REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY IPEI is a community-based organization that supports the teachers and students of the Ithaca City School District. IPEI works to connect our schools with the human Connectingand financSchoolial resour andces ofCommunity our community and to enhance the educational experience and success of every student. “Our public schools are a very important community asset and by working together we can make—Terry them Byrnes, even IPEI President better. I hope you enjoy this report andThank catch you the to theIPEI Triad spirit!” Foundation for making this report possible. CONTENTS Connecting School and Community. 1 Grants . 2 Collaborations . 5 Affiliates . 8 Community Engagement . 9 Endowments. 10 Financial Report . 11 Thanks to All Our Donors . 12 Front cover photos • Model boat-building was integral to the ESOL summer learning program. • Rebuilding the playground together was a means to build trust between the LACS youth and the native Akwesasne students. Back cover photos • Students created the Boynton mural alongside parents, teachers and community members. • Musicians performed during Fall Creek Art Fair Gallery Night. Photos courtesy Patricia Forton, Jon Raimon, Carol Dentes Wilhelm, Susan Zehnder, Judy Cesari, Hester Vermaak, Cayuga Medical Center, Tompkins Trust Company, Matt Cook Student success is our major objective. The entire com- munity benefits from high quality schools. Our students become informed and involved citizens, our teachers’ efforts and creativity are acknowledged and encouraged, and businesses and other organizations are able to attract andConnecting retain the talented employees School they need. High quality schools engender civic pride and add to the economic andand cultural Community quality of the community. The Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) has been working for ten years to connect the abundant and var- ied resources of our community to the educational expe- rience of our children. We have found many constructive ways of accomplishing this task through collaborations, partnerships, individual volunteer efforts, and financial support. IPEI had many notable achievements in 2004–05 • over $75,000 in grants were made to teachers, students and schools • the expansion of our Teacher Grant Program, thanks to Tompkins Trust Company’s creation of the Charles E. Treman, Jr. Teacher Grants Endowment • the launch of our Kids Discover the Trail! pilot project, an ambitious collaboration between IPEI, the Discovery Trail Partners, and the Ithaca City School District Grants provide resources so that unique and creative ideas can become reality. We hope you find this report of IPEI activities informa- tive and inspiring. Please contact us if you’d like more information. Visit www.ipei.org. IPEI has developed a variety of programs that provide grants to teachers, students and others to enrich the educational experience. Many of these grants feature the applicant utilizing community resources in their project or activity. Teacher Grants IPEI encourages innovativeGrants projects that bring commun- ity resources into the classroom. Funds to support this program come from individuals and businesses that sponsor teams at the annual Adult Spelling Bee includ- ing True Insurance’s event sponsorship, and from gifts to our annual community campaign. This year, Tompkins Trust Company established a $100,000 endowment honoring Charles E. Treman, Jr., a 1926 graduate of Ithaca High School and the bank’s longtime President and Chairman. The income from this fund will provide IPEI with additional funds for annual grants for teachers’ creative classroom projects involving community partners. In making this gift, Trust Company President Steve Garner said,“The community meant Charles E. Treman, Jr. so much to Charlie. This will ensure his name will forever be associated with this most valu- able community asset—our public schools.” Build It in K: Kindergarten Tools for Learning With the help of local carpenter Rebecca Richmond, students in Carol Dentes Wilhelm’s South Hill Kindergarten class designed, constructed, equipped, and learned how to use a classroom Woodworking Center. The project also included two hands-on projects: ribbon wands for the end-of-the-year dance concert, and a project chosen by each child. Students learn the value of discipline, coordination, and artistry, while making crafts in this unique facility. Kindergarteners learned tool safety working with the grant's community partner. 