New feature for students interested in engineering and entrepreneurship at Ithaca High School!

 

The IthacaSTEM Advocates, an affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) has created an entrepreneurship component to the capstone pre-engineering class at Ithaca High School. With the help of  community members, students have been taught and mentored as they develop a product idea before doing the research and design preparation for building a prototype. On December 18, students pitched their ideas to a panel of judges at the Business Idea Challenge Night held at Rev, the new business incubator in downtown Ithaca.  The judges decided if the teams would receive funding needed to buy supplies for their prototyping during the spring semester of EDD, Engineering Design and Development of the Project Lead the Way series of high school courses.

There were six teams of students who pitched the following ideas: MediMove for putting an auto-injector into a smartphone case, Full Cycle Bikes to use bikes to generate power in the developing world, Pump-Action Mods to improve the Nerf Retaliator for Humans vs. Zombies games, Lake Rake for a better hydrilla sampling solution, Human Power to create a wearable human-powered device to charge a smartphone, and The Plug Saver to protect grounding plugs on power tools to improve safety.

According to Illa Burbank, president of the IthacaSTEM Advocates and lead volunteer for this activity, community members worked with the students starting in October during class time.  Teaching the basic principles of business plans were Brad Grainger of Cain Brothers Funding, Eric Eisenhut of Kensa Group, Brad Treat of Ithaca College, Dan Cohen of Cornell, and Tony Eisenhut  of Rheonix.  During the next two months, the six teams were mentored by Aaron Proujansky of Greengage, Treat, Brian Bauer of Rev, Bruce Lane of Purity Ice Cream, Chris Camadella of Vroom Consulting, Beth Mielbrecht at Taitem Engineering, and Burbank of Incodema. Judges on December 18 included Zach Shulman, Director of Entrepreneurship @ Cornell; Tim McCabe, TC3 Chair of Entrepreneurialism Department; Barbara Howard, Assistant Dean of Ithaca College’s business school; and Luvelle Brown, Ithaca City School District Superintendent.

 

All teams received a share of the available funding. Funds were contributed to IthacaSTEM by individuals and businesses specifically for this purpose. 

 

For more information about IthacaSTEM and how to support this affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative. IPEI is a not-for-profit organization that believes the education of every ICSD student is enhanced through community connections and support facilitated by IPEI for students and teachers through engagement, collaboration, gifts, and grants. More information about Ithaca STEM Advocates and IPEI can be found at www.ithacastem.org and www.ipei.org

IPEI Red and Gold Grant Assisted Boynton Classes at Primitive Pursuits

Boynton Middle School sixth-grade students in Vinnie Alcazaren and Keith Harrington’s classes completed a four-week study of pandemics and geography with a culminating project that brought the 40 students to 4-H Acres on Halloween to practice their survival skills with Primitive Pursuits staff members. “Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: A Study of Pandemics & Geography” was partially funded by a Red and Gold Grant from the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI).

“Our goal was to produce a large, problems-based learning unit that would engage the students while focusing on critical reading and math skills”, said Harrington, who had previously worked with Primitive Pursuits and thought they would be a natural partner for the subject matter.  “I seek any way I can to incorporate popular culture (e.g. zombies) into class work. It’s a huge plus when you get a great amount of enthusiasm and engagement while also teaching students to critically analyze a topic!” added Alcazaren.

Primitive Pursuits’ Justin Sutera started the activities at 4-H Acres by gathering the students, many of them in costume, to review the survival “Rule of Three”: In any extreme situation you cannot survive for more than three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, three weeks without food. Three activity stations followed in which students showcased their survival skills, highlighting their importance in the event of a pandemic, and playfully tying them to surviving in a world full of zombies.

Students practiced making one-match fires and friction fires; building waterproof shelters; and hunting using throwing sticks and an atlatl, a spear-throwing tool used by Native Americans.  Primitive Pursuits staff members reminded students at each station that these skills would be helpful in the event of a zombie apocalypse, with fire needed for warmth, cooking, and purifying water; hunting skills needed for food; and shelter needed for protection from both the elements and zombie predators.

Alcazaren added: “It was really rewarding to see our kids enjoy being outdoors and learning different wilderness survival skills from Primitive Pursuits, and to see them apply their learning to something that goes beyond the classroom.”

