BHEF Grants Awarded for the 2004-2005 School Year

Over the past 11 years, the Berkeley Heights Education Foundation has funded programs totaling over $180,000. The BHEF awarded these funds to educators in the district who every year are given the opportunity to apply for grants to support programs and related equipment that promote creative and effective teaching techniques. It is the goal of the BHEF to enhance the learning experiences of students and to help build ties between the schools and the community.

During the 2004-2005 school year, the BHEF awarded $20,000 for many exciting programs which not only benefited the students in the schools, but also supported the entire community.

• $3000 to fund a workshop entitled History Alive!: Powerful Teaching Strategies for all middle and high school social studies teachers. History Alive is a nationally known program that was initiated to create teaching strategies and materials to guide educators in reaching all learners in diverse classrooms. Teachers attending the full day workshop will learn innovative methods to engage students in active learning based upon the students' different learning styles, build content knowledge, and encourage tolerant, cooperative classrooms.
• $2500 to purchase an Automated External Defibrillator for Governor Livingston High School. This defibrillator will be beneficial to all students, employees and visitors at GLHS. Once installed, the high school nurse will offer training for the AED to students who may be interested in a health career or want to join the local rescue squad.
• $2225 to fund specialized software to enhance the guided reading program for 1st graders at the Early Childhood Center at Hamilton Terrace. The software purchased complements the existing books provided by the Berkeley Heights School District and supports literacy instruction in the classroom.
• $2050 to fund the "Poetic Lens" program for Mountain Park Elementary School 4th graders. This 5 day program includes hands-on workshops provided by both, a professional photojournalist and writer/storyteller. Working together and individually, the two professionals will teach the students about photography and how photography is used to illustrate stories. All of the students will take photographs and be guided in writing poems based on their photos. The final products will be shared with the school population and exhibited in a public location for the community to see.
• $2000 to fund substance abuse and drug awareness programs for the high school community. Under the direction of the Guidance Department, assemblies will be brought to the school that focus on helping young adults reflect and make intelligent choices about their futures.
• $1610 to the Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School to develop a bird and butterfly garden. This garden, which will be part of the vegetable garden started with funding from the BHEF in 1998, will be used by the entire school population to supplement and enrich the science curriculum.
• $1280 to support the art program at Governor Livingston High School. With this funding, students in Foundations of Art, Open Studio, and Drawing and Painting classes will visit The Guggenheim and Whitney Museums to explore and examine exhibitions that are linked to the arts curriculum. In addition to learning how to use museums and works of art as educational resources, students will create art work for display created in response to the museum visits.
• $1023 to support the Columbia Middle School 8th grade interdisciplinary project focusing on the Lewis and Clark expedition. The grant provides funds for the entire grade to visit Jockey Hollow and engage in interactive activities at that historic site, as well as supplies to support classroom presentations based on the outing.
• $1000 to Mountain Park Elementary School to enhance the school's goal, "Learn to Learn." The funding will be used to present the program: "This Isn't What I Used to do In School: New Ideas for a New Age." The grant sponsors two separate workshops. One, for all of the parents of elementary aged students, will focus on offering parents hands-on ideas to help their children be better learners in and outside of school. The second workshop, for all of the elementary school teachers in the district, will explore study and test taking skills to be taught in the classroom.
• $780 to fund a "Poetry Picturebook" program for 4th grade students at Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School. Students will have the opportunity to hear a presentation about writing and illustrating poetry. The students will use their learned techniques to write and edit colorful poetry, and to assemble their poetry and artwork into a classroom anthology.
• $750 to fund an interactive story-writing program for 2nd and 3rd grade students at William Woodruff Elementary School. As an enhancement to the district's language arts curriculum, this funded program includes a full day visit from a children's author who will work directly with the students to help them understand writing concepts. The day culminates with the students creating their own unique "class story" with the help of the visiting author.
• $600 to support Colonial Day for 8th grade students at Columbia Middle School. As a daylong event, all 8th graders participate in interdisciplinary activities that integrate science, math, English, art, and life skills into social studies as they gain knowledge and understanding of the Colonial era. Funding by the BHEF provides supplies used to support this experience.
• $500 to fund music software for use in the Music and Technology class at Governor Livingston High School. In this class, students use computer-technology assisted instruction to gain an understanding of basic music concepts. The software purchased supports and enhances the existing music curriculum and provides students with additional source material with which to generate, record, and mix data in creating their final project compositions.
• $691 Grant to fund an interschool art program between William Woodruff Elementary School and the Early Childhood Center at Hamilton Terrace. Self portraits created by 1st graders will be transformed by 5th grade students into "portable murals." Once completed, four of the murals will be presented to Hamilton Terrace at an informal "Meet the Artists" reception. The fifth mural will be donated to the Berkeley Heights Public Library during a community-wide evening reception.
• $670 to fund the purchase of a digital camera to assist in the production of the Yearbook for Columbia Middle School. This gift was made available from Foundation funds that were, by request of the donor, restricted to technology. This camera facilitates the creation of the yearbook by permitting the student staff to take many more photos at greatly reduced costs and to transmit them electronically to the publisher.