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Light in Troubled Times
Light in Troubled Times PAGE Awards $75,000 in Educator Grants
By LaTria Garnigan, PAGE Digital Content Manager
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the members and their needs,” notes Executive gram was to support our teachers in a very Professional Association of Georgia Director Craig Harper. “When there is an difficult time by providing resources of Educators (PAGE) sought to create ability to meet those needs in a meaningful their choosing to be more effective with a light of opportunity for members — to way, PAGE does its best to follow through. students. It was also a show of support for assist with virtual teaching and help preOur main goal in creating this grant prothe hard work they do every day, but espepare for the upcoming school year. cially during the pandemic, and a Enter the PAGE Educator Grant response to a need for resources — a $500 reimbursement award conceived to supply educators with “These grants can go a that weren’t fully realized before the move to virtual learning.” additional funds to apply toward long way for a teacher in Thanks to cost savings resulting students, peers, and professional development during a time of acquiring materials and from COVID-19-related school closures and operational restricunprecedented challenges. resources that otherwise tions, PAGE was able to pass along
“PAGE consistently listens to would be just out of reach.” a total of $75,000 to grant winners.
Katie Farrar
Rome City School District “I’m definitely more prepared for distance learning for the upcoming school year thanks to my PAGE grant!” “I teach kindergarten and didn’t realize the challenges that would come with distance learning. I used my grant to purchase a large whiteboard, document camera, ring light, and math manipulatives. All of these items will help my students because the items are similar to what is in our classroom. And that consistency is very important for young students. I’m definitely more prepared for distance learning for the upcoming school year thanks to my PAGE grant!”
Amber Moosman
Troup County Schools “With the $500 Page Educator Grant, I was able to purchase 55 headphones and 34 computer mice!” “I’m so thankful for this grant, and I can’t wait to get these set up for my students at West Point Elementary! I applied for the 2020 Page Educator Grant to provide my first graders with headphones and computer mice for our Chromebooks. We only had a handful (about six) of each to share amongst our class, which made it very difficult to incorporate technology and teach a small group in a quiet, conducive setting. With the $500 Page Educator Grant, I was able to purchase 55 headphones and 34 computer mice! Not only will this help my classroom, but I now have plenty to share with the other two first grade classrooms!”
More than 160 award recipients are now able to utilize the funds in myriad ways — from sensory equipment for students with autism to projectors to craft materials and more.
PAGE awarded $50,000 in the first round that ended on April 10, 2020, with winners notified on April 20, 2020. An additional $25,000 was awarded to educators from the existing applicant pool the following week.
Georgia’s teachers are adapting to an ever-changing educational landscape, all the while maintaining their passion and commitment. Obtaining supplies and supplemental learning materials is noth
ing new for educators, but doing so amid a pandemic is.
“Teachers are ‘all-in’ for their students,” says Harper. “These grants can go a long way for a teacher in acquiring materials and resources that otherwise would be just out of reach.”
Georgia educators are doing incredible work and making a vast, positive impact on students, families, and communities. In the next few pages, you will see and hear directly from a few PAGE grant recipients as they speak to just how much the grant funds are shining a light into troubled times — enabling them to expand their toolkits and more effectively engage with students. n
View the full list of grant recipients at https://bit.ly/3kYYXyS.
Loren Frick Georgia School for the Deaf
“I purchased a clear glass board along with an easel stand to remove two obstacles.” “My students are deaf and hard of hearing and use American Sign Language. While making math videos, instead of turning around to write on the board, I purchased a clear glass board along with an easel stand to remove two obstacles: (1) I can write in front of me and sign at the same time. (2) When using sign language for directional signs such as ‘move the decimal the left’ the viewpoint of the presenter and the viewer are opposite. When editing, I use the mirror format to flip the video and make the signing viewpoint correct for the viewer as well as the math work legible in the video!”
Amanda Floyd
Appling County School System “Thank you, PAGE, for helping me turn my dream into a reality!” “I cannot wait for my students to begin using the space! I teach in a preschool intervention classroom for students ages 3-5 with disabilities. Many of my students have autism and/or have unique sensory needs. They often get easily overwhelmed and need a change of environment or activity in order to cope. The PAGE grant afforded me a way to begin equipping the area for my students’ sensory needs. I purchased a sand/sensory table, a small indoor/ outdoor trampoline, and a caterpillar climber. I was also able to purchase a picnic table so my students can sit outside to work on various activities. More equipment for the space is being provided by my school and my awesome PTO. Thank you, PAGE, for helping me turn my dream into a reality!”