To prepare for the trip, representatives from Primitive Pursuits came to Boynton to discuss survival skills based on the geography, geology, flora, and fauna of the Finger Lakes region and greater New York. Earlier in the four-week unit, students researched a case study of the influenza pandemic in 1918 and learned about the CDC and virulent diseases. Graphs, charts, and data tables related to the spread of disease were created and analyzed to make predictions about future outbreaks and to reflect on historical outbreaks. Students read several excerpts and short stories related to zombies and survival in order to build background knowledge, working vocabulary, and engagement.

Boynton Principal Joseph Dhara described that all sixth-grade students are enrolled in enrichment classes that “include tailoring the course work to the students’ interests and at the same time addressing academic skills. The teachers work year round to help the students get ready for middle school and beyond.”

IPEI Red and Gold Grants provide one-time funding for projects that strengthen and enrich the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) curriculum, have a positive impact on students and actively engage students. IPEI is a not-for-profit organization that connects the ICSD and the community through collaboration, engagement, gifts and grants. For more information, see www.ipei.org or contact 256-IPEI (4734) or ipei@ipei.org.

KDT! Ithaca’s 10 Years Possible Due to Community Support

In the last ten years, 25,000 Ithaca City School District (ICSD) students have visited the seven Discovery Trail museums and the public library thanks to Kids Discover the Trail! Ithaca (KDT! Ithaca) and all of the educators and supporters involved with the program. Over its history, KDT! has relied on generous donations to the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) by many individuals, foundations and businesses.

Mary Grainger, IPEI's vice president and Development Committee chair, is also a donor to KDT!. "We are very glad to support IPEI because KDT! ensures that all Ithaca elementary students have the same chances to learn with the educators of the Discovery Trail."

Emma Loiacono, a 5th grader at Caroline Elementary School remembers her trips fondly. “Kids Discover the Trail! is fun because we get to go places that we might not have gotten to visit with our families. I liked that we got to see that kids from other schools have the same interests, including kids from other cultures. It will be fun to see the kids who were our buddies when we go to the same middle school next year.”    

KDT! is a collaborative project between IPEI, ICSD, and the Discovery Trail. Through KDT! all 2,900 elementary school students district-wide are given the opportunity to visit one of the Discovery Trail sites every year from Pre-K through 5th grade. Sites include the Johnson Museum of Art, Museum of the Earth, Tompkins County Public Library, Cornell Plantations, Sciencenter, Cayuga Nature Center, Eight Square Schoolhouse of the History Center, and Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell. Each student is paired with another from the same grade level in a different school; they jointly participate in both pre- and post-visit activities.

The Ithaca High School Interim Principal Jason Trumble believes KDT! aligns with the overall goals of the ICSD. “The KDT! program epitomizes our unrelenting goals of community and learning here in Ithaca.  As a long-time secondary administrator I continue to marvel at the deep impact KDT! has had, and continues to have on our youth preparing them for middle and high school and beyond."

To participate in KDT! trips, teachers don’t have to seek outside funding and the students don’t have to sell candy bars or fundraise. It’s all paid for by IPEI’s sponsors and donors while the ICSD provides transportation for all 150 trips annually.

Julie Wells, a teacher at Caroline Elementary School, said: “Teachers do not need to be concerned with the logistics of fundraising to bring our students to these great sites. Instead, we are able to focus on the important tasks of building relationships between students at partnering schools, the teaching of new content and quality lessons, and helping our students truly experience the field trips.”

At a per student per year cost of approximately $30, KDT! requires extensive fundraising by IPEI,  a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit. Donors can make tax-deductible contributions to support the program. According to Grainger, "KDT! depends on the generosity of community members and businesses so all costs can be covered without charging individuals for each and every KDT! activity."

The majority of KDT! donors are individuals from around the community who are interested in enriching the education of our district’s students.  Of the donations received by IPEI for KDT!, 40% is contributed by about 30 individuals with gifts ranging from $5 to $10,000.

 

Some donors have been giving for the entire ten-year history of KDT! while others are just learning the importance of the KDT! mission. Ann Marie Bleach is a donor to KDT!. “I love seeing all the smiling faces. [KDT! is] doing such great work and accomplishing so much for the children.”

