As part of its 2023 Innovative Teacher Grants Program, NBEF selected 8 creative and cutting-edge projects for funding support that involves 6 schools and impacts nearly 2,000 New Brunswick Public School students ranging from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. Prior to launching their respective projects and activities in various learning disciplines including technology, reading and literacy, performing arts and cultural enrichment, the grant recipients were publicly acknowledged at a special virtual reception attended by School District Administrators, Sponsors, NBEF representatives and community friends.
NBEF thanks Johnson & Johnson, PNC Bank, and MagyarBank Charitable Foundation for their outstanding partnership in this special initiative to benefit New Brunswick youth.
Honors Trip to Museum of Natural History
Kathryn Galasso, New Brunswick Middle School
The purpose of this activity is to take 7th grade Honors Science students to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. This experience will show them connections to things in our Earth’s past, present, and future that are relevant and important to what they learn in class.
Read Anywhere, GO EVERYWHERE!
Hassana Gray, Redshaw Elementary School, Lord Stirling Community School & Livingston Elementary School
Read Anywhere, GO EVERYWHERE’s goal is to ultimately improve students with disabilities reading levels. By adding a subscription to a reading site, this will offer more reading opportunities in and out of school.
Food Sustainability Methods with Hydroponics
Kelly-Marie McCartney, New Brunswick High School
The goals for this project will allow students to design and carry out experiments to test the best methods of food crop growth using a vertical hydroponics system in the classroom to help develop creative solutions for world hunger and food sustainability methods. The food grown can also be provided to the culinary academy in the same school.
Vocabulary Enrichment for Sophomores
Elizabeth Sheridan, New Brunswick High School
This project will allow more students to learn and develop their vocabulary. Extending a Vocabulary.com license to include English 10 and Honors English 10 students will allow them to practice and gain new vocabulary.
APES & AP Bio Trips
Katherine Banfitch, New Brunswick High School
In this project, students will be able to do real field-based lab work and leave their community of New Brunswick to travel to Sandy Hook, NJ. Students will perform a series of experiments exploring biodiversity, biomagnification, the food web, climate change, and threats to biodiversity etc.
STEM Tinkering Station for Young Engineers
Lixangel Daniel, New Brunswick Middle School
This project will allow young engineers to thrive using hands-on learning activities. They have many special abilities and could really benefit from embracing their curiosity by exploring and testing engineering challenges. Learning how to manipulate tools, understand the properties of materials, and identify unique solutions to problems is at the core of all of making and engineering.
Speed Stacking in PE
Marcella Paglione, Paul Robeson Community School for the Arts
Cup stacking with “Speed Stacks” is an exciting individual and team sport that promotes hand-eye coordination, quickness, and concentration. This project will help students use both sides of their bodies and brains to develop important athletic and lifelong skills.
KON-3D
Hector Lopez, Physics Teacher, Co-leader Joseph Wong, Mechanical Engineer, Physics Teacher, STEM club Advisor, New Brunswick High School
Kon-3D is a collaboration between the STEM Club and the Physics Department. Through this project, the teachers hope to provide an engineering project to STEM club members that culminates with the construction of a wind tunnel. STEM club members and physics students will design and 3D-print wing foils and turbine propellers used to produce electrical energy. Students will investigate which designs lead to more efficient electrical production.
