Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

BRIDGEPORT—“Imagination is the mother of creativity and innovation and the foundation of true leadership,” remarked Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, addressing Catholic school educators recently awarded 2019 grants in innovation and leadership.

“A true leader dares to see within the hearts of students; to unlock what may be hidden to them but obvious to you,” Bishop Caggiano added. “Our young people benefit not only because of your dedication, your professionalism, your knowledge, and your hard work, but because you are women and men of imagination.”

Foundations in Education is pleased to announce 26 grant awards totaling $125,000 to benefit Catholic schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport. In its 2nd year, this competitive program was the first of its kind to offer innovation and leadership grants to teachers and administrators.

The grant program promotes excellence in Catholic education by supporting a teacher’s creative project and their professional development. Grants funded through this program are intended for transformative initiatives that benefit multiple grade levels and have a long-term impact on student learning.

Educators submitted grant proposals from September 15 – October 31, 2018.

“We encouraged teachers to discover new and innovative avenues for learning,” explained Foundations’ Executive Director Holly Doherty-Lemoine. “Teachers are sharing their vision with us and we are listening.”

This year, Foundations received forty-five grant proposals from twenty-two of the twenty-six Diocesan-sponsored Catholic schools in Fairfield County. The grant requests totaled $353,016, nearly three times the available funding.

A grants committee carefully reviewed each proposal and submitted recommendations to Foundations’ Board of Trustees for approval. The committee is led by Dr. Julie McNamara, president emeritus of Albertus Magnus College and Foundations’ board member.

An awards ceremony took place on Thursday, January 31 at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport where grant honorees shared their creative vision with Foundations’ board of trustees, grant committee members and donors.

The event was sponsored by Milestone C. Co-Founder and CEO Cemocan Yesil commented, “Milestone C’s mission to shape future STEM leaders is in perfect lockstep with Foundations in Education’s work supporting Catholic schools in Fairfield County to remain at the cutting edge of academics and leadership development. Like-minded organizations in education supporting one another is the first step to securing the future of a young generation.”

Foundations in Education Awards Ceremony Photos by Amy Mortensen

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, Foundations in Education continues its ongoing commitment to strengthening and transforming Catholic education.

“I am excited to support these innovation grants that encourage our teachers and school leaders to seek out and implement new ideas to help our Catholic school students learn about, and respond to, the changing world,” commented Patrick Turner who supports the Foundation.

Foundations in Education is a non-profit initiative created to assist the Diocese of Bridgeport’s ongoing mission to support Catholic education in Fairfield County by supporting innovation in academic and extra-curricular programs, fostering opportunities for the professional development of school leaders and providing scholarship assistance to families in need.

(To learn more about Foundations in Education or to learn how your gift can help transform the lives of Catholic school students, please visit the Foundations in Education website at: www.foundationsineducation.org.)

2019 Innovation and Leadership Grant Awards

All Saints Catholic School, Norwalk: Empowering Personalized Learning: Creating Centers for Innovative Thinkers $12,000

Assumption Catholic School, Fairfield: Flexible Seating $3,000

Catholic Academy of Bridgeport-St. Ann Academy: Greenhouse: Growing with a Purpose $3,500 and St. Raphael Academy: Classroom Sensory Paths $3,000

Catholic Academy of Stamford: Computer Science for Innovators and Makers & App Inventors $3,500

Holy Trinity Catholic Academy, Shelton: Buzzing with Technology in Kindergarten $1,600 and Making AR and VR a Reality in the Classroom $13,146

Immaculate High School, Danbury: Music Production Lab $6,909

Notre Dame High School, Fairfield: Drama Outreach Program $5,000 and Global Education in Oxford (UK) $7,500

St. Catherine of Siena School, Trumbull: Bee Amazing $7,500 and Get a Leg Up with Legos! $1,250

St. Gregory the Great School, Danbury: Compound Light Microscopes and Microscope Wi-Fi Camera $2,500

St. James School, Stratford: Success with Smart Televisions $8,400

St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Brookfield: Pre-K Readiness & Writing Program from Learning Without Tears $800 and The Giving Tree $750

St. Joseph High School, Trumbull: 21st Century “Big Tech” Pathway Course Overhaul $13,000, Coding Club/Coding Class $4,000 and Innovation Through Coding & Entrepreneurship $2,000

St. Joseph School, Danbury: Stem Coding Project $6,500

St. Mark School, Stratford: Oceanography in the Classroom and Beyond $4,000 and Singing/Reading/Technology Connection $1,445

St. Peter School, Danbury: Classroom Innovation Centers $5,800 and Ukuleles for the Music Classroom $2,000

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Fairfield: Perspectives $5,000 and Virtual Reality in the Classroom $900