Junior Auxiliary presents grants to teachers
The Junior Auxiliary of Madison County recently announced the recipients of the 2023 Teacher Mini-Grants.
Twelve separate mini-grants were made possible this year by JAMC’s Money for Minds project, which focuses on assistance with projects which foster a creative, safe, functional, and fun learning environment. Each grant is $500 or less, and promises to enhance or improve the students’ learning experience.
Approximately 1,500 students across Madison County will be directly impacted as a result of these awarded grants, for the duration of this school year alone. Among those impacted include students who are deaf or hearing impaired as well as those with other special needs. These sustainable projects are expected to positively impact many more thousands of students.
Three of the award-winning submissions came from East Flora Elementary.
“Through her research and collaboration with other teachers across the district, Mrs. Rachel Blount, second grade teacher, wrote her grant for Secret Stories, Cracking the Reading Code With the Brain in Mind,” East Flora Elementary Principal Dr. Marsha Peoples said. She plans to utilize this resource with the second grade students to further enhance their knowledge of early phonics and phonemic awareness skills.
Kelly Bowles, first grade teacher, wrote a grant titled, The Life Cycle of a Chicken.
Bowles completed the project at her previous school and wanted to bring the experience to her students at East Flora. Students will gain a wealth of knowledge about life science through this project and taking care of cute chicks will be icing on the cake.
Eileen Milner'’s grant, Bloom Where You Are Planted, was written as a startup school garden. Through this experience, students will not only learn about gardening and plant care, but will continue their studies through various reading, math, and science activities while gardening. Milner’s plan is to also collaborate with families and other community stakeholders as partners in the school-wide gardening project."
Kindergarten teacher and 2023 Mini-Grant recipient Kelleigh McLeod, M.ED., NBCT, of Madison Station Elementary, shared how JAMC’s efforts have impacted her in the past, and will continue to do so.
“As a previous recipient, Junior Auxiliary of Madison County’s Teacher Mini-Grants have provided our students with new opportunities to support their learning such as our previous grant for flexible seating,” McLeod said. “Students have been able to determine which seating type best enhances their learning environment. Students with lots of energy benefit from flexible seating- they are able to stay more focused and engaged in the lessons. As a 2023 mini-grant recipient, we are excited to receive the funds for a new Calming Corner to meet the social and emotional needs of our students with big emotions. This will provide a safe and positive learning environment and encourage them to understand their feelings. Our Kindergarten team at Madison Station is looking forward to the benefits our students will receive. We are so thankful to the Junior Auxiliary of Madison County for this opportunity.”
The JAMC Money for Minds’ Mini-Grant Recipients for 2023 are:
• Camden Elementary School: Student Yoga - Alecia Persac
• East Flora Elementary: Secret Stories - Rachel Blount
• East Flora Elementary School: Bloom Where You are Planted - Eileen Milner
• East Flora Elementary School: Life Cycle of a Chicken - Kelly Bowles
• Germantown Middle School: The New Mavs Program - Seketha Williams
• Madison Avenue Upper Elementary: Read-Aloud W/ STEM Activity- Lindsey Purvis
• Madison County School District: Helping Deaf & Hearing-Impaired Students Thrive In Today's World - Hope Vancil
• Madison Middle School: Enrichment Garden - Ashley Markland
• Madison Middle School: Robotics - Sarah Beth Berry
• Madison Station Elementary: calming corner Kelleigh McLeod & Meagan Adcock
• Mannsdale Upper Elementary: Sphero Coding Balls - Audrey Will
• Mannsdale Upper Elementary: 5th Grade Science Day - Mr. Kourtney Spann
Applications were scored based upon the project plan and outcomes, including: fostering student Involvement, Goal objectives, sustainability, creativity, project budget details, and overall student benefit.
The Junior Auxiliary of Madison County is a part of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries (NAJA), a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 with Headquarters in Greenville. NAJA has 15,320 active, associate, and life members in 93 chapters in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Junior Auxiliary chapters are working more than ever before to increase awareness of children and the benefits of caring today to create character tomorrow. Volunteers work tirelessly throughout the year on a variety of projects that focus on local children and families in need of assistance. To learn more or to support our local service efforts, visit www.jamadison.org.