Turning Foundation 2015 Innovative Teacher Mini-Grant Award Winners
The Turning Foundation has announced award winners for the 2015 round of Innovative Teacher
Mini Grants. Cash awards of up to $2,000 were available for creative and innovative classroom
projects. Applicants we required to align their projects with one of the four major goal areas of
focus for the Eastern Ohio Education Partnership. The grant competition also included
additional support this year from The Raymond John Wean Foundation. A total of 27
applications were submitted requesting $50,606 in funding. The eleven grant winners will
receive a total of $20,104 in cash awards that will impact a total of 2,109 students in PK-12
classrooms during the rest of the 2015-16 school year. Award winners include:
Teacher: Stephanie Greathouse
Amount: $2,000.00
School: Chaney STEM & VPA – Youngstown City Schools
Population: 105 students
Grades 6-8
Goal Area: Postsecondary/Career Readiness
Overview: Students will use designing, building and programming of Lego Robots to engage in
problem solving activities using Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Skill development
includes measuring, calculating scales, building models, and programming.
Teacher: Laura Henning
Amount: $1,095.54
School: Trumbull Career and Technical Center
Population: 1100 students Grades 11 and 12
Goal Area: Postsecondary/Career Readiness
Overview: TCTC has designed a 12-session series focused on the “Eight Components of
College and Career Readiness Counseling”. The informational series will increase awareness
regarding the resources available to assist students in their post-secondary transitions. Sessions
will be presented during the school day, after school and in the evenings to include parents.
Teacher: Cindy Baer
Amount: $1,500.00
School: H.C. Mines Intermediate School – Howland Local Schools
Population: 124 students
Grade 3
Goal Area: 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee
Overview: Third grade students will collaborate to research and write books about animals, have
these books professionally published and then read them to kindergarteners. Students will learn
life science content, analyze informational text structure and improve reading and writing skills
with guidance from teachers and librarians.
Teacher: Fran Compton
Amount: $1996.20
School: Willard PK-8 Building – Warren City Schools
Population: 90 students
Grade 1
rd
Goal Area: 3 Grade Reading Guarantee
Overview: Using the BookBuilder System along with other instructional materials to
differentiate instruction, students will work to increase their reading and writing levels. Using
the Literacy Collaborative Framework, Reading Recovery Lessons and incorporating family
engagement into this project will promote success for each child involved.
Teacher: Michelle Fitzsimmons
Amount: $2000.00
School: Columbiana County Career and Technical Center
Population: 440 students
Grades 11 and 12
Goal Area: Postsecondary/Career Readiness
Overview: Students will showcase the employability skills they have attained at CCCTC by
attending a College and Career Fair. Students will be evaluated by employers and postsecondary
institutions utilizing a mock interview forum. Teachers will have prepared students throughout
the year for this event using varied methods.
Teacher: Samantha Kelecava
Amount: $1813.00
School: Lordstown Jr/Sr High School – Lordstown Local Schools
Population: 35 students
Grade 8
Goal Area: 8th Grade Math Proficiency
Overview: Student learning will be enhanced through utilization of iPads equipped with
calculator apps and whiteboard presentation apps. Both general education and students
identified with disabilities will benefit from student-centered mathematical presentations on the
iPad in the general classroom and intervention classrooms.
Teacher: Meghan Cafaro
Amount: $1699.45
School: Braden Middle School – Buckeye Local Schools
Population: 120 students
Grade 7
th
Goal Area: 8 Grade Math Proficiency
Overview: Students will use Kindle Fire tablets in the classroom to take monthly curriculumbased measures for progress monitoring. Individualized lessons will be created using this data
allowing students to log into their custom made curriculum based on their specific math needs.
Teacher: BethAnne Rettos
Amount: $2,000.00
School: Garfield Elementary – Wellsville Local Schools
Population: 251 students
Grades PK - 3
Goal Area: 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency, Kindergarten Readiness and Career Readiness
Overview: Using a school-wide approach we will educate families and children regarding the
significance of reading in order to prepare for careers that contribute positively to our
community. A culminating event for the project will be a career day hosting a cross section of
local skilled employees interacting with students.
Teacher: Elizabeth Pickens
Amount: $2,000.00
School: Struthers Elementary School – Struthers City Schools
Population: 48 students
Grades Kindergarten and 1
Goal Area: 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency
Overview: Using technology, students will practice skills taught in class, like rhyming,
phonemic awareness, and sight word recognition. The devices will also be used during
intervention time, focusing on fundamental skills including letter-sound knowledge, blending
sounds and fluency.
Teacher: Katherine Neal
Amount: $2,000.00
School: McGuffey PK-8 Building – Warren City Schools
Population: 90 students
Grade 3
Goal Area: 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency
Overview: The Leveled Independent Reading Program will provide texts for all 3rd grade
students, regardless of reading level. The focus will be on reading and understanding at each
student’s reading level throughout the school year as well as providing the scaffolding needed to
assist in moving them up levels to increase reading proficiency.
Teacher: Kelly Hutchison
Amount: $2,000.00
School: Warren City Schools
Population: 696 students
Grades Preschool and Kindergarten
Goal Area: Kindergarten Readiness and 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency
Overview: The Early Childhood Network – Warren Teachers Care brings preschool and
Kindergarten teachers together to collaborate on issues central to their students and classrooms.
These are technology and science exploration, developmentally appropriate practice and
Kindergarten readiness. This program is designed to unite and provide a stellar educational
school experience for every child.