Corporate and Foundation donors gave more than $33,000 last year to make sure these trips can continue year after year. Organizations such as BorgWarner and the Adams Foundation have long been supporters of KDT!.  A representative of the Adams Foundation commented: “We are very proud to support such a productive and well run organization helping Ithaca schools and community!”

Funds raised for KDT! cover the cost of keepsake books for all students, the programming at the  Discovery Trail sites, and the overall logistics and coordination. KDT! creates experiences that are truly memorable for ICSD students.

IPEI Board President Jennifer Engel explains, “KDT! Ithaca is vitally important because it can provide all students with the same access to the experiences maintained by the Discovery Trail. It promotes understanding and respect among elementary students from different towns and neighborhoods by offering opportunities for outside classroom learning and positive social interaction.”

Founded in 1996, IPEI is committed to connecting school and community through collaboration, engagement, gifts and grants. For more information, see www.ipei.org or contact 256-IPEI (4734) or ipei@ipei.org.

Marshall McCormick is an IPEI Board member and KDT! Steering Committee member.

IPEI Announces 17 Teacher Grants for 2014-15 School Year

The Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) has awarded 17 Teacher Grants totaling $25,000 for projects to be carried out during the 2014-15 school year. The grants will enhance learning for approximately 1,700 Ithaca City School District (ICSD) students.

Teacher Grants fund classroom projects that are linked with state learning standards and enrich the curricular opportunities for students and their teachers. Proposals for a maximum grant amount of $1,500 are made by teachers. In keeping with IPEI’s mission of “connecting school and community,” they always include a community partner.

IPEI’s Teacher Grants Review Committee Chair Sandy True expressed: “I have been involved with the Teacher Grants program for over 15 years and have witnessed firsthand the incredible impact IPEI has made on our students by supporting the curricular-based, creative ideas from the teachers that involve partnering with our talented community.  These grants fulfill many goals including unique, creative learning experiences for our children; support for the teachers as they explore new ways to engage students; and community involvement in the success of our students.”

Two Teacher Grant projects were selected during the competitive review process to be funded through the Charles E. Treman Jr. Teacher Grants Fund of the Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund in memory of the late Tompkins Trust Company president. They include “Playing­ -- Out of the Box or In!” and “Phun with Physics.” Another grant, “Songs, Music and Movement, and Literacy,” is funded by a gift from a retired ICSD teacher to encourage the integration of music into elementary classrooms.

IPEI will fund the other 14 grants through the annual Adult Spelling Bee (scheduled for March 1, 2015) and its 2014-15 annual fund, “Reach High with IPEI.”  In addition, IPEI offers four rounds of Red and Gold Grants as well as Community Collaboration Grants and Connecting Classrooms Grants, which are reviewed on a rolling basis. The Fine Arts Booster Group, an affiliate of IPEI, has also recently announced the first of its two rounds of mini-grants.

Northeast Elementary School special education teacher Nicole Dauria will collaborate with educators and playworkers from the Ithaca Children’s Garden for “Playing--Out of the Box or In!” The kindergartners will experience the interconnectedness of literature, nature, and play through open-ended play sessions, books, an evening family program, and a field trip to the Ithaca Children’s Garden. The project will use play to support language development, social and emotional growth, and problem-solving skills. In indoor and outdoor constructed play spaces, the children will explore, build, and create with nature-based materials. Observations and input from the children will inform the development of two nature play kits. The kits and the three books used in the program will be made available to the entire school.

“Phun with Physics” is the project of Fall Creek Elementary School teacher Chris Bell in collaboration with Xraise, the outreach education program of Cornell’s Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Science and Education, and the Physics Bus, Ithaca’s traveling physics classroom. Two first-grade classes will take monthly trips to Cornell’s Wilson Laboratory to experiment with electricity, light, sound waves, and magnetism at the facility’s education center and watch scientists work in the underground accelerator tunnel. Once back in the classroom, they will help create exhibits for the Physics Bus using recycled materials. The goal of the project is to show students at an early age that science is accessible and fun.

