Junior League Grants Support Innovation in Education
Thomas Jefferson High School teacher among 35 recipients in Dallas ISD
The Junior League of Dallas (JLD) and presenting sponsor Texas Instruments (TI) awarded grants to 35 Dallas ISD educators, including teachers at Thomas Jefferson High School, Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, and Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa Elementary School.
“The projects awarded this year highlight creative teaching that elevates the learning experiences for thousands of Dallas ISD students,” JLD president Tandra Allen said.
The annual Grants for Innovative Teaching (GFIT) program is designed to encourage excellence in education by funding special projects addressing reading and literacy enrichment; diversity; special education; science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); or arts and culture enrichment across one or more grade levels.
Throughout the year, the program has awarded more than $2.2 million to Dallas ISD educators, and this year, it will indirectly impact more than 60,000 students.
This year, $79,541 was distributed to support winning projects during a ceremony held Sept. 25, at Junior League of Dallas Headquarters.
Allen thanked the sponsors who fund the grants of up to $2,500 including presenting sponsor TI and the Agnes Cluthe Oliver Foundation.
“Their continued generosity is an investment in the promise of every student’s potential,” Allen said.
Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde joined Allen in posing for photographs with grant recipients.
Among the recipients were:
• Ward Coats, of Thomas Jefferson High School, for “Master Regulators of Pancreas Development.”
Project description: The students will model the master regulator complex bound to DNA using modeling software and perform 3D printing of their models in collaboration with 3D Molecular Designs. Upon completion of this program, students will generate a poster of their research to be presented at the annual American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Conference in the open poster session.
• Mykel Estes, of Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, for “The Next Chapter: Page by Page, a Middle School Podcast Project.”
Project description: Students select books from a curated list that explore diverse life situations, for example homelessness. After reading their chosen book, students collaborate in groups to discuss themes and record insightful podcasts. These podcasts serve as platforms for deep dives into the stories, where students ask probing questions and share personal reflections.
• Leslie Correa, of Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa Elementary School, a T.J. feeder school, for Design-Based Thinking.
Project description: Through physical science, prekindergarten children will begin to explore properties of materials, positions, and motion of objects through investigations. Children use attributes to classify and sort objects, make observations and predictions, problem solve, question, and compare.