2 Harlem Renaissance Interdisciplinary Unit At DeWitt Middle School 180 eighth graders learned about the artistic and political contributions of African Americans by studying the music, dance, literature, and art as well as the struggle for social justice and equal rights during the Harlem Renaissance. Teacher Andrea Volckmar invited Ithaca College Professor Steve Brown, the Bernie Upson Trio, dancer Jenna Hallas, and choralist Betty Henderson to teach her students about jazz and perform with them. These lessons were interwoven with Social Studies and English classes. The Chemistry of Art Kate Gefell’s 90 ninth and tenth grade chemistry students at Ithaca High School explored the role chemistry plays in art. Artist Kendall McAdams demonstrated the chemistry involved in metal-working through a hands-on activity experimenting with the changing properties of copper before and after heating. Students visited the Johnson Art Museum to learn about art conservation and restoration, a real-world connection between the fine arts and science. Red and Gold Opportunities Grants Teachers, administrators, students and community members may apply for these one-time grants that assist with projects that strengthen and enrich the schools and fall outside the criteria of our Teacher Grants. Path to Success The Village at Ithaca hosted a day long workshop for middle and high school students including a motivational speaker sharing a message to inspire the teens to do well in school as a part of their path to suc- cess. An IPEI grant supported this program. Gallery Night attendees admired the elementary students' artwork. Elementary School Art Fair Fall Creek Elementary School held a school-wide fair celebrating faces in art. Guest artist Sarah Ahearn led students to create Face Puzzle Pictures which were presented at a gallery night. IPEI collaborated with several other funders to make this fair a reality. 3 Wading into Fall Creek Mark Nelson’s Ithaca High School environmental science students are able to do intense, hands-on field work through a Red and Gold Grant to purchase 15 hip waders, 4 wader storing tubs, and label- ing and repairing supplies. Students (180–200 every year) can now conduct biological, chemical, and physical experiments in the creek. Ithaca High’s new Shakespeare Garden, in memory of former teacher Dorothy Anderson, is possible because of IPEI funds. Endowed Awards Endowed funds help sustain IPEI programs in perpetuity. Students, alumni, and friends are invited to create endow- ments to support our schools. Additional gifts are wel- comed at any time to any of these funds. I.H.S. Senior Class Gifts Working with the class leader- ship and the parents of the senior classes at Ithaca High School, a tradition of senior class gifts has been revitalized. Graduating students with their families have a vehicle to show their gratitude and to act philanthropically. The Class of 2004 established an endowment to recognize annually an outstanding new teacher. The Class of 2005 Endowment will fund an award each year to a student organization voted upon by the current seniors. This year economics teacher Nancy Strippel and the Tattler received these class gift awards. Raymond C. Loehr Teacher and Student Awards The Loehr family established two endowments to honor their father at the time of his 70th birthday. They recognize a teacher for excellence in science teaching and a student interested in environmental science. This year’s recipi- ents were science teacher Nancy Ridenour and freshman Eric Boynton. 4 Various projects have emerged as a result of the Critical Issues in Education Roundtable Workshop in April 2004. Hosted by the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, the Triad Foundation and IPEI, the workshop identified several potential and desirable school and community connections. Thanks to the commitment of dozens of organizations, volunteers, and funders, these projects are takingCollaborations shape. Kids Discover the Trail! This collaboration is an initiative that involves ICSD students and teachers with curriculum-based learning opportunities at all eight Discovery Trail sites at critical points in their school careers. Five goals were established for the project by ICSD teachers and administrators in collaboration with Discovery Trail directors and educators. • Enhance the existing classroom curriculum by connect- ing teachers with the educational programs at Discovery Trail sites. • Provide a common experience for all students across grade levels and schools. • Promote equity by providing equal access for all students. • Ease tensions that can occur at the transition to middle school by pairing schools appropriately for these experiences. • Increase awareness of Discovery Trail partners: Cayuga Nature Center, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell Plantations, Herbert F. Johnson Art Museum, Museum of the Earth at PRI, Sciencenter, The History Center in Tompkins County, and the Tompkins County Public Library. Funds for bus trips to the Johnson Museum of Art and other Discovery Trail sites