Enfield Elementary School Pre-Kindergarten teacher Sharon Ciferri will collaborate with Judy Stock, a local folk musician and music educator, for the project “Songs, Music and Movement, and Literacy.” Through music, books, and music-based activities, the children will play with the sounds of words and rhymes to increase their letter identification and letter-sound connection skills. Families will have the opportunity to become involved in the project and support their children’s learning experiences, share in the joy of music, and strengthen the school-home connection.

Last year IPEI released research-based evidence that the programs and activities it funds through grants to teachers and schools effectively increase student engagement. Data from reports submitted by teachers who were awarded grants in 2012-13 showed that ICSD students' engagement rose by an average of nearly 50 percent following an IPEI grant-funded activity. For students identified as "performing below grade level," the average increase in engagement was even higher.

Pat Tempesta, chair of IPEI’s Grants Committee, reports that data collected from 2013-14 grant recipients indicate that student engagement again rose following IPEI grant-funded activities. “It is encouraging to see a second year of assessment data confirming that our grants consistently lead to an increase in active student involvement in their learning,” Tempesta expressed. “Kudos to our teachers who encourage this kind of student engagement by taking the time to create great, innovative projects!"

 

 

 

IPEI Teacher Grants 2014-15 by School

 

Belle Sherman Elementary

Planning and Printing a Community                                                                                  

Allison Trdan, Teacher

Hod Lipson, Professor of Engineering at Cornell University and Gabriella D’Angelo, Professor of Art and Architecture Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges

 

 

Beverly J. Martin Elementary

Music for Unity and Social Change; Motivational Assembly and Workshop Series     

Ahrayna Zakos, Teacher

Elisa Sciscioli, musician and Harmony Graves, Community Unity Music Education Program

 

Powered By Poetry                                                                          

Rachel Valenzano, Teacher

Sarah Wolff, Poet

 

Dancing through the Pages

Arne Van Leuken and Marnie Ecklund, Teachers

Lisa Tsetse, Choreographer

 

Emotions through the Arts-Mad, Sad, Glad with Dance                                                  

Kelly Craft, Teacher, with Beverly J. Martin, Caroline and Northeast Pre-K Classes

Lisa Tsetse, Choreographer

 

 

Boynton Middle School

         Ithaca to El Salvador:  Bridging Communities in the Spirit of Volunteerism!

         Cara Salabrici, Teacher

         Mauricio Rosa, El Salvadoran; Margit Chamberlain, Peace Corps, Rio Abajo El Salvadore

 

Spanish Brass Concert and Master Class***                                                        

Michael Allen, Teacher

Aaron Tindall, Professor of Tuba at Ithaca College School of Music and the International Tuba Conference

 

 

Caroline Elementary

 

Animals in the Garden: Making Friends through Literature, Storytelling, and Permaculture

Kathleen Downes, Teacher

Ithaca Children’s Garden; Regi Carpenter, storyteller           

 

Emotions through the Arts-Mad, Sad, Glad with Visual Art

Kathleen Downes, Teacher, with Beverly J. Martin, Caroline and Northeast Pre-K Classes

Carol Hockett, Johnson Museum of Art and Susan Zhender, Artist

 

 

DeWitt Middle School

 

Extending the Growing Season at DeWitt’s Vegetable Garden with High Tunnels            

Wayne Gottlieb, Teacher

Keith Thomson, Gardener

 

Continuing to Leveraging Students’ Access to Literature                                               

Monica Sherman, Teacher

Karen Yearwood, The Village at Ithaca

 

Spanish Brass Concert and Master Class***                                                                    

Michael Allen, Teacher

Aaron Tindall, Professor of Tuba at Ithaca College School of Music and the International Tuba Conference

 

 

Enfield Elementary

                                   

Enfield Shines at Literacy               

Georgette Graham, Teacher

Carol Hockett, Johnson Museum of Art and Doug Levine, State Theatre of Ithaca

 

Songs, Music & Movement and Literacy**                                                

Sharon Ciferri, Teacher

Judy Stock, Musician

 

 

Fall Creek Elementary

 

Phun with Physics*                                                                                      

Chris Bell, Teacher

Xraise Outreach Program, Cornell University and Erik Herman, Ithaca Physics Bus

 

 

 

Ithaca High School

 

