Foundation Awards Money for Education

The Fayette County Education Foundation has awarded over $9,000 this year in grants and scholarships to educators in the Fayette County Public School System.

More than $7,800 was given to 17 teachers at all school levels throughout the county to implement innovative learning programs in their classrooms, grade levels, and in some cases, the entire school. Awards are given to unique programs that are in addition to what is already being funded by the school system. Because these are supplemental programs, many would never come to fruition without monetary assistance from the Fayette County Education Foundation.

Three employees studying to become teachers received $500 scholarships to help offset their college expenses. The scholarships were awarded to the following paraprofessionals: Laurie Cannata, Braelinn Elementary; Autria Hairston, Fayetteville Intermediate; and Patricia Sanders, Oak Grove Elementary. Scholarship recipients must be employed as paraprofessionals in the school system and enrolled in an accredited teaching program through a college or university.

Counting this year’s grants and scholarships, the Fayette County Education Foundation has given nearly $190,000 to educators since its first awards in 2002. Funding would not be possible without the generous support of the business community, Fayette County Public School System employees and local individuals.

The foundation is a cooperative effort between the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Fayette County Public School System. Anyone interested in becoming a supporter of the Fayette County Education Foundation can contact Melinda Berry-Dreisbach at the Fayette County Board of Education, 770-460-3535.

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Walmart Gives $2,000 to Peachtree City ASP

 (L-R) ASP Site Coordinators Cheryl Lopez, Peeples Elementary; Christine Clark, Kedron Elementary; Jennifer Campbell, Peachtree City Elementary; Patty Rose, Crabapple Lane Elementary; Robert Beasley, Walmart store manager; Sandy Jensen, Oak Grove Elementary; Carolyn Davis, Huddleston Elementary; Carol Banks, Braelinn Elementary.

A total of $2,000 in Walmart Community Grant checks has been given to seven Peachtree City After School Programs (ASP).

The Walmart in Peachtree City presented the grants to programs at Braelinn, Crabapple Lane, Huddleston, Kedron, Oak Grove, Peachtree City, and Peeples elementary schools. Each program has its own plans for the money. Some sites will purchase art supplies, crafts, and playground equipment, while others will fund science and math programming. One site will use their funds to pay tuition for three children to attend ASP so that their single mom can keep her newfound job.

“We are extremely grateful for the generosity the Peachtree City Walmart has extended to our programs. This money will be used to enhance student activity areas and to create an enjoyable environment for our students,” says Julia Simpson, director of ASP.

ASP provides services to school age children within the school buildings where they attend day school; the program operates from the end of the school day until 6:30 p.m. Funding is through parent fees, grants and donations. All donations are tax-deductible. For more information about ASP, call 770-460-3990, ext. 255.

The Walmart Foundation strives to provide opportunities that improve the lives of individuals in communities including customers and associates through financial contributions, in-kind donations and volunteerism. The corporation’s philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally involves store associates in determining how Walmart Foundation dollars are used to support causes that are important to them.

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Teachers Bright Ideas Earn Grant Money from Fayette-Coweta EMC

Two Sandy Creek High teachers got a pleasant surprise from the Fayette-Coweta EMC prize patrol when they learned their Bright Ideas Grant had been accepted. Keelan Seabolt received $1,494 to implement a project to teach students about the construction of electronics that save energy. Matthew Turner received $1,500 to teach his automotive technology students the technique of airbrushing. The class will paint mailboxes and car tags that will be sold as fundraisers for Sandy Creek’s Skills USA chapter.


Fayette’s teachers have many bright ideas for their classrooms, and thanks to the Bright Ideas Grant program sponsored by the Fayette-Coweta EMC, they have the funding to make their ideas a reality.

