Three Grants Awarded: Spring 2022

The Education Foundation Board of Trustees is pleased to make awards totaling $4,855.91 for three of the four applications received in its Spring 2022 grant cycle.

The Foundation Board voted to approve these grants in early June. The grants were then approved by the BH-BL Board of Education. The grants are as follows:

1. Matt Shaughnessy:  Artist-in-Residence Proposal to create a 200-square-foot mural in the Charlton School Gymnasium 

Grant: $1,750

The Charlton School will hire local artist and social media influencer Lexi Hannah to work with all 41 students at the school to design and create a collaborative mural highlighting the mission and work of the school. Ms. Hannah will teach students about the business and marketing aspects of art making, and guide them through the process of using social media to promote their project. Members of the Foundation’s Grants Committee were impressed with the multi-faceted nature of this proposal and how much it focused on building students’ self-esteem and leadership skills as well as actual creation of the mural.

2. Regina Reals, High School Science Teacher:  Poster Printer 

Grant: $2,605.92

BH-BL students in the High School Science Research class annually participate in science fairs and advanced competitions for which they are required to create and print multiple copies of posters depicting their research. Parents are already paying many other costs related to these competitions. This grant would allow the Science Department to invest in a printer able to handle the oversize sheets of paper needed for these posters — as well as for posters needed by other science teachers.

Over the past three years BH-BL students in the Science Research class have been invited to present their work at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and the Regeneron Science Talent Search.

3. Marcia Szablewski & Stephanie Andrejcak, High School Business / Family & Consumer Science Department:  Cricut Maker 3

Grant: $500 for a Cricut Maker 3 and supplies

The Cricut Maker 3 is a computer-guided cutting machine that would enable students to enhance their final projects in the classes offered in the Business / FACS Department. The request for this grant included examples of how roughly 200 students a year in the following classes could benefit from this equipment:  Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Sports Marketing, Career Exploration Internship Program, Child Psychology, Fashion and Housing Design,  and Food, Nutrition and Wellness classes.