The Troy Foundation for Educational Excellence is proud to award the following districtwide & multi-teacher grants:
Districtwide Elementary Literacy Grant
After the success of the 2020-2021 Middle School Classroom Library project, the TFEE once again approached the Troy School District to offer further support for a districtwide project. Together, the TFEE & TSD developed a plan to grant funds to each elementary school that would be used to purchase additional books for each school's literacy library, which is used by all teachers. The teachers at each school were surveyed to determine which books would be purchased for their school. Some schools added books at specific levels, others chose to add more nonfiction titles, or books on certain topics that the teachers identified as lacking in their library.
Multi-Teacher Grants
Family Math Games - Barnard Elementary
Blair Thoenes, Gwen Simon, Nicole Coffer
This grant gave funds to create math game boxes, which students can check out from their teacher, take home for a few days, and play with their families to help improve fluency in basic math facts. The grant funds also went towards some ready-made math games. All of the games gave families the opportunity to engage and help their students with math at home!
Documentary Tool Kit - Athens High School, Larson Middle School, Baker Middle School, Troy Union Elementary
Adam Burns, Todd Heugh, Colin Quinn, Ruba Alexander
The Documentary Toolkit will enhance student projects by providing innovative storytelling equipment to supplement existing student and class materials. The addition of a Mavic Mini drone and GoPro Max camera will challenge students to integrate emerging technologies into their regular video projects and expand the scope in which they tell stories.
Cardboard Mythology Arcade - Baker Middle School
Dustin Harnish, Emily Stetson
All 7th grade Baker Students will create and design video games using Bloxels, a fun easy to use, highly engaging, platform. Games will be based on mythologies from units studied. They will then create cardboard arcade cabinets that hold their iPad and games. We will have an arcade day at Baker in which students showcase their hard work.
Sculpture & Design Studio - All Elementary Schools
Colleen Price, Caitlyn Erwin, Lauren Eng, Tanya Myre, Sarh Clos, Camille Lamesh, Amy Mee, Emily Joy Walker, Andrea Hinman, & Jill Sullivan
Sculpture & Design Studio(SDS), will be available for all Elementary Art students during art classes throughout the school year. SDS will empower elementary art students to cultivate and enhance design and engineering mindsets using creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
Family Summer Enrichment - Barnard Elementary
Gwen Simon, Deanna Dutts, Amanda Morton, Kris Cueter, Lori Esper
The goal of the Family Summer Enrichment Program is to provide students and their families with opportunities to continue learning throughout the summer. All k-5 students will be provided with materials and activities in a take-home bag that allow them to build upon the academic skills they learned throughout the school year.
Baker Makerspace - Baker Middle School
Dustin Harnish, Marianne Krzemminski, Luchi Cacaj, Kathy Loch, Michelle traver, Tammy Shen, Jenny Adelman, Brian Fahenstock, Collin Quinn, Lindsey Becker, Emily Stetson, Kelly Booza, Andrew LaTorre, Nadia Barbat, Linda Kay, Joe Schmidt
This grant will help to create a Makerspace at Baker for all students and staff, allowing more opportunity for hands-on learning which creates authentic educational experiences. This will move Baker closer to their goal of being a place where students can learn through making.
Library Books for Language Learners - Hamilton Elementary
Lauren Henderson, Lindsay Long, Julie Stebbins
These funds allowed Hamilton to acquire age-appropriate, quality books for students in a variety of languages other than English. These books are in high demand for our English Language Learners and have a significant positive impact on their education, and also their sense of belonging and comfort at school.
Blair Thoenes, Gwen Simon, Nicole Coffer
This grant gave funds to create math game boxes, which students can check out from their teacher, take home for a few days, and play with their families to help improve fluency in basic math facts. The grant funds also went towards some ready-made math games. All of the games gave families the opportunity to engage and help their students with math at home!
Documentary Tool Kit - Athens High School, Larson Middle School, Baker Middle School, Troy Union Elementary
Adam Burns, Todd Heugh, Colin Quinn, Ruba Alexander
The Documentary Toolkit will enhance student projects by providing innovative storytelling equipment to supplement existing student and class materials. The addition of a Mavic Mini drone and GoPro Max camera will challenge students to integrate emerging technologies into their regular video projects and expand the scope in which they tell stories.
