Mini grants from Erie 1 BOCES Educational Foundation enrich learning
A trio of educational projects at Erie 1 BOCES funded by teacher mini grants are wrapping up and showing positive impacts for students and the learning environment.
The $250 grants, awarded by the Erie 1 BOCES Educational Foundation in fall 2021, supported students ranging from the kindergarten level to adult learners, providing educational opportunities, aiding skills development and supporting their emotional wellbeing.
“It has been an exciting process to review and award these mini grants submitted by Erie 1 BOCES educators,” said Carol Barber, foundation board member. “Any employee of the BOCES may partner with an educator to submit these grants which are awarded twice a year. The submissions have shown creativity and dedication on the part of the employee.”
The grants are made possible through the Donald Ogilvie Memorial Teacher Mini Grant Program, whose namesake served as Erie 1 BOCES district superintendent from April of 1997 to June 2014.
In-school café blends work-based learning, social interaction
Students in the Work-Based Learning Program at Maryvale Academy have been able to gain real-world work experience creating made-to-order breakfast and lunch items at their in-school café, The Binner Blend Coffee Cafe.
The enterprise, inspired by Bitty and Beau’s, a North Carolina-based business which emphasizes the hiring of staff with intellectual and developmental disabilities, was initially planned to be a cart which would stop across the school selling items. However, the plan expanded as the school community gave its support.
“This project has become much bigger than originally intended,” said Melissa DiGuiseppe and Carolyn Czaplicki, two of the special education teachers who helped develop the cafe. “It has become a collaboration of the entire building, teachers and students working together.”
A culinary teacher helped develop the café’s offerings. An art teacher and their students made centerpieces for the café’s bistro tables. Students in the building named the cafe and gave it its logo.
In addition to their food preparation, the café gives students in the program the chance to work jobs like cashier, cleaners and accountants. DiGuieseppe and Czaplicki said the students increase their independence as they complete tasks like calculating change and interacting with customers.
The pair said they are working on plans to expand the café and its staffing into the future, as well as creating a book that outlines staff positions and establishes menu items and their recipes.
Crash pad seen as way to help young learners
For students with sensory and body awareness needs, crash pads are seen as a safe and secure way to assist their development and improve the performance of current and future students.
Teacher Dawn Bartlett, working with occupational therapist Jenn Schneider, physical therapist Caitlin Simson and speech-language pathologist Marney Steinberg-Daniels in a 6:1+1 classroom at Maryvale Primary School, linked the use of the crash pad for with greater independence regarding students’ movements in the hallway, increased attention on academic tasks and improved classroom behaviors.
“Each student was observed to wait for his turn on the crash pad without incident, and to complete a given direction, such as ‘raise your hand for a turn’ or ‘show me you’re ready’ for a turn,” the group shared. “The use of the crash pad positively influenced language and engagement in the classroom.”
The group also shared that the crash pad improved student engagement, with two students using the crash pad while maintaining eye contact with their teacher for several minutes, which they noted was a large improvement from the fleeting glances normally observed.
New tools for adults in the Nursing program
The Erie 1 BOCES Workforce Development Department used grant funding to obtain a subscription to SimpleNursing, which provides exam preparation and e-learning technology for nursing students. Kim Tomaszewski, Workforce Development coordinator, and Jenny Osburn, licensed practical nursing (LPN) instructor, said the teaching tools would be used to help aspiring LPN students.
“We are confident that these resources will help to increase program completion rates and ultimately strengthen our local healthcare workforce,” the pair said in a note to foundation staff.
The Erie 1 BOCES Educational Foundation, Inc. is a private, independent, volunteer-led nonprofit, formed in 2019 to support, encourage and enrich the educational programs and staff activities of Erie 1 Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Four mini grants are awarded twice a year. Any employee of Erie 1 BOCES may partner with an educator to apply.
For more information about the foundation, visit https://www.e1b.org/foundation.