Published by The Boston Globe
A local education foundation is in the running for a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh project to help pay teachers for a new math curriculum.
Top Banana Education Foundation is planning to partner with a pilot elementary school next fall to implement a program intended to raise test scores, said Alex Seriy, Top Banana’s founder and president. The grant would supply a stipend for teachers who volunteer to learn the curriculum.
“In tough economic times as right now, when school districts are financially strapped, it would be a tremendous push for teachers to not look for second tutoring job but instead to spend their valuable time right where they are during the day—at school,” Seriy said.
Top Banana Academy, in Newton Highlands, currently uses the curriculum as an after school program with successful results, but the foundation wants to implement the program in regular classrooms nationwide.
To choose their first test school, Top Banana is examining MCAS scores and meeting with administrators to determine which school has the greatest academic and financial need, Seriy said. The pilot school must also, however, demonstrate enthusiasm for the program to reach maximum success, and Top Banana could choose a school outside Massachusetts.
“We do want to go for the kill,” Seriy said.
Pepsi Refresh grants $1,300,000 every month to various individuals and organizations that are looking to help their communities. Anyone can vote online and choose among over 1,000 candidates.
Top Banana requested the Pepsi grant last month, as well, and finished 17th in the polls. Only the requests that finish in the top ten in each amount category will receive the funds, but on Thursday, Top Banana was ranked number ten.
The Bedford Education Foundation has requested a $25,000 grant from Pepsi for a new climbing wall, but the two educators are not competing; they’re encouraging their voters to support both plans.
Voting for this month continues right up until midnight on June 30.
No comments:
Post a Comment