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The Spirit of 67 Foundation Thanks You for Your Support!
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Every Student, Every School, Every Day!
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In 1987, within the first years of the creation of the Spirit of 67, the Spirit Board looked into funding "multi-faceted Exploration Centers" at each of the District's schools. The idea was ultimately tabled due to the funding needed to build out the additional space. The Spirit is now extremely proud to have assisted District 67 in re-imagining already available learning spaces into flexible and innovative common spaces for students to come together for educational purposes. "Changing how our students learn by focusing on collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking means we have to give them learning spaces that allow for this," says Amy Lamberti, Instructional Technology Coach K-8. Through past grants such as The Cube-DPM's 21st Century Learning Lab and this year's Cherokee Inspiration Zone as well as recently awarded 2016-17 grants including Everett's iZone and the Sheridan School Light Bulb Lab, the Spirit supports the District's efforts toward
Educating Without Boundaries . . . Learning Without Limit.
Photos of The Cube 2013
THE CHEROKEE INSPIRATION ZONE
One of the 2015-16 grants was the Cherokee Inspiration Zone. This grant increased collaboration, innovation, and exploration for each child at Cherokee, not only during the Inspiration Block time but also throughout all curricular areas. Via re-imagined use of space in the Cherokee IRC, computer lab and an adjoining room, the Cherokee Inspiration Zone provides flexible and tiered seating, movable whiteboards, an LED touchscreen monitor and height adjustable stand, lap desks, pop-up green screens and a green screen lighting kit, iPad universal-mount floor stands and multiple hands-on tools for students to use to explore, build and create using all of their senses. As Laura Montgomery, District Instructional Technology Coach, states, "The uniqueness of the Inspiration Zone allows us to create opportunities to use a lot of the grants and tools that The Spirit has provided for us over the years to design and transform learning for students so they are engaging in meaningful and purposeful activities."
Here are just a few examples of how The Inspiration Zone has been used this year:
- The entire second grade was able to Skype with an expert in Oregon to learn about the Oregon Trail
- The Inspiration Zone was transformed into Cherokee Airlines, which flew third graders to locations around the world to study weather patterns
- A number of grade-level exhibits to the community and district at large took place in the Inspiration Zone, including the first grade's Bee Festival and the third grade's 2016 Chicago Exposition.
As Jeff McHugh, Principal of Cherokee School, explains, "The Inspiration Zone encompasses different learning spaces around Cherokee and has allowed us to extend students' learning outside of Cherokee's walls." Please take a few minutes to view this short film produced by Van Staunton, in the LFHS New Media program, to see this grant in action.
THE DPM CUBE-DPM's 21st CENTURY LEARNING LAB
One of The Spirit's 2012-13 grants funded essential technology equipment for the development and transformation of the former administrative and Time Zone Space at DPM East into a collaborative Learning Lab where students are able to go to create, collaborate and communicate (C3 = The Cube) for true 21st century learning. Missy Burger, Spirit President 2011-13, said, "The CUBE was such a big endeavor! Collaborating with the district to create that space for the DPM kids was reminiscent of large grants of the past like the Spirit of Science in which Spirit and the district worked together to make a very large impact in one space or department."
Photos of The Cube 2013
COMING IN 2016-17 . . .
THE EVERETT iZONE
This 2016-17 grant will allow areas of the Everett IRC to be redesigned with flexible furniture pieces and innovative materials to enhance learning for all students. It will provide students with a hub for learning that fosters their love of discovering, learning and growing. Everett's iZone will be an area for information, imagination, innovation, investigation, instruction and inquiry. Susie Oh, Everett's Informational Literacy Instructor said, "I am certainly looking forward to having these valuable resources next year. I anticipate that the materials and resources will raise student achievement, enhance engagement and enthusiasm among students, as well as promote 21st Century learning skills."
SHERIDAN SCHOOL LIGHT BULB LAB
This 2016-17 grant will award the Sheridan School Light Bulb Lab with additional flexible, soft seating, lap desks, mobile whiteboards and storage carts for maker materials. "The Light Bulb Lab will become a more dynamic classroom for all students and a common learning space for the Sheridan community. The mobile carts will allow the entire space to be "reformatted" as needed to better meet the needs of students and the flexible, soft seating will allow students to create their own space to meet their needs of the lessons," shared Margo Newtown, Sheridan's Informational Literacy Instructor.
MEANINGFUL PLAY
Cherokee, Everett and Sheridan schools will each be receiving Rigamajigs, a large-scale building kit, during the upcoming school year. These materials empower kids to follow their curiosities and develop 21st Century leaning skills, connecting to many curriculum goals. These kits also assist in the evolution of our school libraries into flexible learning spaces where extended opportunities exist for all students.
MAKING @ THE CUBE
A variety of resource books, storage containers, creative supplies, and Spheros Robots and accessory packs will be purchased for The Cube's MakerSpace area. This grant will provide a much needed boost to the creation of the MakerSpace area and allow students greater experiences toward creating a "maker" culture.
Patti Flesser, DPM Media Center Co-director explains, "The Makerspace materials granted to the Cube will be an exciting addition for 2016-2017. The "maker movement" is all about students being creators, rather than consumers, of information. Making allows students to be curious, ask questions, try, and maybe fail, and direct their own learning. This most recent Spirit Grant will add opportunities and give all students a chance to become Makers."
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