February 20, 2007
DTE Energy Foundation Education Grants To Fund Science And Math Projects For St. Clair County Students
Port Huron, Mich. - The DTE Energy Foundation has awarded nearly $3,500 to 16 St. Clair County teachers to fund hands-on energy-related projects that will encourage students' curiosity and excitement about science, energy, math and the environment.
The DTE Energy Foundation's Mini-Grants for Educators program was established in 1990 to promote science and energy studies for K-12 students. Since then, the program has awarded more than $700,000 to public and private school teachers in DTE Energy's service territory.
"These grants provide funding for special projects that school budgets typically cannot afford," said Carol Moore, DTE Energy Education and Community Relations representative. "This year the DTE Energy Foundation will award more than $45,000 to Michigan teachers for creative energy-related projects."
To apply for the mini-grants, teachers submitted proposals to their intermediate school district for consideration. Judges looked for projects that encouraged problem-solving, decision-making and critical thinking.
Recipients of this year's awards in St. Clair County and their projects are:
- Gearing Elementary School, St. Clair. Jan DuBois of East China received a $255 grant she'll use to purchase materials her students will use throughout the year for their investigations of electricity, magnets, simple machines, motion and rocks.
- Marysville High School, Marysville. David George of Marysville received a $215 grant for his students' study of alternative energy sources, including methanol fuel cells and solar, hydroelectric and wind power.
- Pointe Tremble Elementary School, Algonac. Melissa Hanners of Marysville received a $368 grant she'll use to purchase materials to teach her third graders about simple machines. Students will learn about levers, pulleys, inclined planes and more as they work in small groups to build their own simple machines.
- St. Clair County TEC, Marysville. Zachary Diatchun of Port Huron and Jim Licht of Fort Gratiot will share a $420 grant to create a data collection lab. Their students will use the lab for a number of assignments throughout the school year, including the measurement of currents in AC/DC circuits, as well as the magnetic fields around magnets, coils and other electrical devices.
- St. Mary's Catholic School, St. Clair. A $200 grant was awarded to five teachers: LeeAnn Brennan and Linda Scott of St. Clair, Kevin Muneio of Richmond, Marilynn Pavlov of Smiths Creek and MaryAnn Osentoski of Emmet. They'll use the grant for a study their students will undertake on the feasibility of harnessing wind energy in the St. Clair area. The six-month project will increase students' awareness of alternative energy and the area's natural resources.
- Sparlingville Elementary School, Kimball. Delta Charles of Port Huron and her students will use a $250 grant for a project called "Bringing Math and Science Words to Life." The project will help students think critically and will prepare them for the MEAP test. With her $240 grant, Marcia Paladino of Fort Gratiot will purchase temperature probes her students will use to for science experiments they'll conduct throughout the year. Sixty fourth-graders will participate in an environmental study funded by the $450 grant awarded to Dolores Topel of St. Clair. The project will include a look at corporations' efforts to create "green" factories and workplaces.
- Washington Elementary School, Marine City. David DuBois of East China received a $450 grant to fund his students' exploration of rocketry. The month-long project will culminate in the launching of a model rocket, which the entire school will enjoy.
- Yale Junior High School, Yale. Eric Raymo of Kimball and his students will use his $300 grant for their study of waves. They'll use a ripple tank to observe wave characteristics and calculate wave frequency, speed and length. Theresa Winslow of Lakeport will purchase a weather station with her $335 grant, which her students will us to gather information on temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind and rain on school grounds.
Additional information on Mini-Grants for Educators may be found at dteenergy.com/minigrants.
| For more information on DTE Energy's Mini-Grants for Educators, contact: Eileen Dixon DTE Energy 313.235.9154 | For more information on the teachers or projects, contact: Monica Hartman St. Clair RESA 810.364.8990 ext. 264 |
