| Michael Elko, a second-grader this year at Conneaut Elementary, helped teacher Sue Swegan explain the “Bear Mail” project at a recent UWE meeting. |
Teachers in Wood County have a resource to help them develop new or necessary programs for their
classrooms.
United Women Educators (UWE) wants teachers to know there are
mini-grants available for programs that show innovation or enrichment
for students’ educational experience. Last year, UWE was able to fund
six different educational projects of local teachers for a total of
approximately $600.
An annual UWE auction helps to provide the monies needed to provide the
mini-grant scholarships, which are available to any educator providing
services to students in Wood County.
For Andrea Schroeder, who works with special education students at North
Baltimore Middle School, getting a $100 grant meant she didn’t have to
fund out of her own pocket the cost of buying sourcebooks for her
students.
“I would have had to have done that out of my own money,” she said about the purchase made last school
year.
Schroeder used her grant to buy the sourcebooks to help the six students
in her resource language arts classroom. “All of their reading levels
are significantly lower, and the sourcebooks are a good way to work on
their reading as well as nonfiction reading.”
Each lessons has a different tool built in to help students work on
reading comprehension, and there also are templates to help them
organize their writing, she explained.
“The kids enjoy using them. They’re learning things but they actually think it’s just a fun activity.”
She praised UWE for its grants. “I think they’re wonderful. They are
really helpful. The amount isn’t huge but it’s just the right amount to
get those resources teachers kind of dream about getting.”
Schroeder added, “It was a pretty simple process and it reaped great rewards.”
The grant recipients from 2010-11 also included Christina Farabee, at
Elmwood Elementary, who used $100 to fund a visiting author and family
literacy night; Deb Hoover, at Bowling Green’s Kenwood Elementary, who
used $72 to purchase clipboards and timers to help her students with
time management; and Sue Swegan, at the city’s Conneaut Elementary, who
created a “Bear Mail” mapping and geography study project with her $90
grant.
Two other grants were awarded, but the funds were not used by the May
2011 deadline, and reverted back to the women’s organization.
The deadline for grant submissions for this school year is Dec. 1. Sharon Nigh is this year’s grant
committee chairperson ([email protected]).
Forms were distributed this month to all school districts including Bowling Green.
UWE is open to all women in the Wood County area who are or have been
actively involved in education. It was formed several years ago by a
group of women educators who shared common attitudes and interests in
education.
Its purpose is to unite women educators, promote life-long learning,
share information with professionals who share similar objectives and
experiences, and encourage friendships.
Each year, the group also sponsors a community service project; for this
and last year, it has been the Cocoon Shelter in Bowling Green. Members
to date have donated more than 200 items, plus cash, to the shelter.
“We have received several written and verbal thank yous from them as
they are very appreciative of our support,” said UWE President Teri
Hansen, of Pemberville.
The group currently has 38 members, and is always looking for new
members who want to be actively involved in the educational
organization, Hansen said. The group meets six times each year at
various locations around the county, and plans educational or enriching
programs for each get-together.
This year’s officers also include Abe Diehl and Roberta Lane as first
vice-presidents; Jill Bortel, second vice-president; Amy Rahmel,
recording secretary; Phyllis Hartwell, corresponding secretary; Joan
Slebos, treasurer; and Mary Ellen Pratt, parliamentarian.
