This grant is an exceptional example of how outside resources can ignite lasting curiosity and interest for students, and in two subjects! In March, the first graders at Aiken Elementary School visited the CT Museum of History and Culture to participate in its What Makes a Community program. The day spurred the students to consider how work, home life and transportation in the state were different in the past. Students then used building blocks to bolster map skills as they constructed a town and had discussions on how they all could be good citizens. 

A month later, representatives from the Children’s Museum of West Hartford visited Aiken to present the learning program, Animal Adaptations & Habitats. Students were introduced to 5 different Wildlife Sanctuary animals and discovered the classifications of all animals and the ways they adapt to meet their specific environmental needs. Both of these programs met West Hartford’s curriculum guidelines for learning in social studies and science, but the proof of the grant’s success lies in the ensuing weeks as these first graders demonstrated greater interest in “Then and Now” texts as well as animal research projects in their science and writing classes.

This grant demonstrates how empowerment through action can be learned. The fifth graders of Charter Oak Elementary School had the opportunity to hear directly from a United Nations representative to learn about the role the U.N. plays in safeguarding human rights and promoting peacekeeping and sustainable development goals across the globe. This program then initiated further classroom discussions, resulting in students taking a deeper dive on Earth Day as they learned and discussed how plastics littering our oceans have been destroying aquatic habitats and endangering more and more sea species. These lessons led to the students’ wondering and then believing that they, too, can take action in their own community as they organized themselves and worked in the school’s outdoor garden spaces, cleaning up the grounds, planting vegetables in raised beds and trimming perennials. Lead grant applicant Liz Nascimento cited that the fifth graders enjoyed giving back to their school and the praise they received for their positive impact on the Charter Oak grounds.

The grants we award fund opportunities above and beyond what the school budget allows. This is why your support is so important to the work we do. Please donate now to support the Foundation and help us continue to create excellence beyond the school budget limits!

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