Brooke Chamber encourages education through annual grant program
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FOLLANSBEE - Through the support of the local business community, the Brooke County Area Chamber of Commerce has an opportunity each year to invest in the future.
That investment was celebrated Wednesday, when the chamber awarded $4,200 in grants for education-based programs throughout the county.
"We’re super excited for this event," exclaimed Chamber President Eric Fithyan, noting much of the funding comes from 50/50 drawings held at the chamber’s annual dinner and through the Monthly Monday Music Madness summer concert series.
"It’s wonderful local businesses and our chamber support these grants each year," said Suzanne Davidson, education chair for the chamber.
This year’s grants were distributed among 11 local educators and three Brooke High School students, each in support of classroom projects, the expansion of learning opportunities, positive behavioral re-enforcement, and more.
Students receiving grants this year included Jacob High, who submitted an application on behalf of the Future Business Leaders of America, to assist with the purchase of a new tent.
The FBLA recently launched a business venture selling slushies at home football games and community events, learning how to maintain the machines, price their product and follow health and safety rules.
Chad Haught, FBLA advisor explained the club had been using a tent he had borrowed from his grandmother, but are in need of a new one, noting the club participated in 75 events in the last year.
"It will be a great contribution for our club," Haught said.
Thomas Bane, engineering and CTE teacher at Brooke High spoke on behalf of two of his students - siblings Lindsey and Ryan Kettler.
"They came to me with a natural curiosity," Bane said, offering appreciation to the students’ parents for their encouragement in learning. "They basically took over the shop."
Lindsey and Ryan’s grants will help to purchase supplies to provide additional training and project opportunities for the career technical education programs.
Several county educators will be able to use a portion of the grant funding in support of new or ongoing programs and projects.
Chris Mockbee’s project is called "Battery Management Research," with his students studying and experimenting on the effects of old and new batteries on drones. Mockbee is advisor of Brooke’s Technology Students of America chapter, students in which participate in various robotics and drone competitions.
The students, he said, are hopeful the knowledge gained from their research will help them to rank first in the world.
"That’s what they’re aiming for," Mockbee said.
Jamie Lancaster’s grant will go toward a focus on science lab activities, as conduct experiments in an effort to instill a love of science learning and prepare for future science-related fields.
Sasha Ewing’s project "Once Upon a Time: A Cozy Storytelling and Literacy Center," will use puppets, props, and interactive materials to assist preschoolers at Little Bear Daycare with building language, communication, imagination, and social-emotional skills.
Alex Schneider, director of the Brooke County Public Library, will use a grant to celebrate "Take Youth Child to the Library Day," welcoming area youth to participate with STEAM activities, movies, interactive play, 3-D pen imagination projects, story time, selfie stations and more.
Alicia McClintock of Franklin Intermediate School will target math skills in her third and fourth-grade classrooms with magnetic math hands-on projects, assisting them in transitioning from physical concrete materials to abstract math concepts.
Kayla Fergusons’ second-grade class at Wellsburg Primary will focus on phonics skills, targeting skills students need to develop through magnetic word building trays, tactile sound segmenting tools, whisper phones and more.
"Feed Your Mind, One Book at a Time," is the name of Amy Geddis’ project at Hooverson Heights Primary, where students will earn special tokens for the school’s book vending machine, awarded through reaching reading milestones, showing positive behavior, and celebrating birthdays.
Alyssa Kolesar, a kindergarten teacher at Hooverson Heights, plans to engage her students’ senses, using texture and motion with sensory mats, while using other materials to physically engage with words and letters as they develop reading skills.
Tracey Welch, also a kindergarten teacher at Hooverson Heights, will develop vocabulary, build hand strength and coordination, discover size and weight, and more, through kinetic sand, synthetic snow, colored rice, colored pasta and other interactive materials.
Kelly Eggert’s seventh-grade students at Brooke Middle will be treated to a field trip at Brooke Hills Park as part of a positive behavior program called "Fishing Fun Day." The grant will purchase fishing poles and equipment, as well as corn hole boards and sports-related materials.
"Unplug Brain Breaks" was designed for Amy Ludewig’s Brooke Middle students as a way to engage the youth with brain-stimulating, screen-free games and activities, such as 3-D puzzles, logic games, and more.
"Students spend so much time with technology, they don’t know how to play or work in teams," Ludewig said.
Davidson thanked Education Committee members Sandy Kemp and LuAnn Radcliffe for their assistance in reviewing the grant applications, and announcing this year’s recipients.
(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)