A total of 11 teachers in the Fayette County Public School System collectively received $12,635 for grant proposals they submitted for the 2010 Bright Ideas Grant program. Grant awardees ran the gamut of educational disciplines including automotive technology, physical science, orchestra, foreign language, biology, gifted education, physics, social studies, and special needs.
Here are the school system’s 2010 winners:

Keelan Seabolt, Sandy Creek High, Physics
Matthew Turner, Sandy Creek High, Automotive Technology
Darilyn Esterline, Whitewater High and Sara Harp Minter Elementary, Orchestra
Kim Newman, Whitewater High, Foreign Language
Kelly Rock, Starr’s Mill High, Biology
Barbara Storme, Braelinn Elementary, Social Studies
Dr. Katy Linteris, Cleveland Elementary, Gifted Education
Whitney Noel, McIntosh High, Special Needs
Michael Fairbanks, Crabapple Lane Elementary, Physics
Guy Serapion, Huddleston Elementary, Physical Science
Sally Raymond, Peeples Elementary, Special Needs

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Education Foundation Awards Grants for Fayette County

Over $8,650 in grants has been awarded to educators by the Fayette County Education Foundation to help fund innovative teaching ideas at public schools throughout the county.
Among the grants funded this year include the purchase of four SMART Boards, a robotics kit for the county’s first robotics club and programs to help students better understand chemistry, physics and various mathematical concepts.

The grants give educators the monetary assistance they need to bring innovative and creative programs into their schools and classrooms to help enhance the curriculum that is already in place. These programs are in addition to what is funded by the school system. Without assistance from the Fayette County Education Foundation, funding for many of these programs would not be possible.

Counting this year’s grants, the Fayette County Education Foundation has given over $170,000 to the school system’s teachers since it awarded its first grants in 2002. Funding for the grants would not be possible without the generous support of the business community, Fayette County Public School System employees and local individuals.

The foundation is a cooperative effort between the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Fayette County Public School System. Each fall, educators are given the opportunity to submit applications for grants to fund programs that are beyond the scope of their schools’ budget.

Anyone interested in becoming a supporter of the Fayette County Education Foundation can contact Melinda Berry-Dreisbach at the Fayette County Board of Education, 770-460-3535.

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Donation Helps Education Foundation Fund 21st Century Classroom Equipment

Steve Forsyth (right), director of corporate communication for Global Travel, presents the donation for SMART Boards to Rick Lindsey, chairman of the Fayette County Education Foundation, as teacher recipients Mark Henderson and Catherine Douthard look on.

Thanks to a $2,000 donation from Global Aviation Holdings, Inc. in Peachtree City, four teachers are receiving grants from the Fayette County Education Foundation to purchase SMART Boards for their classrooms this spring.

A total of 18 teachers across all grade levels submitted competitive applications earlier this school year for grants to install the interactive learning boards in their rooms. Applicants submitted essays explaining why they wanted the boards, how they would utilize them with their students and sample lesson plans.

The foundation has equipped a total of five classrooms with SMART Boards so far: two elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools. Vickie Anderson, an eighth grade reading and math teacher at Fayette Middle, was the first recipient this past fall.

During the second round of competition, and thanks to the donation from Global Aviation, the foundation awarded four additional grants to Catherine Douthard, fifth grade, Cleveland Elementary; Mark Henderson, math, Starr’s Mill High; Tess Keller, technology, Inman Elementary; and Arthur Walton, math, McIntosh High.

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Give Free Stuff for the Holidays and Help Fayette County Teachers

Who couldn’t use a free Papa John’s pizza or Firestone Complete Auto Care oil change, no purchase necessary?

The word “free” is very appealing in this economy and free food and services is exactly what you will get when you purchase an Enjoy the City coupon book from the Fayette County Education Foundation.

Not only can you enjoy many free items, but you can also feel good knowing that you have helped Fayette’s public school teachers purchase needed supplies for their classrooms.

The books are $20 and make great holiday gifts or stocking stuffers. Proceeds benefit the Fayette County Education Foundation, which supports the county’s teachers by providing mini-grants to purchase needed items that enhance classroom instruction.

