With this announcement of $57,160.94 in award funding for 2010, BEF provides funding for 15 grants that are distributed among all six district schools. Technology grants comprised the largest category of grant proposals, followed by Literacy.

The Barrington Education Foundation uses proceeds from its two annual fundraising events, the Rubber Ducky Race and the BEF Telethon (to be held March 1 and 2, 2010), as well as funds raised through the United Way, from individual donors, sponsors and businesses to provide funding for these annual grant awards. Our largest sponsors this year are Jaffe Orthodontics, Wireless Zone/Verizon Wireless, Bank of America, Barrington Times, Brown Lisle/Cummings, Inc., Butera Building and Design, Gil’s Television & Appliance, Munroe Dairy, Residential Properties, Ltd., and Webster Bank– all of which contributed $500 or more.

In these tough economic times when school budgets are being tightened, BEF is proud to announce the following grant awards:

Managed Mobile Computing Station – Barrington High School…$14,314.49
This grant will purchase a 24-laptop mobile computing system accommodating each child in a classroom.

Student Response Clickers & Interwrite Mobi – Barrington High School…$11,114
This grant will allow three departments to share an RF system that utilizes pads (clickers) to help teachers assess student learning.

eBooks – Barrington High School…$5,000
This grant will allow for the purchase of eBooks for the reference library allowing for unlimited access by all students.

Casio Camera with High Speed Video – Barrington Middle School…$430
This camera will be used to capture video at high speed for educational purposes.

Mobi Interactive Tablets and Clickers – Hampden Meadows School…$4,644.04
This grant will purchase a 24-laptop mobile computing system.

Netbooks – Hampden Meadows School…$3,608
This grant will purchase eight Netbooks.

Art Display – Hampden Meadows School… $2,813.50
This grant will allow for the purchase of 50 metal frames to enable children’s artwork to be displayed in the school.

Book Club Books – Hampden Meadows School… $1,800
This grant will be used to purchase appropriate grade level reading material for the school’s book club.

Digital Storytelling – Hampden Meadows School…$1,531.88
This grant will purchase podcast technology to help students create oral history projects.

Norah Dooley- Guest Speaker – Hampden Meadows School…$800
This grant will fund a visit from a storyteller who focuses on teaching students about diversity and becoming good writers.

Dancing to the Standards – Hampden Meadows School…$1,100
This grant will fund a dance instructor to educate students with a quality dance program.

Flip Ultra Camcorder – Hampden Meadows School…$523.79
This grant will enable the librarian to incorporate video into classroom instruction.

Healthy Kids, Healthy Learners – Nayatt, Primrose, Sowams…$6,000
This grant will fund the purchase of non-fiction books for the libraries at all three elementary schools.

Art Shapes the World – Primrose…$601.24
This grant will purchase a variety of art prints and books.

Introduction to Tai Chi: Physical/Social Movement – Sowams…$2,880
This grant will fund the hiring of a Tai Chi instructor for a four-week period, teaching activities that help with concentration, focus and stress issues while exercising.