The Santa Barbara County Education Office awarded 19 remote instruction innovation grants to educators countywide, SBCEO announced Friday.
The winners received up to $700 to purchase materials or pursue professional development. A selection committee of educators and community members reviewed each application.
Recipient Laura Ishikawa, a teacher at Hancock Preschool, is using her funds to develop a video library for children and families to engage in learning activities at home.
Fe Demition at Miller School distributed learning supply packs with tools to learn math, reading and build literacy. She integrates these new supplies into her lessons.
Krista Caniano at Lompoc Valley Middle School came up with a way to guide her students through their online courses.
“If students cannot log into online learning independently, they need a modified approach. The individual login books I use give a pictorial view, so they can learn step by step how to attend
their online courses and complete online work,” she said.
Lara Willbanks, a teacher at San Marcos High School, developed a five-minute exercise to focus on students’ mental-emotional wellbeing before each class.
“Educators employed novel strategies, developed new techniques and created engaging student projects while utilizing inclusive learning spaces and attending to students’ social and emotional needs,” said Dr. Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools. “We value our partnerships
with the businesses and organizations that make innovation grants possible.”
Cox Communication, Anthem BlueCross, Montecito Bank & Trust and Southern California Edison partnered with the education office to fund the projects.
“Throughout our history, Cox has been committed to supporting education in the communities we serve,” said Kirsten McLaughlin, market vice president for Cox Communications in Santa Barbara. “This past year presented unforeseen challenges to educators. We’re honored to support the innovative work done by the Santa Barbara County Education Office through these grants to keep scholars connected to their curriculum, extracurricular activities and peers.”
Future grants for educators will be posted at teachersnetwork.sbceo.org.
— Annelise Hanshaw