The books can be purchased at the Fayette County Board of Education office, 210 Stonewall Avenue in Fayetteville, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

They have numerous “buy one, get one” free deals and discounts from popular restaurants such as Johnny’s New York Style Pizza, La Hacienda, Sonic and La Parrilla. Families can also enjoy savings on entertainment like “buy one, get one free” Atlanta Braves game tickets and free general admission to Zoo Atlanta with the purchase of a ticket. There are many discounts on services such as car rentals, dry cleaning and hair care.

Other than employee and community donations, the foundation relies on the coupon book sales to help fund the mini-grants that typically range from $500-700 per teacher.

These are tough financial times for everyone. The foundation wants to make the holidays a little merrier while also helping the county’s teachers get what they need to continue offering their students the best educational experiences possible.

The Fayette County Education Foundation is nonprofit organization and is a cooperative effort between the school system and the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about the foundation or Enjoy the City coupon books, contact Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, public information specialist for Fayette County Schools, 770-460-3535.

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Whitewater Students Highlighted in Leading Invention Magazine

The InvenTeam at Whitewater High has been getting a lot of exposure since winning a $10,000 grant from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop a solar food dehydrator for developing countries.

Their latest appearance was in the July 2009 edition of Inventor’s Digest, a print and online publication for inventors that focuses on delivering cutting-edge information to help its readers succeed. The magazine is distributed to 116 different countries.

The Whitewater InvenTeam includes Andrew Barth, Zuri Coleman, Jacob Cotton, Hendri deBeer, Matt Doss, Chris Sandwich, Kavita Singh and Eric Vogel. Carolyn Smith is the advisor and Ted Wansley is the co-sponsor.

The article explains the team’s project and their successes and challenges in developing the prototype, which not only preserves food but also converts vapors from the dehydration process into potable water.

The team hopes to get a working prototype into the field so that it can get more grants to continue the project. The prototype was revealed this past spring during EurekaFest at MIT.

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Whitewater High School Student Inventors Win $10,000 MIT Grant

FL Note: Congratulations to the Whitewater High School students who will be working on the prototype of their invention. All of Fayette County is pulling for your success!

A group of high school students might have the solution to end the world’s shortage of clean drinking water. So impressed with their idea was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that it awarded them a $10,000 grant to develop a prototype.

Five students who make up the InvenTeam at Whitewater High are one of only 16 teams throughout the US and Canada to receive a Lemelson-MIT grant for the 2008-2009 school year. The students are Kavita Singh, Chris Sandwich, Jacob Cotton, Andrew Barth and Hendri deBeer.

InvenTeams are composed of high school students, teachers and mentors who collaboratively identify a problem that they want to solve, research the problem and then develop a prototype invention as an in-class or extracurricular project.

The Whitewater team decided to create a combination dehydrator and condenser that will preserve food while purifying the water that results from the dehydration process.

This team is the first in Fayette to win a grant. InvenTeam is expected to release a final list of grant winners later this month, but so far only one other Georgia team has won a grant since the program began in 2003.

Whitewater submitted an initial application for the grant last spring and received an Excite Award, an invitation to complete a final, more detailed application of the idea. The selection of the finalist teams is based on the inventiveness and feasibility of the proposed idea. A panel of MIT professors, staff and alumni, inventors, researchers, entrepreneurs and high school educators assess the applications.

The team will use the grant money to purchase materials and supplies needed to develop a prototype of their invention. They will have all school year to complete the prototype. The team will display and discuss their invention at the MIT EurekaFest this spring.

Whitewater teachers working with the InvenTeam students are Carolyn Smith, engineering and technology, and Dr. Ted Wansley, science.

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Kedron Elementary Receives Target Grant for Children’s Theater

Kedron Principal Karen Bullock and fifth grade teacher Carla Zonneveld pose with Peachtree City Target representatives Cynthia Burnett and Lynn Jacobs.

