profit community schools. The requests are evaluated by a team of educators representing both urban and suburban schools.

“The evaluation team approaches the requests with steadfast commitment,” said Kirstin Toth, senior vice president of GAR Foundation.  “GAR is grateful for their work and diligence in recommending such high-quality projects.”

Members include: Richard Booth, primary teacher at Hillcrest Elementary School; Steven Frantz, science teacher at Roswell-Kent Middle School; Teresa Good, retired elementary teacher from Copley-Fairlawn Schools;  Angela Harper, principal at Crouse CLC; Lynn Hruschak, consultant for Cuyahoga County Educational Service center and former Curriculum Director for Tallmadge City Schools; Rob Lane, computer technology and robotics teacher, Springfield Schools; Joyce Shorter, retired middle school teacher from Copley-Fairlawn Schools; Carrie Soful, biology teacher, Manchester High School; and, Rose Smoral, elementary teacher, Ellsworth Hill School.

Summit County educators are encouraged to attend GAR Foundation’s Annual Educator Conference on October 6, 2016. The conference brings together K-12 educators to provide teachers and schools with innovative strategies for student engagement and success.

The schools receiving support include:

• Archbishop Hoban High School, $9,950, Hoban Leadership Institute
• Barberton Elementary East & Barberton Elementary West, $14,045, Writer’s INC: Barberton City Schools Writer’s Workshop Initiative Grades 1 & 2
• Barberton High School, $5,000, Lending a Hand Through 3D-printing: A Social Service Project
• Barberton Middle School, $8,098, Renovated Learning
• Buchtel Community Learning Center, $8,641, Solving With Our Curiosity: Using Inquiry & Project Based Learning to Respond to Community Issues
• Buchtel Community Learning Center, $9,550, The 21st Century Resume – Using Digital Media Portfolios to Enhance Student Learning in Literacy, Mathematics and Science
• Crouse Community Learning Center, $15,000, The Road to Close the Achievement Gap
• Coventry Elementary School, $450, Coventry Comets SOAR: Strive to Overcome and Achieve Results
• Echo Hills Elementary, Indian Trail Elementary, Lakeview Intermediate, $9,842, Architecture, Electrical, Engineering and Inquiry: A Collaborative Effort
• Echo Hills Elementary, Fishcreek Elementary, Highland Elementary, Indian Trail Elementary , Riverview Elementary, Woodland Elementary, Lakeview Intermediate, $14,900, Innovation, Inquiry and STEM: An After School Program
• Ellsworth Hill Elementary School, $4,048, Plantatopia…Growing Gardeners, Readers, & Leaders!
• Evamere Elementary School, $14,963, Project Based Learning with a 21st Century Lens #Communication #Collaboration #CriticalThinking & #Creativity @ Evamere
• Firestone High School, $10,000, Discover, Never Tell!
• Hillcrest Elementary School, $4,990, Integrating Math and Digital Literacy
• Hillcrest Elementary School, $14,422, Innovation Station-A Makerspace for Creating, Critical Thinking, Collaborating, Communicating
• Immaculate Heart of Mary School, $7,000, Elevating Literacy in History/Social Studies and Energizing Citizenship by “Taking a Stand in History”
• Immaculate Heart of Mary School, $9,979, 21st Century Science Lab – Teacher to Coach
• Immaculate Heart of Mary School, $11,857, Increasing Student Engagement & Grit through Newscasts
• Ledgeview Elementary, $4,471, “Building Up” Learning with Minecraft: Integrating Gaming into the Curriculum Increases Student Engagement
• Leggett Community Learning Center, $12,721, Writers Writing Everywhere
• Manchester High School, $15,000, Where Would We Be Without Water?
• Manchester Middle School, $15,000, PANTHER Pride
• Munroe Elementary School, $5,000, Makerspaces: Transforming Ideas into Reality
• National Inventors Hall of Fame Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics High School, $14,270, Using innovative and collaborative problem-based STEM hand-hygiene learning experiences to prepare learners for college and career
• O.H. Somers Elementary, $8,678, Global Awareness Through Mapping
• Our Lady of the Elms, $1,380, “Exploring Theoretical Answers to Life’s Burning Questions”
• Ritzman Community Learning Center, $10,000, LEGO My Writing II
• Riverview Elementary School, $15,000, “Bulldog Builders” Connecting, Creating and Collaborating
• Saint Joseph School, $13,069, Sleuths at the Zoo
• Seton Catholic School, $15,000, 21st Century Crusaders: Igniting Student Collaboration, Creativity, and 21st Century Skills
• Spring Hill Elementary and Young Elementary Schools, $15,000, Building Self-eSTEAM: Programming Potential through Inquiry-based Learning
• Springfield High School and Junior High, $10,000, Programming Experiments
• The Lippman School, $14,963, Walk the Ancient Path: A Deeper Regard
• Windemere Community Learning Center, $9,826, The Lost ART of the Letter
• Woodridge High School, $7,837, Harlem Renaissance-Discovered!
• Woodridge Middle School, $15,000, Yourspace: a place for 21st century discovery

Teachers may apply for the next round in early 2017. For more information about the Educator Initiative Grant program, contact Lucille Esposito, EIG program manager [email protected]  or 330-550-6661.

Media contact: Dina Younis, communications manager, [email protected]