Innovation Grants 2017-2018
Constructing a Perpetual Motion Machine that will Generate Power
David Abate, Hamden High School
Funding for materials to construct a perpetual motion machine for the generation of power
Climate Lab Renewable Energy Kits
Matthew Dole, Hamden High School
Funding for renewable energy kits which will allow students to investigate key concepts around energy transformation and factors that affect the efficiency of wind turbines and solar (photovoltaic) cells
Engaging Students in Fluency and Fitness
Anastasia Ganim and Kelly Sullivan, Church Street School
Funding for power point presentations that allow students to practice math and literacy skills while simultaneously participating in physical exercise
STEM Kits and Activities
Lisa Goodrich, West Woods School
Funding for STEM kits and activities for the special education learning environment
Social Thinking Curriculum and Materials
Kelly Hillard, Spring Glen School
Funding for social thinking curriculum and materials to teach and support pro-social behaviors for use in the individual or group setting to teach students of all ages and abilities
Cubulets (Robots) Battery Packs
Grace Guidet & Aileen Ishmael, Alice Peck – TAG Program
Funding of battery packs for STEM robots
Dragon Buddies
Tracey Riordan Jacobson, Hamden High School
Funding to support the creation of a mentoring program that pairs an HHS athlete
with at-risk elementary school students
Chinese Classroom Library
Meiya Ma, Hamden High School
Funding for the acquisition of Chinese books together with teacher’s guide and supporting materials to help build an in-class library
Students Can Publish Too
Lori Maslowski, Dunbar Hill School
Funding of the publishing of student authored books which incorporate the non-fictional writing skills taught, modeled and practiced through the district Lucy Calkins writing curriculum
STEM Matters
Christina Mesner, Renee Pietrosimone, Central Office
This project will come to life as a Family STEM Night for all elementary schools with the activities to continue throughout the year, throughout the district
Once Upon a Time in Kindergarten
Betsy Pattison and Meghan Witheril, Dunbar Hill School
Funding for craft supplies and books to assist in the use of fairy tales and fractured fairy tales to teach children how to compare story elements such as setting, characters, problems and important events
Navigating into the Community
Andrew Marzano, Rob Mandel, Tara Riley, Nick Ugolik, Hamden Middle School
Funding to assist in the development of a cross curricular project that involves Lake Wintergreen, the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop to create trail markers to be placed around the Lake
Station Type Special Needs Learning Activities and Supplies
Cathy Teulings, Hamden High School
Purchase of tools and supplies to be used in the special needs classroom by students to explore methods of making art with techniques and tools that are designed for their needs and limitations
Discovering the Wildlife of Bear Path Preserve with Infrared Cameras
Scott Trauner, Principal, Bear Path School
Development of Bear Path’s nature preserve, through the installation of multiple infrared motion-detecting wildlife cameras to explore animal traffic
Sensory Garden
Amy Watson, Alice Peck Early Learning Program
Funding for the creation of an outdoor garden to develop competency and interest in physical, biological and earth sciences
Series Books Create Serial Readers
Allison Wills, Bear Path School
Funding for the acquisition of a variety of series books to promote a love of reading and involvement in a book club
Innovation Grants 2016-17
Dyslexia Apps,
Elizabeth Ball, West Woods Elementary School
Freshman Field Day,
Moira Birmingham, Hamden High School
Using Raspberry Pi to Teach Computer Science, Electronics and Engineering Concepts,
Robert Dauster, Kathleen Bower-Phipps, Ayush Dalmia, Ben Surman, Abhishek Gorti, Hamden High School
Kindergarten Apps for Math and Language Arts,
Nicole DeLucia, Helen Street School
Sense of Self Workshop Series, Pilot Program,
Amanda Donovan, Jennifer Nolan, Kristen Tassiello, Hamden High School
Noah Webster House Explorers Program,
Erin Gannon Guerra, Church Street School
STEM Mini Makerspace for Indoor Recess,
Grace Guidet, Aileen Ishmael, Alice Peck- TAG Program
Cultivating Kindness and Empathy,
Sara Hernandez, Social Worker, Bear Path School
Drums Alive,
Jessica Elkin , Valerie LaRose deSousa, Sheperd Glen School
Leadership Workshop,
Marydell Merrill, Hamden High School
STEM and the Next Generation Science Standards,
Christina Mesner, Hamden Public Schools K-6 Science Specialist
Bringing Best Friend Books to the Classroom Read Aloud,
Julie Mertagh, Ginny Hice, Kat Rende, Suzanne Powell, Stacey Amodio, Sheperd Glen School
Performance Clinician and Accompanist,
Michael O’Herron, Ridge Hill Elementary School
Author Visit from Deborah Freedman,
Leslie Redmond, Dunbar Hill School
Pioneer Skills,
Chris Sagnella, Gary Stanton, Kathyrne Ryan, Matthew Tremper, Hamden Middle School
Elephant and Piggie Readers Club,
Susan Martinez Sendroff, West Woods School
