Help IPEI Spark Student Learning!

Spark Student Learning!

IPEI brings a diverse range of exceptional community resources to enhance the educational experience for all students. We support teachers who have innovative ideas. This inspires our mission: connecting school and community.

By the Numbers 2014-15

57       Red and Gold Grants                  $$24,983

17       Teacher Grants                             $24,886

5         Connecting Classrooms Grants    $34,950

3         Community Collaboration Grants    $8,500 

11       Awards from Special Funds                 

2900   Elementary Students visit all

8         Discovery Trail sites through KDT! Ithaca                  

21       Grants by the Fine Arts Booster Group

4         Mini-Grants by the IthacaSTEM Advocates

IPEI Grants Impact Student Engagement

IPEI grant programs positively impact student engagement, according to data collected from teachers and community partners who received grants. They were asked during 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15 to observe and report their students’ engagement levels before and after grant-funded activities. According to data they collected, student engagement—as measured by body language, verbal participation, physical participation, independence and excitement—increased significantly after participating in a classroom project funded by IPEI.

  

Kids Discover the Trail! Ithaca

Every student visits the Discovery Trail sites during elementary school. Two classrooms from different schools participate together with each student having a “buddy” from the other school. Students get to know each other before middle school with shared curricular and social experiences.  KDT! Books corresponding with the curriculum are provided to all students.

Affiliates

IthacaSTEM Advocates: ithacastem.org

Promotes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics  activities throughout the

ICSD, raises funds and sponsorships, and fosters communication and collaboration.

Fine Arts Booster Group: fabgithaca.org

Advocates, supports and celebrates all the arts for all the kids, working toward a vision of increased access, participation and equity in the arts.

Giving Opportunities

Annual Fund Appeal

Generous individuals, businesses and foundations support IPEI’s mission and programs. Special sponsorship opportunities are available. We accept cash, checks or credit card; online contributions are secure and convenient. We also provide letters acknowledging in-kind contributions. Gifts of securities are welcome in support of IPEI.

New this year: Monthly Giving

IPEI will offer a monthly giving option both on the remittance envelope sent with the Annual Appeal, and online.

Business Partners Honor Roll

Local businesses and foundations know that strong local schools are essential for a strong community. 

Planned Gifts: The Brodhead Society

Remembering IPEI in your estate plans is a lasting gift to the future of our children, teachers and community. Ask about the Brodhead Society.

Red and Gold Grants Announced (Round 1 of 2015-16 School Year)

Just over $9,000 Awarded for Red and Gold Grants 2015-16 Round 1

Next Deadline is December 7 for Red and Gold Grants Round 2

Art then Yoga

Marie C. Vitucci and Stiller Zusman with Melissa Enns/Beverly J. Martin

Boynton 7th Grade Cornell Visit

Patricia Schaup/Boynton

Caroline Wildlife Monitoring and Data Collection Project.

Debra Ward/Caroline

All About Me Case Study

Daphne Shululu/Caroline

Extended Day Enrichment with Primitive Pursuits

Anna Chapman/Caroline

Third Grade Service Learning, Adopt-the-Garden Case Study

Rebecca Schillenback with Mike Cecere and Mary Grover/Caroline

Innovative Physical Education Teaching Curriculum Alignment and Improvement Initiative

Samuel Trechter/Caroline and Belle Sherman

Flaming Fries Service Learning Project: Physical Activity During Challenging Weather

Emma Loiacono, Owen Loiacono, Miles Ackerman, Owen Rhudy, Liala Cryer, Owen Beigel, Liam Hansen with Amy Seldin Murphy, Lauren Loiacono, and Dr. Brown/Caroline and DeWitt

Ithaca is Gorges

Sarah Locke-Mountin/Cayuga Heights

Tweens on the Town, Lindseth Cimbing Wall

Eric Pritz/DeWitt

Global Village - Art in the Park Installation

Gerry Monaghan with Penny Boynton/DeWitt

Learning Economics and Empathy with a School Store

Joanna Brautigam/Enfield

Beauty and the Beast Residency

Maureen Gilroy/Enfield

Fall Creek Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom Partnership

Sarah  Cummings with Susan Phillips/Fall Creek

Encouraging Independent Math Centers Through Game Based Activities: First Grade Math Games and Manipulatives Library

Caty Hart/Fall Creek

Enabling All Students to Inquire, Code and Create

Alexandra Spencer/Fall Creek

J’ai faim!  La cuisine française

Janet Abowd/Ithaca High

Print as Language

Kari Krakow/Ithaca High

Ithaca High School’s Fashion Show: Featuring High School Designers

Sandra Stromswold with Gina Cacioppo/Ithaca High

AP Psychology Field Trips to Cornell and Enrichment Activities

Sara Shenk/Ithaca High

Brodhead Grant Used for Digital Audiobooks

The Phyllis B. Brodhead Library Media Technology Fund has helped Ithaca City School District (ICSD) media centers invest in technology, making it possible to engage a new generation of tech-savvy students and help them develop a love of reading.  Charles W. Brodhead (aka Chuck) created an Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) special fund to provide grants in memory of his late wife Phyllis to honor her 33 year career as teacher and librarian at Boynton Middle School.  She was keenly aware of the educational value of technology in school settings, and the $1,000 annual grant assists in maintaining her legacy. 

Since creating this fund, Chuck died in fall, 2011.  Through his generous bequest, his estate added funding for this important endeavor, as well as for two IPEI Red and Gold Grants each year in his memory through the Charles W. and Phyllis B. Brodhead Memorial Fund.

For the third year in a row, ICSD Teacher Librarians requested funds to purchase downloadable digital audiobooks which offer readers an opportunity to hear a book professionally read aloud while following the text. Listening to text while seeing the book helps to develop fluency, vocabulary, story sense, and comprehension, and can be a valuable tool to help challenged students.

These audiobooks are a timely complement to the Chromebook initiative begun this year in the Ithaca school district.  Boynton Librarian Annarose Foley commented, “With the 1:1 Chromebook initiative, we thought it prudent to continue building our digital collection with titles in a format students can use on their new devices… The titles were selected to support the curriculum here at Boynton Middle School, are specific requests from the other Teacher-Librarians, and came highly recommended by reviewers.”  Foley mentions that she promotes the digital collection during her library orientations for students and that the students are able to download the digital items for future enjoyment.