For More Information: [email protected] Fund for Teachers Sends 66 Oklahoma Teachers on Summer Learning Odysseys National Non‐Profit in Tenth Year of Awarding Grants for Professional Development Experiences (April 20, 2010) – Trusting that teachers know best how to engage and energize their students, Fund for Teachers recently awarded, through the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and the Tulsa Community Foundation, 66 Oklahoma PreK‐12 teachers with fellowships for self‐designed professional development totaling approximately $250,000. Each fellowship is as unique as the teacher who designed it; and regardless of the destination or discipline, these newly named Fellows will return to 37 Oklahoma schools inspired by the pursuit of ideas, terrains, and cultures in 17 countries this summer. Examples of Oklahoma Fellows and their summer itineraries include: 
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Vernona DeCarlo, Amy Chase, Lynne Breton, and Ava Wilhelm (Briarwood Elementary School—
Oklahoma City) will participate in an ecotour of the Rio Napo River in Ecuador to give students a unique view of the environment ; Cort Hayhurst (Moore West Junior High School – Oklahoma City) will delve into the cultures of Vietnam and neighboring Cambodia through a journey to modern metropolises, rural villages, the historical centers to build lessons on cross‐cultural understanding and curriculum integration not only for the large group of Vietnamese students throughout the school and district; Kathy Davis, Clydia Forehand (Grisson Elementary School – Tulsa) will travel to Russia and explore the lives of composers Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich to provide students with a better understanding of how culture can influence creativity; and Brenda McClain (Tahlequah High School – Tahlequah) will travel to World War II locations in Germany and collect video, photographs and GPS coordinates to integrate podcasting, graphic design and GPS/GIS into history and English curriculum. “Receiving a Fund for Teachers fellowship is truly a blessing and a privilege,” said Melody Aufill, 2009 Fellow and teacher at Yale Elementary. “As teachers we know what we do matters day‐in and day‐out in the classroom; however, the opportunity to create our own adventure through Fund for Teachers allowed us to extend our realm of influence all across the United States.” Teachers’ need for relevant professional development, as provided by Fund for Teachers, was underscored by the landmark survey results released by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in March which found that, of the 40,000 teachers surveyed, more than 80 percent reported professional development that is relevant to personal and school goals is absolutely essential or very important for teacher retention. ‐MORE‐ Fund for Teachers strives to keep teachers inspired by empowering them with the freedom to design a professional development experience that most impacts their lives, their profession, and their community. The Fund for Teachers fellowship application becomes available online each October, with an application deadline in January. Awardees are notified in April and fellowships take place during the summer. “We recognize that the teacher is the decisive factor in students’ learning,” said Karen Kovach Webb, executive director of Fund for Teachers. “We are deeply committed to the growth of teachers through strategic investments in their own areas of personal and professional interest. We’ve seen firsthand the impact Fund for Teachers fellowships have as a transformative resource for teaching and learning.” Since 2002, 712 Oklahoma teachers received more than $2.2 million in Fund for Teachers’ grants to experience summer learning odysseys that continue to transform learning for themselves and the 384 schools they represent. Click here for a complete list of Oklahoma teachers traveling the world this summer with Fund for Teachers grants made possible by generous corporate and individual donors. About Fund for Teachers Fund for Teachers is a national, donor‐supported organization celebrating its tenth year of awarding fellowships for self‐designed professional growth to teachers who recognize the value of inquiry, the power of knowledge and their ability to make a difference. For more information about Fund for Teachers, visit fundforteachers.org. About the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Founded in 1985 by then‐U.S. Sen. David L. Boren, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing and encouraging academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Its programs include a televised academic awards program to recognize outstanding students and educators, a training and outreach service to public school foundations, and a mentoring initiative to promote the establishment and growth of school‐based mentoring programs throughout the state.
About the Tulsa Community Foundation Tulsa Community Foundation (TCF) was organized in 1998 by a group of esteemed business and civic leaders to be the recognized community institution that initiates, teaches and encourages personal and corporate charitable giving today to ensure that the philanthropic needs of eastern Oklahomans can be met for all generations. Through donor‐created and nonprofit endowment accounts, TCF grants tens of millions of dollars each year to area charities.
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