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The Screens For Schools Contest has been awarded!
Brought to you by:

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Congratulations to Grand Prize Winner: Vanessa Powers

Central Park Elem School

Here’s the winning essay!

 

Opportunity is Knocking

 

Central Park Elementary is a high poverty, low performing school that has minimal technology available. As a fourth grade math teacher, I understand the future demand for students to be technologically literate. I also understand that most students are surrounded by technology on a daily basis. Our 96% free and reduced lunch population does not have the ready access to every day technology as much as other schools in our parish.

 

The teachers of our school are dedicated to knowing our students and providing for their needs; educational, emotional, and physical. Our goal is to teach the "whole child". We are striving to think outside the box when it comes to integrating a project based, micro society type learning environment where students can explore, apply, and reach new levels of achievement.

 

Receiving tablets in our school would open up many doors for our students. They would be able have fingertip access to learning activities and learn to research for project based learning. The tablets would be used in our second annual after school micro-society project in which students learn by doing. This style of learning allows for differentiation that meets the needs of the struggling child, while challenging the advanced student.

 

Students will complete such projects as:

  • creating and designing a zoo to learn perimeter and area;

  • creating a budget to establish a business venture in economics;

  • planning the perfect vacation for the study of regions;

  • map skills in social studies;

  • budgeting in math;

  • establishing and populating their own fairy tale land;

  • designing the costumes and creating a digital story book;

  • writing their own musical scores to learn unit rate in mathematics, and;

  • much more that our innovative teaching team can conceive.

 

We desire to give our students the opportunities that they will not get otherwise. More than anything, we believe that education is empowerment. These students do not have to end up where they began. Next to caring and creative teachers, technology is a vital part of the success that we desire for our students. Teachers are experiencing frustration because they have fabulous ideas, but not the means to integrate them into the classroom daily. Having the new tablets would be one more step towards meeting our goal of educating the "whole child".

 

Studies show that technology is a top three indicator to successful schools. We have attempted to do several fund raisers to bring in money for additional technology for our classrooms. Our fundraisers raise an average of $5000 a year, due to lack of parental involvement. This amount is not enough to purchase technology to invigorate our lesson presentation and learning development for students. Any technology extras we receive are from hard working teachers writing grants. Our teachers seek partnerships with local businesses and community members on a regular basis. We need help.

 

Please help us open the door; opportunity is knocking.

 



Would your local school benefit from new tablets in the classroom? Enter the 3M Screens for Schools grants program for the chance to receive up to $25,000 in new tablets for your school!

How to Enter
Submit an essay between 200 and 500 words explaining:
  1. Why your school needs the new tablets and how they would change the school for the better.
  2. How the new tablets will be used to enhance the learning and teaching experience at your school.
  3. Examples of how your school has been seeking to bring technology into the classroom or challenges your school has faced preventing it from doing so.

Unique entries by multiple people for the same school are permitted but duplicate entries from the same person for the same school are not permitted.

Login and apply.

Eligibility
Anyone age 18 years of age or older may submit an essay to the 3M Screens for Schools grants program on behalf of a school but all entries must identify a teacher or school official from the school to be eligible.

Happy people playing with tablets! Any state-accredited elementary (K-6), junior high (7-8) and senior high (9-12), traditional (i.e. no homeschools) in-person ( i.e. not online) schools that are nominated are eligible to receive the grand prize.

Judging Criteria
  • Explain the Need – 40%
    Why does the school need the grant award for new tablets?
    How would the new tablets change the school for the better?
  • Explain the Use – 40%
    How would learning be enhanced for students with the new tablets?
    How would teaching be enhanced for educators with the new tablets?
  • Schoolwide Support for Technology – 20%
    Creative ways the school is fundraising and seeking to bring technology into the classroom.
    Multiple entries for the same school from various parents and teachers.


Prize List
Accent Image One (1) participant with the best essay will be awarded up to $25,000 to equip their designated school with new tablets through the Digital Wish marketplace along with accompanying 3M screen protectors.

Deadlines
Entries must be submitted by September 12, 2012 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time.

Official Rules
Be sure to check out the Official Rules and Our Privacy Policy.

Login and apply.
* The amount of the donation to Digital Wish and subsequent grant received by the entrant school will be based on the total number of pledges and shares received on or before September 12, 2012. 3M will make a minimum donation of $15,000 and a maximum donation of $25,000 to Digital Wish.
** Limited to one (1) click of support and one (1) share per participant, for a maximum donation of $2 per participant.