FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 6, 2007
FY07-65
ORAU Awards More Than $27,000 in Grants to Area Schools for Science and Math Education
OAK RIDGE, Tenn.—Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) handed out grant checks totaling $27,400 to 12 science-, math- and technology-based school projects from across Anderson County on Wednesday. Grants were presented to nine schools in the Anderson County school system and three schools in the Oak Ridge City school system during the awards ceremony held at the Pollard Technology Conference Center.
Grand Oaks Elementary School was one of the evening’s biggest winners, receiving a $6,100 award to fund the purchase of technology and supplies to establish a portable science laboratory for grades three through five. The grant’s proposal was submitted by fifth grade teacher Vicki McKamey, who plans on making the portable lab adaptable to additional grade levels in the future.
Lake City Middle School also had a big night, taking home two grants totaling $5,000 to purchase computers as well as a robotics challenge program that incorporates science, technology, engineering and math into an exciting problem-solving curriculum. Lake City Principal Paula Sellers and teachers Jamie Broyles, Nikki Kapolka and RaeAnn Owens submitted the two proposals.
Clinton High School received a $1,300 grant at the Sixth Annual ORAU Education Grant Ceremony Wednesday evening. Pictured left to right are Oak Ridge City Schools Superintendent Dr. Tom Bailey; ORAU President Ron Townsend; Clinton High teachers Dr. Whitey Hitchcock, Tim Parrott and Ginger Spradlin; and Anderson County Schools Superintendent V. L. Stonecipher. High-resolution version of photo.
Other schools receiving education grants included:
- Anderson County High School—a total of $1,800 for two projects—the purchase of horizontal gel electrophoresis laboratory procedure devices and power sources, and for software and supplies to support the school’s Freshman Academy
- Andersonville Elementary School—a $2,500 check for the purchase of additional “Science and Technology for Children™” unit kits and a projection system to enhance the science lab
- Clinton High School—a check for $1,300 to fund the purchase of a human cadaver to enhance the anatomy and physiology lab
- Dutch Valley Elementary School—a $2,900 check for the purchase of Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading™ science and literacy kits for K–5 students
- Jefferson Middle School—a $1,500 check to purchase a classroom set of Global Positioning System devices and training manuals for seventh-grade geography students
- Norwood Elementary School—a check for $2,300 to purchase a wireless laptop and additional learning kits for the school’s science lab
- Willow Brook Elementary School—a check for $3,750 to purchase multimedia projection systems for each grade level
- Woodland Elementary School—a $250 check to expand and add to a raised garden for kindergarten students to tend to throughout the year
The awards were presented by ORAU President Ron Townsend, Vice President of Business Operations Phil Andrews and Vice President of Human Resources Dan Standley. Along with announcing each award’s amount, check presentations included a brief description of each project and its intended goals.
The winning teachers and educators are (pictured L to R): Anderson County Schools Superintendent V. L. Stonecipher, Lori Collins of Andersonville Elementary School, Jenny Martin of Anderson County High School, Bill Graves of Jefferson Middle School, Mardee Miller of Willow Brook Elementary School, Jacqueline Watkins of Anderson County High School, Dale Donaldson of Anderson County High School, Janis Bishop of Dutch Valley Elementary School, Vicki McKamey of Grand Oak Elementary School, Jamie Broyles of Lake City Middle School, Debe Eckley of Andersonville Elementary School, Robin Larmoyeaux of Anderson County High School, Nikki Kapolka of Lake City Middle School, Debbie Tackett of Norwood Elementary School, Dr. Whitey Hitchcock of Clinton High School, Kym Cuffman of Woodland Elementary School, Oak Ridge City Schools Superintendent Dr. Tom Bailey, Mike Bundy of Willow Brook Elementary School, Paula Sellers of Lake City Middle School, Katrina Oakley of Grand Oaks Elementary School, Bruce Lay of Jefferson Middle School, Beth Roeder of Andersonville Elementary School, and Mike Hermening of Dutch Valley Elementary School. High-resolution version of photo.
ORAU has been able to provide nearly $150,000 to Anderson County Schools for projects that complement ORAU’s own mission of enriching science, technology, and mathematics education programs since the education grant program began in 2002.
One of the key missions of ORAU is to enhance excellence in scientific research and education, and ORAU’s volunteers in education team works to strengthen science and math education resources in East Tennessee, specifically. Awards are made based on proposals submitted by the individual schools.
Individual check presentation photographs for each school are available by contacting Amy Viars at (865) 576-3490.
ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 98 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.