2024 Bright Minds Grants Support Innovative Classroom Projects

September 27th, 2024

Howard County Public School System educators have been awarded more than $28,000 in grants by the Bright Minds Foundation, the school system’s education foundation. The grants will fund 20 innovative instructional projects during the 2024-2025 school year.

The 2024 grant recipients and their projects are as follows:

• Elizabeth Arbaugh, Guilford Park HS, Teamwork and Creative Problem Solving with LEGOS Building Blocks – Building soft skills such as communication, collaboration and problem solving in the high school technical program
• Kristen Bacon & Marianne Thayer, Stevens Forest ES, Drumagination – Fostering a Sense of Belonging through Musical Expression
• Dawn Currie-Scott & Phil Johnson, Glenelg HS, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Biological discovery, ethics, and local history through a book study about Henrietta Lacks’ incredible HeLa cells
• Morgan Foos, Burleigh Manor MS, Getting Ready for 6th Grade – A Book Study Pilot to Ease the Transition to Middle School
• Julia Harris, Cradlerock ES, Headphones for Students – Improving the Quality of Media Center Learning Experiences for All Students
• Rick Hollenbeck, Mount View MS, Enhancing Learning Through Digital Engagement – Empowering Students with Recorded Lessons
• Kelly Kessler, Homewood Center, Centered on Students – Coming Together as a Homewood Center Community through Family and Community Engagement
• David Klotz, Guilford Park HS, TechHands: Empowering STEM Innovation with Vernier Science Probeware and Experiment Software
• Micah Levine, Clarksville ES, Creating the Future With Ozobots! – Introducing elementary students to computer science through robotics
• Jill Lieberman, Ilchester ES, Listen to Literacy – Screen-Free Listening Centers
• Donna MacDonald, Cedar Lane School, Equity, Accessibility, and Empowerment of Special Needs Students through 3-D Technology
• Ashleigh Magrin, Oakland Mills HS, Oakland Mills Food Pantry – Increasing Food Security for Columbia Families
• Amy Mongano, Mt. Hebron HS, Hydroponics in the Classroom – Teaching Sustainable Farming Practices through Scientific Inquiry
• Liz Morath & Jocelyn Salinas, Worthington ES, Sensory Soothing Classrooms for Self Regulation – Regional Program Starter Pack
• William Perez & Kim Kennedy, Hanover Hills ES, Get a Running Start to Lifetime Fitness! Integrating Fitness throughout the Curricula using Fitness Trackers
• Brittany Robey, Homewood Center, Homewood for Horses – A community-based learning opportunity with Safe Haven Equine Warriors Horse Rescue
• Dallas Rosenthal, Cedar Lane School, Seeds of Greatness – A seed-planting project fostering cross-curricular connections and culminating in the Spring Plant Palooza
• Lori Rudolph, HCPSS Vision Services, From Soup to Nuts: Empowering Students with Visual Impairments in Independent Living Skills through Experiential Learning Beginning with Cooking
• Meghan Walker, Oakland Mills MS, Lights, CAMERA, Action! – Hands-on Filmmaking and Photography Experience for Middle School Students
• Michael Zoltoski & Kathy Wojcik, Applications and Research Lab (ARL), Landscape Architecture Project – A joint effort across the Civil Engineering & Architecture Academy, the Agriculture Academy, and the Career & Community Exploration Academy

The grant recipients were recognized at the Board of Education’s Sept. 26 meeting.

Open to all Howard County teachers and staff, Bright Minds Classroom Innovation Project grants seek to support student success, enrich teaching practices, strengthen school communities, and pilot important classroom and school projects. Bright Minds has provided nearly $250,000 in grants to 173 HCPSS educators since its inception in 2009.