On April 30, 2021, despite the COVID restrictions imposed on all of us, Orange County Foundation Board Members, including our County Superintendent of Education, Dr. Cecil Snead, awarded a number of Teacher Innovation Grants (TIGs) to deserving teachers in our elementary, middle and high schools. While we were unable to make our awards directly in the teachers’ classrooms, as we did in years past, we were still able to surprise award recipients at each of our schools!
During 2020 and 2021, our OC teachers had to find new ways to engage and educate our OC students. So many of the TIGs focused on doing exactly that! Each teacher noted the work they were doing to bring students back into the classroom and to provide new ways to provide effective “In person Instruction” employing the new Visible Learning System developed and adopted by Dr. Snead and the OC school administration. Here are the grant winners:
- Second Grade: Kristen Jordan UES: “Gardening with Birds and Bees!”
- Third-Grade: Brittany Shifflett OES: “Fossil dig for Third Grade”
- Middle School: Kathy Hogsten/Jennifer Hudsont-Foskett PHMS: “Reading Plays”
- High School: Rebeca Kennon: “Cosmetology Program.”
- Judges Choice: Kristen Boudreau PHMS: “Nature Journaling and Studies”
Named Grants:
- Ernestine Reid Teacher Innovative Grant. First Grade. Language Arts: Carla Hord UES, “Social Studies and Science with Scholastic magazine.”
- Kathleen Hargett Innovative Grant for Library/Media Center Resources. K-5. Sharon Mohrmann OES. “Borrowing Books for Social and Emotional Success.”
- Paul Cogar Teacher Innovative Grant. Guidance OES. Caroline Freeman. “Cheetas who Care.”
