WARWICK — Allison White, a teacher at Warwick Community School, is one of 487 teachers receiving fellowships to spend the summer doing what they help others do every day — learning.
“What do I want to learn? Where do I want to learn it? And “How will my students benefit?” are the primary questions behind grant proposals submitted to Fund for Teachers, a national nonprofit that awards grants to pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 teachers for self-designed fellowships.
“I can’t wait to challenge myself to grow and learn in an environment unfamiliar to me, and bring back what I learn to connect my students, school and community,” White said.
After a competitive selection process supported by civic leaders, corporate donors and former grant recipients, the 2018 Fund for Teachers Fellows, including White, were recently notified that they made the cut. The selected teachers are now finalizing plans to learn in 89 countries on six continents this summer.
White will use her grant to study national parks in the western United States, conducting a bio-blitz at each site with the iNaturalist.org app, to observe the connection between cultural stories and the science of trees, and lead students in the creation of cultural stories with visual storytelling.
Because Fund for Teachers trusts teachers to propose learning experiences that will best affect their students and school communities, fellowships range in destination and discipline, including history, language through cultural immersion, literature, math, science, social justice, special education, technology and the visual and performing arts.
“When teachers are excited about their own learning, they engage their students as problem-solvers and inspire their colleagues to push outside their comfort zone,” said Karen Webb, Fund for Teachers executive director. “Their impact reaches far beyond their classrooms.”
Since 2001, Fund for Teachers has awarded approximately $30 million in grants, empowering nearly 8,000 teachers to explore their passions, deepen their scholarship and enhance their craft. Eligible teachers may begin applying for 2019 Fund for Teachers grants as early as Oct. 1; completed proposals are due by Jan. 31, 2019.