Spanish Brass Concert and Master Class***                                                                    

Michael Allen, Teacher

Aaron Tindall, Professor of Tuba at Ithaca College School of Music and the International Tuba Conference

 

 

Lehman Alternative Community School

 

Spanish Brass Concert and Master Class***                                                        

Michael Allen, Teacher

Aaron Tindall, Professor of Tuba at Ithaca College School of Music and the International Tuba Conference

 

 

Northeast Elementary

           

Playing – Out of the Box or In!*                              

Nicole Dauria, Teacher

Ithaca Children’s Garden

                                               

Emotions through the Arts-Mad, Sad, Glad with Music                                                   

Larissa Anderson, Teacher, with Beverly J. Martin, Caroline and Northeast Pre-K Classes

David Plaine and Mark Sammo, Musicians and ICSD Bus Drivers

 

 

South Hill Elementary

 

Music for Unity and Social Change; Motivational Assembly and Workshop Series     

Samantha Little, Teacher

Elisa Sciscioli, musician and Harmony Graves, Community Unity Music Education Program

 

 

 

*Selected to be funded by the Charles E. Treman Jr. Teacher Grant Endowment of the Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund in memory of the former president of the Tompkins Trust Company.

**Selected to be funded by a gift from a retired ICSD teacher who encourages the integration of music into elementary classrooms.

*** Grade 6 - 12 band, chorus, orchestra and theory students from LACS, DeWitt Middle School, Boynton Middle School and Ithaca High School will be involved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spread the word about unique ways to support IPEI this season!

#GivingTuesday is Dec. 2

Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair is Dec. 6

AmazonSmile registration is always open!

 

 #GivingTuesday

 

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, Dec. 2, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

 

It’s a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Join us and be a part of a global celebration of a new tradition of generosity.

 

Among IPEI’s top 10 reasons to participate are:

 

 #7 Reason to support IPEI on #GivingTuesday is that an anonymous donor will match every gift received online http://bit.ly/1yPOjeP

 

Countdown #GivingTuesday #6: Watch this video to learn more about convenient global day dedicated to giving back http://youtu.be/TF7D-n2oynU

  

Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair:

 

IPEI is participating in the Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair, Saturday Dec. 6, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with 55 other local nonprofit organizations, at the First Baptist and First Presbyterian Churches bordering DeWitt Park, near the corner of North Cayuga and Court Streets. Find IPEI at Table #55 in the First Baptist Church.

After the Alternative Gift Fair closes, its online shopping website will become live on December 7, and will remain open through December 31. At any time, gifts may be previewed and the site includes a way to create a wish list. www.ithacaaltgiftfair.org

The Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair unites the community around a common goal of a more meaningful, less commercialized holiday. It helps people bypass the annual stress of holiday shopping and accumulation of “stuff” while honoring friends and relatives with donations to causes that fit their values. Each of the 275 gifts being offered comes with a greeting card and an insert that describes the gift and the nonprofit organization.

Over $480,000 has been donated through the Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair since 2004.  Since all funds go directly to the participating organizations, all gifts are tax-deductible.

The event is sponsored by the Center for Transformative Action, with generous support from: Acorn Designs, First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Just Be Cause Center, Tompkins Community Action, and Tompkins County Public Library.

 

IPEI gifts are:

$5 Buys a Book! One for every student every year encourages literacy and complements KDT! Ithaca experiences.

 

$10 Repairs an Instrument! Fine Arts Boosters repair used musical instruments so every student can play.

 

$15 Sparks Student Interest! In science, technology, engineering and math with IthacaSTEM Advocates.

 

$20 Helps a Teacher Dream! Turn an educator’s dream into reality, with IPEI Grants awarded to teachers.

 

$Open Amount Reach High with IPEI! To connect school and community, engage all students and enhance education.

   

Amazon Smile:

 

The Amazon Smile Foundation donates to nonprofits like IPEI when registered shoppers make eligible purchases. Please consider registering. We checked their privacy policy and it seems like a "win win"!

 

IPEI has signed up for this corporate partnership which may help us all do good while shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (We also think Small Business Saturday is important!!)

 

The link is at www.ipei.org under the Reach! cover photo, or follow this link:

 

http://smile.amazon.com/ch/16-1506703