The Alpha Gamma Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa International Honorary Organization for Women Educators is pleased to announce the awarding of four 2024 mini-grants to Oak Ridge teachers through its inaugural mini-grant program. Each recipient/team will receive $200 toward a project benefiting Oak Ridge students.
Jennifer Bolton and David Scott, seventh grade social studies team at Robertsville Middle School, are leading the “Hydroponic Gardening Project.” Their grant application stated, “students in service learning are working on a master gardeners course through the local 4-H program. [This grant] would help them have some funding for indoor hydroponic garden equipment, seeds and the nutrition packets for plants. They would be able to grow herbs/lettuce and learn about how their food is or can be produced.”
Also at Robertsville Middle School, chorus/music teacher Jaime Downs applied for funds to support an update of the RMS Auditorium Sound System. According to the grant application, the current sound board auditorium is insufficient for the school’s performing groups and programs. The funds will replace it with a new 16-channel mixer that will allow for multiple cordless and headset mics, along with Bluetooth and USB sound capabilities.
The fourth grade ELA/Math team at Linden Elementary, comprised of Julia Bradford and Tracey Waldrop, requested funds to create 180 days of interactive problem solving for their students. Their proposed project will focus on use interactive materials to reinforce math concepts, enhance problem-solving skills, and support differentiated instruction inclusive to all learners across various learning arrangements.
The final grant was awarded to Brittany Malcolm of Willow Brook Elementary. With the grant funds, Malcom will purchase resources that are aligned with the EL curriculum and provide visuals to accompany the questioning for Skills Block (phonics) and ELA whole group.
Alpha Gamma Chapter members are thrilled to support these fine educators and the projects they are undertaking to improve and enhance the learning experience for students in the Oak Ridge Schools.
Alpha Gamma is the local chapter of the international teacher organization Alpha Delta Kappa. The Alpha Gamma Chapter was founded in 1962 and has served the Oak Ridge community with its mission of empowering women educators to advance inclusion, educational excellence, altruism, and world understanding. Alpha Gamma Chapter has a long tradition of awarding scholarships to graduating seniors from Oak Ridge High School planning to pursue a career in education. Starting in 2024, the chapter has transitioned to a teacher mini-grant program exclusively serving educators in the Oak Ridge Schools. For more information about Alpha Delta Kappa, visit www.alphadeltakappa.org or contact Alpha Gamma Chapter Co-President Julie Kinder-McMillan at jkinder@ortn.edu.
