o Ithaca Public Education Initiative Connecting School and Community 2008–2009 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY President’s Message Since our founding in 1996, IPEI has believed that the education of every student is enhanced through community connec- tions and support.This report outlines our programs and initiatives of the past year: • 4600 students and 242 teach- ers participated in IPEI funded activities last year, Terry sports the Tilley hat given • 87 grants totaling $52,400 to her when named Discovery were awarded, Trail Explorer for 2008 • 156 classrooms from all 8 elementary schools visited 8 Discovery Trail sites with Kids Discover the Trail! • 495 donors and 63 IPEI board,committee and project volunteers made it happen. More than ever the students and teachers need our support to encourage creative classroom ideas and to expand hands-on experiences. Please help us continue to connect our schools with our community by engag- ing with local in public education and by investing in the Ithaca Public Education Initiative. Terry R. Byrnes, ipei president CONTENTS Connecting School and Community . 1 Programs.................................................. 2 Teacher Grants ........................................... 2 Red and Gold Opportunities Grants ......................... 3 Community Collaboration Grants .......................... 3 Kids Discover the Trail! Collaboration ....................... 3 Affiliates................................................... 5 Fine Arts Booster Group ................................... 5 Code Red Robotics......................................... 6 Initiatives.................................................. 7 CommunityEngagement .................................. 9 Grants.................................................... 10 Giving Opportunities. 14 Donors.................................................... 16 FinancialReport .......................................... 22 PHOTOCREDITS COVER: Lauren Comly, Nicole Dauria, Carol Spence; INSIDE COVER: Rachel Philipson; p. 1: Lauren Comly; p. 2: Lauren Comly, Mary Grainger; p. 3: Jocelyn Lutter Carver, Kristi Rains; p. 4:Terry Byrnes; p. 5: Martha Frommelt, Martha Hamilton; p. 6: Sue Brower; p. 7: Lauren Comly; p. 8: Dan Flerlage; p. 9: Steve Marschner; p. 10: Lauren Comly; p. 11: Sharon Nelson; p. 12: Simrat Applebaum; p. 13: Bill Liddick; p. 15: Kristen Burke, Judy Paskin; p. 16: Lauren Comly; p. 17: Lauren Comly; p. 18: Caren Arnold; p. 19: Dan Flerlage; p. 20: Andrea Hazard; p. 21: Ellen Rowe, Lara Kaltmann; p. 24: Deanna Crossgrove; BACK COVER: Virginia Winkler Thank you to the Triad Foundation for making this report possible o Connecting School and Community “Thank you for fostering home, school, and community connections!” —principal As you will read in this year’s annual report, IPEI’s impact is continuing to expand, but none of it could have happened without you. It happens because this community believes in the value of education and participates in ways that add value to the schools by making financial contributions and/or by sharing your skills, experiences, and knowledge to benefit the children of our district.We invite you to read on and see what you have helped us accomplish. IPEI is . a not-for-profit organization that supports the teachers and students of the Ithaca City School District. people giving their time and energy to make community connections that benefit Ithaca’s students and teachers. a vehicle through which you can make an added invest- ment in your schools through your gifts and volunteer involvement. a community organization dedicated to enhancing the educational experience and success of every student. IPEI . awards grants to teachers for curriculum-related class- room projects with community partners; and to teach- ers, staff, students, and community groups that need assistance and resources to fulfill worthwhile ideas. coordinates the Kids Discover the Trail! collaboration with the Discovery Trail. organizes the annual Adult Spelling Bee fundraiser to support Teacher Grants. provides a vehicle for affiliates like the Fine Arts Booster Group and the Code Red Robotics team. distributes invested endowment funds from community members and graduating classes to support our stu- dents and teachers in ways that matter to the donors. stimulates conversation and collaboration between community groups and schools through meetings, roundtables and workshops. All Kindergarteners experience the Tompkins County Public Library with Kids Discover the Trail! h Programs Educators and volunteers introduce first graders to dinosaurs and fossils at the Museum of the Earth and in their own classrooms. IPEI brings a wide variety of truly exceptional community resources into the district’s