Preventing “Summer Slide”,
Susan Smey, Director of Media, Assessment and Intervention, Hamden Public Schools
Bear Path Preserve Interpretive Signage,
Scott Trauner, Principal, Bear Path School
Innovation Grants 2015-16
Sunflower House
Anne-Marie Blake, West Woods School
“I can read…just not English yet!”,
Donna Mauro, Shepherd Glen School
University of Super Flexible Thinkers,
Colleen Cull, Carolyn Nielsen, Shepherd Glen School
Mural Making Pilot Program, Andres Sanchez, Hamden Middle School
The Perfect Storm-
Science/English shared inquiry collaborative unit,
Angie Kim, Eileen Roach, Hamden Middle School
Document Cameras for the Language Arts Classroom,
M. Coggins, E. Roach, L. Temper, A. Gallo, K. Ryan, Hamden Middle School
TSA-VEX IQ Robotics, Dean DelGiudice, Hamden Middle School
“A Long Walk to Water, a closer look”, Diane DelCervo, Hamden Middle School
Native Garden and Food Cycle Fish Tank, Jessica Reese-Chelmu, Hamden Middle School
Ozobot Coding, Greg Colonese, Hamden High School
Future Engineers-after school club Robotics with computer interface,
Emily Taylor, Helen Street School
Ride and Read
Alyssa Kazin, Helen Street School
Kindergarten- Kindergarten, what so you see? An Eric Carl author study, B. Pattison, M. Witheril, S. Scasino, Dunbar Hill School
Books encompassing regional, social, historical cultural and current issues in Native American Lives, L. Crocco, C. Prevost, Dunbar Hill School
Building Readers with Legos, Karen Kramer, Church Street School
Building a Multilingual/Multicultural Library for Church Street School,
T. Ciaburri-Rodriguez, Church Street School
PAST GRANTS – Innovation Grants 2013 – 2014 Recipients
FIRST Robotics Team
Dan deNicolo and Mike Kozera, Hamden High School Robotics Club: Enable new team to design, build, program, and operate a robot pursuant to the FIRST Robotics terms, and participate in FIRST Robotics competitions.
Math Nights
Karen Franklin, Helen Street, Math nights and take-home materials for parents and children to promote deeper understandings of the math curriculum, promote parent involvement, promote mathematical conversations at home, and allow parents and children to engage in math at home in a fun and exciting way.
Bio-Chemistry Lab Protein Gel Technology
Kathleen Bower-Phipps, Hamden High School: Equipment for new Biochemistry course; equipment can also be used for other advanced science courses at the high school.
Enhancing 4th Grade Science Units on Electricity and Motion and Design
Shelby Irwin, Spring Glen: Supplementing the Electricity unit to include explorations involving alternative energy, and supplementing the Motion and Design unit to introduce students to computer control technology, writing programs to operate models, and engineering.
Pre-K Parent Engagement
Suzanne Perlroth and Jean English, Alice Peck Pre-K: Develop a literacy and math parent-engagement policy, including take-home activities that promote parent engagement, so that parents are empowered to and develop the habit of actively participating in their children’s education.
Get Caught Reading
Allison Wills, Bear Path: Literacy initiative to promote love of reading.
Kelair CO2 Dragster Launcher: Improving Equipment and Reducing Future Expenses
Frank Kachmar, Hamden Middle School: Improved equipment (dragster launcher) for engineering and design elective will enhance student learning and reduce future expenses.
Jan Brett Winter Literature Day
Betsy Pattison, Meghan Witheral, Jennifer Methot, Dunbar Hill: Implementing Common Core standards and promoting a love of reading in kindergarten.
Expanding Science Education: 3-D Fabrication Technology
Hamden High School Science Club: Help purchase 3-D printer to fabricate parts for the Science Team’s building projects for competitions.
Male Mentoring
Megan Dietrichsen, Carla Luchies, Mary Gatison and Karen Butler, Ridge Hill: Creating a new program to support students who lack a strong male role-model in their lives.
Therapeutic Texts to Support Students’ Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Development
Erika Johnson, Spring Glen: Books to enhance students’ ability to self-regulate their emotions, improve their interpersonal relationships, and develop problem-solving skills while also developing their literacy and academic skills.
Social Thinking Instruction of Students on the Autism Spectrum
Marissa Bishop, West Woods: Curriculum tools for school-based social and emotional supports to enhance implementation of best-practices for students on the Autism spectrum.
Feeling Word Curriculum: Reading and Emotional Development
Marcie Daken, West Woods: Feeling Word books for grades K-2 to support social and emotional learning, as well as literacy.
Multi-Lingual Books
Tricia Ciaburri-Rodriguez, Shepherd Glen: Multi-lingual books to promote love of reading and to promote family involvement for students who are English Language Learners.
Book Club Bridging English and Social Studies curriculum
Diane DelCervo and Kathryne Bosch, Hamden Middle School: Creating after-school book club to read and discuss novels aligned with the Ancient Civilizations social studies curriculum.