Students at Kedron Elementary in Peachtree City are going to star in their own full-scale musical, complete with professional sets and costumes, thanks to the generosity of Target.

Fifth grade teacher Carla Zonneveld was instrumental in helping Kedron receive a $5,000 Target grant to bring the Missoula Children’s Theater to the school in 2009. The grant will fund the weeklong residency of two professional actors/directors who arrive in town with all the costumes, props and sets necessary for a full-scale musical production. The only thing missing is the cast, which is where the students become involved.

The week begins with a casting call on where 50-60 students are selected to fill the roles of a popular children’s story that has been adapted to a musical. Other students will serve as backstage directors, helping with the curtains and lighting and making sure that the actors enter the stage on cue. By Saturday, after a week of intensive rehearsals involving memorizing lines, learning songs and practicing choreography, the students put on two public performances. Tickets are sold to the community for both performances with the school keeping all of the proceeds, which will be used to bring the theatrical group back to the school the following year.

“Bringing a program to a school that will make a lasting impact on some of its students is not difficult, but introducing one that will change the lives of an entire school community is nearly impossible,” say Zonneveld.

This grant is part of ongoing efforts by Target to strengthen families and communities throughout the country. Since opening its doors, Target has given 5 percent of its income to organizations that support education, the arts, social services and volunteerism. Today, that translates into more than $3 million every week.

Zonneveld says the Missoula Children’s Theater experience will give students the confidence and skills they need to be effective students while instilling important character traits that they will use for the rest of their lives.

“I have witnessed first-hand the effect this type of training can have on a large group of children. As my daughter attended rehearsals after school, I began to see the whole group changing. By performance day, I was in awe of the talent being displayed with complete confidence. Even the youngest children had developed the discipline and demeanor of seasoned performers,” says Zonneveld.

Schools can apply for Target grants between March 1 and May 31 of each year. Target funds arts programs that bring the arts to schools or make it affordable for youth and families to participate in cultural experiences such as touring programs, field trips to the theater or symphony or artist in residencies and workshops in schools.

“I hope that with the generous support of this grant we will be able to start a tradition of showcasing the arts in our community and changing the lives of many generations of Kedron Knights to come,” says Zonneveld.

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Piedmont Hospital and Piedmont Fayette Hospital Receive Komen Foundation Grants

Piedmont Hospital and Piedmont Fayette Hospital have received funding from the Greater Atlanta Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The grants will be used to provide breast imaging services for underserved and underinsured women in the Atlanta area

“Piedmont is committed to providing state-of-the-art breast services to all women,” said Jeffrey Allen, M.D., medical director of the Doris Shaheen Breast Health Center at Piedmont Hospital. “We appreciate the support provided by the Atlanta affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and are committed to meeting the needs of the community.”

Dr. Allen explained that a recent survey conducted by the Atlanta affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure demonstrated the marked underutilization of breast services in the Atlanta area by African-American and Latino women as well as indigent women of all races.

“To address this gap in crucial breast health services, the Doris Shaheen Breast Health Center at Piedmont Hospital and Women’s Imaging Center at Piedmont Fayette Hospital are providing free screening mammography, diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasound, ultrasound guided core biopsies, and stereotactic core biopsies to qualifying women,” he said. “A second grant is funding breast MRI and MRI-guided biopsies at Piedmont Hospital as well.”

Patients should be referred by a physician or can complete a form to see if they qualify at www.piedmonthospital.org/komen or www.fayettehospital.org/komen. If a patient qualifies and doesn’t have a physician, she will receive help finding a physician to follow her care. To learn more about the program and to check qualifications, call Suzette Wheeler at 404-352-1409, extension 304.

This year, Komen Atlanta awarded $2.25 million to 38 grantees in its 10-county service area. For more information on Susan G Komen or grants in your area, please visit www.komenatlanta.org.