We've awarded our latest technology grant to Jennifer Susko, an elementary teacher within the Riverside School District. At Riverside Elementary East (Moosic, PA), Jennifer helped start a school STEM program with its second year beginning this fall. Working with students in some traditionally underserved categories, Jennifer has committed to increasing equity in STEM learning and inspiring students from all backgrounds to explore opportunities to develop future-ready skills. We congratulate Jennifer on her selection and can't wait to see how it helps advance her classroom goals!
Students in the Riverside School District come from all different ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic situations. In an effort to make everybody feel included, Jennifer and some colleagues have been focusing more on celebrating differences. Her message is that, while all students are unique, these differences help them unite as one diverse student body. And, using this diversity among her students as a catalyst, she's planned a pretty unique STEAM project of her own. Combining history, art, and also technology, kids will research their background, ancestry, and how they got to where they are now—and that's just the start.
Receiving a Finch 2.0 Flock through our grant.
Then, Jennifer plans on having them each create a personal coat of arms to represent what makes them unique. She also wants students to research how, in olden times, knights would use their coat of arms to represent valor and commitment, underscoring the importance of them coming together and celebrating differences. On their coat of arms, students will include designs and words to signify the most important elements of their own character and their personality—essentially what they're each most proud of about themselves. Once they have their design, they'll draw an emblem on their coat of arms and use the Finch Robot 2.0 to fill it in.
Since it has a built-in marker slot, children can program it to assist in designing their coat of arms. They'll also have the chance to personalize their projects with graphic design tools and media elements they find online. After they finish designing everything and use the Finch 2.0 to add some extra flare to their projects, she plans on having each student present their final projects to the class, highlighting the most important elements of themselves and allowing everyone to appreciate what makes them unique. On top of that, she will display all the projects in the school hallway for everyone to collectively appreciate!
Helping students see themselves in STEM.
As we said, we'll be providing Jennifer with some Finch 2.0 Robots for her grant award. She requested the Finch 2.0 Flock, specifically, so students can use these robots in group projects and collaborate. It comes with five Finch 2.0 Robots, optional micro:bit's, a USB charging hub, the 5-pack marker set, and your case. Having these accessories will also help to make things easier as students work on their designs right in the classroom. Also, it goes without saying, but this is a very smart idea to combine creativity with technology. Plus, it is a fantastic example for inspiring students to connect more deeply with classroom projects while celebrating their backgrounds!
Besides getting children to reflect on their backgrounds and celebrate their differences, Jennifer also has a clear goal of increasing equity and engagement in STEAM. Knowing how important computer science is in today's world, she wants to ensure all these children have the opportunity to develop these skills and even pursue a future career in that field if they choose. More importantly, the grant award will help her expose all students to computer science opportunities. Especially with female students, kids from low socioeconomic areas, and those of certain ethnicities, she has seen how a future in STEM isn't as likely. So, by placing this earlier focus on classroom equity, she hopes to do her part in balancing out future opportunities.
Using the grant award to create new opportunities.
Jennifer truly believes in the power of tying this particular project to her students' backgrounds and we fully agree! Since coding is difficult for many of her students, she's hoping that sharing their personal stories will inspire their perseverance. Also, she knows that giving them a concrete goal to work towards may motivate them even more. By drawing on their personal interests and backgrounds, Jennifer is super well-positioned to achieve her main goal of increasing engagement, equity, and coding opportunities for her students. And, ultimately, she wants to play a part in helping them realize they're capable of much more than they think.
We thank Jennifer for applying for the technology grant and, once again, congratulate her on her selection. We can't wait to see how coding with the Finch Robots helps to expand equitable access to technology and inspires children to engage with additional STEM learning opportunities. At a school with 100 percent of students receiving free lunch, this is a phenomenal opportunity to create STEAM interest. As Jennifer's STEAM program continues this fall, we know students will benefit greatly from these new opportunities! If you'd like to apply for our next grant award, the application for May is now open. You can apply anytime before May 20 to be considered. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more!