Cardboard Mythology Arcade - Baker Middle School
Dustin Harnish, Emily Stetson
All 7th grade Baker Students will create and design video games using Bloxels, a fun easy to use, highly engaging, platform. Games will be based on mythologies from units studied. They will then create cardboard arcade cabinets that hold their iPad and games. We will have an arcade day at Baker in which students showcase their hard work.
Sculpture & Design Studio - All Elementary Schools
Colleen Price, Caitlyn Erwin, Lauren Eng, Tanya Myre, Sarh Clos, Camille Lamesh, Amy Mee, Emily Joy Walker, Andrea Hinman, & Jill Sullivan
Sculpture & Design Studio(SDS), will be available for all Elementary Art students during art classes throughout the school year. SDS will empower elementary art students to cultivate and enhance design and engineering mindsets using creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
Family Summer Enrichment - Barnard Elementary
Gwen Simon, Deanna Dutts, Amanda Morton, Kris Cueter, Lori Esper
The goal of the Family Summer Enrichment Program is to provide students and their families with opportunities to continue learning throughout the summer. All k-5 students will be provided with materials and activities in a take-home bag that allow them to build upon the academic skills they learned throughout the school year.
Baker Makerspace - Baker Middle School
Dustin Harnish, Marianne Krzemminski, Luchi Cacaj, Kathy Loch, Michelle traver, Tammy Shen, Jenny Adelman, Brian Fahenstock, Collin Quinn, Lindsey Becker, Emily Stetson, Kelly Booza, Andrew LaTorre, Nadia Barbat, Linda Kay, Joe Schmidt
This grant will help to create a Makerspace at Baker for all students and staff, allowing more opportunity for hands-on learning which creates authentic educational experiences. This will move Baker closer to their goal of being a place where students can learn through making.
Library Books for Language Learners - Hamilton Elementary
Lauren Henderson, Lindsay Long, Julie Stebbins
These funds allowed Hamilton to acquire age-appropriate, quality books for students in a variety of languages other than English. These books are in high demand for our English Language Learners and have a significant positive impact on their education, and also their sense of belonging and comfort at school.
Reading Draws Us Together - Hamilton Elementary
Colleen Calandra, Victoria Schaap, Elizabeth Alexander, Rachel Weiner, Tonia Romancheck
Hamilton Elementary School community will participate in a shared reading experience with the book Drawn Together by Minh Le and Dan Santat. Students will participate in school-wide activities through the month. The goal of the activities is to bridge the gap between home and school and cultivate a love of reading that can be shared with others.
Passion Project - Troy College & Career High School
Angela Milanov, Jeff Rainwater, Crystal Geiser, Jacob Greenwood, Derek Mohamedally, Karen Bartnowak, Michelle Leonard, Krista Gentilini
We are a non-traditional high school working to inspire approximately 70 at risk students. We have initiated a school-wide project based learning experience that allows students to pursue their passion. Every project is individually tailored to each student’s interests and allows them to learn, process, create, and share with their community.
Exploration Science - Troy High School & Leonard Elementary
Rebecca Brewer, Laura Beacom
Exploration Science arranges science experiences for 5th graders at Leonard Elementary taught by Troy High AP Biology students. Experiences will include dissection, gardening, microscopy, building bird feeders, nature exploring in the woodlot, solar activities, and experimental design with plants.
Colleen Calandra, Victoria Schaap, Elizabeth Alexander, Rachel Weiner, Tonia Romancheck
Hamilton Elementary School community will participate in a shared reading experience with the book Drawn Together by Minh Le and Dan Santat. Students will participate in school-wide activities through the month. The goal of the activities is to bridge the gap between home and school and cultivate a love of reading that can be shared with others.
Passion Project - Troy College & Career High School
Angela Milanov, Jeff Rainwater, Crystal Geiser, Jacob Greenwood, Derek Mohamedally, Karen Bartnowak, Michelle Leonard, Krista Gentilini
We are a non-traditional high school working to inspire approximately 70 at risk students. We have initiated a school-wide project based learning experience that allows students to pursue their passion. Every project is individually tailored to each student’s interests and allows them to learn, process, create, and share with their community.
Exploration Science - Troy High School & Leonard Elementary
Rebecca Brewer, Laura Beacom
Exploration Science arranges science experiences for 5th graders at Leonard Elementary taught by Troy High AP Biology students. Experiences will include dissection, gardening, microscopy, building bird feeders, nature exploring in the woodlot, solar activities, and experimental design with plants.