Seven Albemarle County schools have received $9,500 in grants for innovative classroom projects for the upcoming school year.
The largest grant, for $4,665, went to Jack Jouett Middle School for a project that will teach students to use physical exercise to generate electrical power. The kids will build bikes that can be pedaled to produce power for laptops and other battery-operated appliances around the school.
Eighth grade science and engineering students will build the bikes. It will fulfill the core of an Energy Lab, which will be used to teach them about electricity, circuits, electromagnetism, generators, and motors.
Meanwhile, sixth grade science students will be taking part as well. They'll use the lab to learn about solar and natural resources, and heat/light-chemical-physical-electrical energy transformation.
Albemarle County Schools Spokesperson Phil Giaramita said phase one, which includes construction of the energy cycles, will take place this fall. Then phase two, which involves the energy lab, will take place next spring.
"The longer term goal is to have this project serve as an instructional model that can be expanded to include all of our middle schools in the division," he said.
Other schools to receive grants are Baker-Butler, Crozet, Greer, Meriwether Lewis, Murray and Yancey.
Albemarle County Public Schools
Press Release
Seven Albemarle County public schools have received grants totaling $9,500 for innovative classroom projects for the 2012-13 school year. The grants are from the Edgar and Eleanor Shannon Foundation for Excellence in Public.
The largest single grant in the county school division is $4, 665 for Jouett Middle School to fund a project that will teach students how to use physical exercise to generate electrical power for battery-operated appliances in the school. Students will apply science and engineering knowledge to build cycles that will be pedaled to generate the power.
Six of the division's elementary schools will receive individual grants of up to $750 for projects that will help students learn about life sciences, geography, history, horticulture and mobile technologies. Among the schools receiving grants are Baker-Butler, Crozet, Greer, Meriwether.
The Shannon Foundation was established in 1990 to provide funds to public school teachers in the city and county for use in innovative programming. The Foundation is named for University of Virginia President Emeritus Edgar F. Shannon, Jr. and his wife, Eleanor, in honor of their contributions to public education over many years.
Since 1990, the Foundation has distributed over $300,000 in grants to city and county public school teachers for nearly 400 projects at both the classroom and school level. According to the Foundation, teachers who have received grants have documented an increase in student test scores and greater enthusiasm for learning among students. All administrative costs for the foundation are funded through contributions from its board of directors so that 100 percent of monies received from the public are used for classroom and school projects.
