Students at Gowan Science Academy in Yuma, Arizona, could soon have an outdoor classroom where they can socially distance, work on messy projects and enjoy the sunshine.
The outdoor learning hub will be an asset for the public school’s buddy program, where sixth graders work with kindergarteners on projects a practice that could expand now that the school has the extra space.
In previous years, students have worked together to create alphabet books while “randomly sitting in the grass,” said principal Jamie Haines. With the outdoor classroom, they’ll have whiteboards, tables, Wi-Fi and electricity to work outside while taking advantage of living in the “Sunniest City on Earth.”
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A for Arizona announces public Small Learning Community Grant awardees
January 22, 2021|
A for Arizona announced the seven public school districts and public charter schools launching small learning communities that will receive Expansion and Innovation Fund grants on Jan. 14, 2021.
In a continuation of the work to discover new ways of teaching and learning that is best for students, A for Arizona received a $500,000 grant from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund in October 2020. The grant is to increase high-quality education options for underserved students through small learning communities. The GEER funding was allocated in the Federal CARES Act this past spring to address disruptions caused by COVID-19 and to support those communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
In TJ Thorpâs classroom at Gowan Science Academy, hands-on activities translate science and engineering from abstract ideas to relatable concepts, connecting the dots between the âwhatâsâ and the âwhyâs.â
With a $2,500 grant from the Fiesta Bowl Charitiesâ Wishes for Teachers campaign, these activities will soon take on a new dimension, as the funds provided Thorpâs classroom with two 3D printers and fulfilled one of the sixth- and seventh-grade teacherâs longtime wishes.
âI feel that as a science teacher, my job is to show them the true hands-on focus of science and how it really applies,â Thorp said. âThe more hands-on activities I can give them where they actually get to see what science and engineering truly is, the more interest weâll have with students who want to go into STEM careers. If we can show them âwhyâ and start to apply it to their daily lives, they can connect with science; itâs th