2009 Summary of Grants Received

Teachers and staff at Moriah Central School District are always pursuing ways to bring additional funding and educational opportunities and resources to our students. Securing funding from outside grants continues to have a huge impact on our programs. This summary represents just some of the great things we have been able to accomplish with grant funds this year.

William Randolph Hearst Foundation and the Albany Institute of History and Art
With a grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, in conjunction with the state wide Hudson- Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial and the Albany Institute of History and Art, Mrs. Harvish attended a teacher professional development workshop and received funding for transportation and admission fees for her 8th grade social studies students to take a field trip to the Institute to view their new Quadricentennial exhibit. The institute also supplied teaching materials and posters for the classroom.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program (FFVP)
This federal grant provides free and nutritious snacks to all elementary students every day.

The New York State Mentor Teacher Intern Program
The New York State Mentor Teacher-Internship Program (MTIP) was established in 1986 with the enactment of Section 3033 of Education Law. It is designed to provide peer guidance and assistance to teachers in their first or second year of full-time public school employment. Grant funds support a mentor-intern network that meets regularly during the school year.

Picturing America, from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association
The HS Art Department and the HS Library both received Picturing America grants from the NEH and ALA. Picturing America award materials include forty images mounted on twenty double sided, laminated posters for display and classroom use and a teachers resource book. The forty images represent noteworthy examples of American Art and Architecture.

DonorsChoose.org and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The high school science department received a grant from DonorsChoose.org. It is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and miscellaneous other donors. The particular grant that was awarded is for college preparatory projects submitted from high-need rural high school classrooms. We were awarded a Vernier LabPro computer interface, a Go Link data collector, and a Drop Counter probe. The proposal entitled “Probing Science”, stressed the need for our students to gain hands-on technical experience using scientific probes that measure data and input it into a computer to be analyzed using the accompanying software. This type of experience benefits all levels of learners. Many are likely to encounter similar experiments in college. Others may have to use some form of computer technology in the work place. In addition, this kind of activity appeals to the technologically savvy young people of today’s world. It can help to make science fun for everyone!

21st Century Community Learning Centers
21st Century Community Learning Centers is a federally funded grant which was awarded to Moriah, Crown Point, and Ticonderoga. It is a 5 year grant. We are currently in our 5th year and have just re-submitted a new grant proposal. This grant targets students in grades 5th - 8th. It is an after-school (teacher instructed) program in which students receive homework help, supplemental academic support, healthy snacks, enrichment activities, a recreational component, and weekend field trips. The goal of this grant is for students to have academic growth and positive behavior.

College for Every Student (CFES)
Since its founding in 1991, CFES has helped thousands of underserved students in 540 K-12 public schools nationwide take steps toward college. Through its mentoring, school-college partnerships, and student leadership programs, CFES has helped raise academic performance and educational aspirations and ultimately ensure that these students graduate from high school and succeed in college. The school has received numerous CFES grants that support the following activities: Diversity~ Through this grant we will be hosting a diversity day for 7th and 8th grade students in June, involving multi-cultural speakers and activities. College Awareness and Mentoring~ This grant funds a variety of programs such as taking students to Middlebury College for a leadership summit, visiting the College of St. Rose, hosting an alumni/graduating seniors gathering in May, and an end of the year celebration for the many peer mentors and mentees who have worked together this year. E-mail Mentoring~ This grant pairs selected high school students with college students for mentoring via e-mail and in person. College Connection~ Students will tour the science department at SUNY Plattsburgh. During the visit they will view a professional presentation on bats and invasive species and experience the planetarium.

NYS Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Inc.(NYSAR)
Grant money was awarded to purchase recycling bins as part of Moriah Central School’s GO GREEN initiatives.

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)
Grant money is used to distribute books and reading materials to elementary students.

NYSCA and the Adirondack Center Museum
Eighth grades will be working to create a silent film incorporating American and local history and honoring the Silent Film industry which flourished here in Moriah in the early 1920s. The film is an 8th grade interdisciplinary project which involves Social Studies, English and Art. The Music Dept. will also provide assistance on this project. We plan to debut the film at the Silent Film Festival in Port Henry.

Communities of One~Safe Schools Healthy Students
Champlain Valley Educational Services received a $4.3 million award to implement this federal initiative over the next four years to make schools safer and students healthier. Communities of One is one of the largest collaborations in the North Country bringing together local education, law enforcement and probation, early childhood, and mental health partners to create sustainable system change. Students, families, and communities will be positively impacted through the implementation of five core elements: school violence prevention, drug prevention, social and emotional support, mental health services, and early childhood development.