classrooms that enhance the educational experience of all students.We support teachers who have great ideas on how to make their curriculum come alive and be relevant. That’s what breathes life into our mission: connecting students and teachers with the world outside the classroom. Students tell us these experi- ences help relate what they study with what they may do in the future, thus broadening their horizons. Teacher Grants with Community Partners Teacher Grants given directly to teachers provide an excel- lent way to introduce students to the resources right in their own community. Awards now up to $1500 each are made to teachers with creative ideas that include a community part- ner involved in the classroom project or activity.Teachers must link their projects with the specific grade level New York State Learning Standards and demonstrate how their grant enhances the stated curricular standards. This past year, 29 teachers were awarded Teacher Grants involv- ing Community Partners total- ing about $24,700 impacting approximately 2000 students (some more than once). These grants were funded by our Adult Spelling Bee, the Charles E. Treman Jr.Teacher Grant Fund, and by individual gifts from community members. Treman Grant awards were selected by the Teacher Grant Review Committee based on Ithaca High social studies students how well the proposal matched accessed Cornell resources as part of the teacher grant in memory of the the grant program criteria. late teacher and principal John Caren. A Community Partner is any individual, business, organization, or college department interested in working with a teacher on a classroom project. Projects range in scope and time commitment.We welcome potential community partners to contact us with ideas of how to work with teachers and students. REFER TO PAGE 10 FOR COMPLETE LIST OF GRANTS AWARDED. 2 Red and Gold Opportunities Grants Grants of up to $500 each are made for proposals that strengthen and enrich the school experience, but fall outside the criteria for our Teacher Grant program. They may be awarded to teachers, students, parents, or community mem- bers. Supplies or materials usually covered by the school budget are not funded. Fifty-four Red and Gold grants were made during the 2008–2009 year totaling nearly $20,800. See list of Red and Gold grants on page 11. Urban Art Club members traveled to Brooklyn to view murals and to meet artists before painting their own (shown here). Community Collaboration Grants IPEI granted funds to five community organizations that are collaborating with the ICSD: GO (Golden Opportunities tutoring program), Salvation Army (backpacks with school supplies for disadvantaged children), Hangar Theatre (teach- ing artists working with fourth grade classes), Ithaca Youth Council (community forums and youth leadership activities following the Cory Booker presentation in November 2008), and the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School. Kids Discover the Trail! Collaboration By far the most ambitious of IPEI’s collaborations, Kids Discover the Trail! is a joint effort of the eight Discovery Trail partners and our eight elementary schools to introduce all Pre-K–Grade 5 students and their teachers to the wonders of bird migration, animal art, dinosaurs, climate change, joy of books, wildflowers, and much more. The Discovery Trail is a group of eight educational organiza- tions with world-class experts and collections who have formed a one of a kind collaboration based right here in Ithaca. Each site is linked with one of our elementary grades. Major funding for Kids Discover the Trail! is provided through the generosity of local insti- tutions, foundations, busi- nesses and individuals. Special thanks to the overall Program Sponsor for 2009: BorgWarner Morse TEC. Pre-Kindergarteners explore animals in art at Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell. Children learn counting and math concepts with movement and rhythm. 3 During their day in the local one room school, teachers and fourth grade students dress in clothing similar to what was worn in 1892 and re-enact a typical day. Kindergarteners find out about books about friendship and family at the Tompkins County Public Library. First Graders study the science of dinosaurs at the Museum of the Earth at PRI, and about the scientific process by examining fossils of the largest animals ever to have lived on earth. Second Graders Second graders explore climate change and energy at the Sciencenter through demonstrations and hands-on activities that address the need for alternative energy sources. Third Graders learn about native plants and wildflowers at the Cornell Plantations. Fourth Graders experience 19th century life at The History Center Eight Square