2021-2022 Grant Awards.
Innovation Grants
Innovation Grants award up to $5,000 to support innovation and excellence across our district. Innovation Grants engage students in deeper learning, pilot new educational approaches and support educators to collaborate across disciplines, grade levels and schools. Initiatives are multi-faceted and take place over the course of the year. Funding is comprehensive and can include professional development, collaborative planning time for professional learning communities, guest speakers and outside facilitators, classroom materials, technology, and more.
Title: STAMPED: 8th Graders Reading, Writing and Speaking for Change
Educator(s): Leslie Means, Joanne Leisk, Sarah Haney, Middle School English Teachers
School: Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School
Description: The 8th grade English Language Arts team will use the book Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi as a jumping off point for a new learning unit focused on reading, writing and speaking for change. After engaging in professional development with Facing History and Ourselves, teachers will develop the learning experience which includes reading and reflecting on the book and a special guest speaker. The goal of this project is for students to think critically about the world we live in, how systems are established, and then to form their own understanding of how those systems impact the world.
Title: Grooving and Shaking to the Ukulele
Educator(s): Kristen McEntee, Adam Shumate, Eva Ostrovsky-Kaminsky, Elementary Music Teachers
School: All Elementary Schools
Description: In this pilot initiative by the elementary music teachers, a group of grade 4 students at each elementary school will learn to play the ukulele, further developing their music notation and rhythm skills. If the pilot is successful, music teachers plan to expand to serve all 4th graders.
Title: Thematic Realignment of Grade 10 English Curriculum Focused on “Isms”
Educator(s): Arielle Gillette, Jennifer Natusch, Amy Mirasolo, Robin Loewald, Matthew Manfredi, High School English Teachers
School: Melrose High School
Description: In year two of development, this comprehensive initiative brings equity and social justice to the forefront of learning, providing students with an authentic, project-based experience to apply skills in English Language Arts. Teachers will participate in ongoing professional development, curriculum planning, classroom implementation, evaluation and reflection to continue to build the learning experience. In addition, funds will support a guest speaker panel and the culminating Raise Awareness Project by each individual student. This grant builds on a previous Boost Grant that supported greater diversity in literature circle choice for students and a year 1 Innovation Grant that kicked off in depth planning curriculum planning.
Title: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through Classroom Libraries
Educator(s): Jessica Patti, Social Emotional Learning Specialist; Tim Daly, Director of Social Studies/History; Teachers Across the District
School: All Schools
Description: This multi-layered innovation grant will support the district’s efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion by providing professional development, lesson plan creation, classroom library books, and parent and caregiver engagement opportunities. Teachers from all schools will participate in district run professional development aimed at building knowledge and creating lesson plans that use children's literature to build understanding. In addition to training and curriculum development, teachers will receive classroom library books to implement lesson plans throughout the school year. The Melrose Ed Foundation and other community organizations will participate as well with a book club to support parents and caregivers to engage with their children in related conversations about race and equity.
Title: Representation Matters: Social Justice in the Elementary Social Studies Curriculum
Educator(s): Carolyn McElligott, Tracey Marino, Elementary Instructional Coaches
School: All Elementary Schools
Description: Teachers will re-design the district’s K-5 social studies curriculum to align with the six principles of social justice education. Units will have opportunities for students to consider their own identity, develop respect for others, explore social justice issues and social movements, and build awareness and opportunities for social action. Units will be framed around the principles of inquiry where students investigate essential questions and apply history and social science skills to make sense of contemporary social justice issues.
Title: SMARTS for Special Education Academic Support
Educator(s): Chelsea Davidson, Cameron Applegate, Special Education Teachers
School: Melrose High School
Description: The SMARTS curriculum is a new education approach focused on executive function strategies including goal setting, cognitive flexibility, organizing and prioritizing, memorizing, self-checking, and monitoring. Special education teachers will pilot SMARTS with students in their academic support classes.
Title: Avenues to Authentic Learning: A Block Re-Imagined
Educator(s): Wendy Arnold, Library Media Specialist; Joshua Christiano, Academic Facilitator; Middle School Teachers
School: Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School
Description: Teams of teachers at each middle school grade level will design and implement project based learning electives (A Block) to guide students through a trimester-long personalized learning experience connecting science, social studies, and language arts. Teachers will participate in professional development and collaborative planning time, implement curriculum, and meet regularly to reflect on and improve their practice and the learning experience.
Title: DNA Analysis in Biology, Forensic Science and BioTech Classes
Educator(s): Kerri Scott, William Hurley, Jessica Forton, Suzanne Troy, Gevorg Keosyian, High School Science Teachers
School: Melrose High School
Description: With new and efficient equipment and innovative learning modules, teachers will guide students through hands-on DNA analysis applying skills across disciplines and engaging in real world biotech practices.
Boost Grants
Boost grants award up to $500 for individual educators to implement a new project, elevate an existing experience, or try something new in their classroom.
Title: Thermal Imaging Camera for Studying Heat Flow in Systems
Educator(s): William Hurley, High School Science Teacher
School: Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School and Melrose High School
Description: Thermal imaging cameras that interface with smart phones will be shared across chemistry, marine science and middle school science classes to provide a hands-on boost for students to study heat flow and energy transfer.
Title: Summer Book Club: Me and White Supremacy, by Layla F. Saad
Educator(s): Robin Loewald, Arielle Gillette, High School English Teachers
School: Melrose High School
Description: Students will participate in a 5-week Summer Book Club, reading and engaging in facilitated conversations about racial equity and the book Me and White Supremacy, by Layla F. Saad.
Professional Development Grants
Professional Development Grants award up to $1,000 to educators to deepen knowledge in their field, develop new skills, or explore opportunities that will enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. Grant recipients also have a commitment to share professional learning with other educators in their building or practice/content area across the district.
Title: Melrose High School CREWS
Educator(s): Jason Merrill, Principal, and CREW Planning Team
School: Melrose High School
Description: A collaborative team of high school administrators and teachers will plan together over the summer to create the CREWS program, aimed at supporting the social and emotional learning of all students. The team will create guidelines for the program including goals, curriculum for each grade level, and measures of success which will be presented to staff, students and parents at the start of the school year.
Title: Robotics at MHS
Educator(s): Elizabeth Giovanardi, High School Technology Teacher
School: Melrose High School
Description: In preparation for a new robotics class this year, Ms. Giovanardi will participate in a professional development workshop through MIT's Edgerton Center focusing on the world of microcontrollers such as Arduinos and Raspberry Pis.
Title: CIVICS Action Projects Across the Curriculum
Educator(s): Tim Daly, Director of Social Studies/History; Jennifer Rowley, High School Social Studies Teacher
School: Melrose High School
Description: Educators will create project-based learning units focused on engaging students in a Civics Action Project in a variety of courses, for example Computer Aided Design, AP Government, BioEthics, and Statistics. This cross-curricular and student-led learning experience will allow students to apply course specific content knowledge to a real world civics-related situation.