Marti Yelverton
Dougherty County School System “These are going to be a game changer!” “Some of the products [I purchased] can be used to facilitate a sensory integrated classroom. The stool is a wobble stool that provides just a little bit of bounce and wobble to help a student who needs sensory input in the form of movement. The headphones block out noise, and I am amazed that students can actually hear instruction while wearing them. They help block extraneous noises that interfere with the learner’s ability to focus on instruction. There are also four different tools that can be used by a teacher to help students with sensory needs: wobble stool, seat cushion, foot fidget band, and slide stoppers. The slide stoppers can help a student sit at the table versus pushing away from it while working. These are going to be a game changer.”
William Bowen
Crisp County School District
“I decided to purchase a MEVO camera with my PAGE grant.” “This fall I will be teaching seventh grade ELA at Crisp County Middle School. I decided to purchase a MEVO camera with my PAGE grant. The MEVO camera gives me the option to livestream my lessons across multiple platforms simultaneously. Students will be able to interact with the lesson if they are on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo and Periscope. I have a wide range of editing ability that I can access through my phone. The MEVO allows me to turn my classroom into a learning studio.”
Lauren Burrell
Rabun County Schools “Thank you so much, PAGE, for this incredible opportunity to enhance the learning stations in my classroom!” “I teach kindergarten at Rabun County Primary School in Tiger, Ga. I have put together sets of activities to enhance my students learning of their sight words. These sets will be used in my balanced literacy centers and will be engaging for more word work use. I have also made sight word puzzles with popsicle sticks. I made sets for my students to string sight words on pipe cleaners to not only work on phonemic awareness, but also their fine motor skills. I purchased build and write mats for my students to pick a word, build it, and then write it. I also laminated sight words sheets that can be used over and over again with my centers. Thank you so much, PAGE, for this incredible opportunity to enhance the learning stations in my classroom! This Georgia teacher is extremely appreciative.”
Ellen Wilde
Wayne County School District
“Thank you, PAGE!” “Thanks to the educator grant, I know my students will learn to see math in a different light and they will have a teacher is who is well-prepared for the uncertain, upcoming school year. Thank you, PAGE! If regulations permit, I plan to purchase materials for interactive activities that my at-risk, high school math students could work through together in class (ex. math Jenga, workbooks for math relays, math dice for students to build their own equations, etc.) If my district decides to move toward online learning, I plan to purchase high-quality curriculum in the subjects that I teach from Clark Creative and All Things Algebra. This curriculum can be easily transcribed into an online format and will help maximize critical thinking and problemsolving skills in my students. Having the curriculum in place for the year takes a huge load off of me and would allow me to focus on building relationships with my students.
Vilencia Leslie
Burke County School District “Thank you, PAGE, for awarding me this opportunity to purchase these materials.” “My speech/language therapy materials that were purchased through the PAGE Educator Grant will be used to further enhance each student’s ability in meeting his/ her communication goals and objectives. An SLP’s IEP companion book was also purchased that will allow me to explore and establish other goals and objectives addressed. It is my hope that these materials will be applicable to the student’s specific communication disorder. I also plan to use these materials to enrich school administrators, teachers, and parents’ knowledge in understanding ways to elicit the targeted communication responses. This opportunity will assist the students’ ability in maintaining and/ or carrying over the concepts/skills addressed in meeting their communication needs. Thank you, PAGE, for awarding me this opportunity to purchase these materials.”
Rebecca Woolsey Bartow County Schools “What an amazing journey that I have enjoyed wholeheartedly!”
“I purchased over $300 in books, dry erase boards, chart paper, chalk, and dry erase markers with the money. When school ended this year, I gave each of my students a dry erase board, a marker, and 5 books for home learning. Plus, I provided books for most of the other first grade students. With so many books, I wanted a way to get books into as many people’s hands as possible, so I called my friends at The Bookmobile. They were able to provide me with a Little Free Library and new books to help fill my lending library. I ordered books mostly appropriate for first graders and needed books for all ages. I had my grand opening of my Little Free Library on June 26, with the help of my Bookmobile friends. What an amazing journey that I have enjoyed whole-heartedly!” n
