As we do every month, we're excited to announce the recipient of our latest educational technology grant. Each month, we award $500 worth of STEM and makerspace tools to a deserving educator. This month, we've selected Michael Jaber, a high school administrator from Sheboygan, WI as the recipient! Michael works at the Sheboygan South High School and he's been brainstorming some creative ways to capitalize on the high levels of school spirit they have by brining as many students together as possible to work on a project for the whole school community. That led him to apply for our grant and we're excited to be able to help out!
Located in one of Wisconsin's most populous cities, Michael supports a pretty large student body. In fact, there are over 50 clubs and teams at the school and most students participate in something. For that reason, Michael has been looking to create an opportunity to bring all of these students together on a deeper level—beyond the fact that they participate in different activities. Eventually, he formed a very creative idea of leading efforts to build an interactive mural for display in the school. His idea definitely has some strong Maker Movement vibes and this initiative should certainly help students come together!
Michael even has an idea for where the interactive mural will go once students finish building it—right in the entry hallway of the school. His idea is a pretty big one, so Michael decided to research some grants for teachers and came across ours. Since the mural will be pretty big, it made sense for him to research grant opportunities to help with costs. Now, he's working with students from multiple art classes on the design and eventual construction of the mural. Ultimately, it will represent every student club and activity at the school with elements from each program going into the design and eventual finished product. It's definitely a pretty cool way to generate excitement and boost inclusion.
Michael is planning for the mural to be completely interactive and include both lights and sounds. He's also having students consider potential updates to the mural later on or how students in future years might want to add to it. Incorporating these open-ended features is very unique in STEAM education and a great opportunity for students to really plan out the project so that it remains sustainable in the long run. Once they receive all the materials, it will be the art students who do the bulk of the designing. They'll be collaborating with students from all the different clubs and teams to learn what they each want to include. Then, they'll base their initial design off of those conversations.
As part of the grant, we'll be sending Michael and his students some Electric Paint jars and accessories. Using these MakerEd tools from Bare Conductive, students will create an ever-changing mural to ensure everyone feels seen and represented. The art students who design the mural will also use different recording methods. This will allow them to highlight and celebrate specific attributes and student achievements associated with each activity. Since the student body at Sheboygan South High School is so diverse, Michael also sees a ton of value in students working with peers they don't normally get to collaborate with. It's this collaboration and camaraderie, in his mind, that will ultimately make designing and displaying this mural a success!
There's also another reason for Michael conjuring up this idea to represent the school's students. In his application, he noted how there's a district-wide sense of pride in being trendsetters in both academics and inclusion. Part of this involves using technology to advance learning opportunities and enhance the daily student experience. Students have led other technology projects in the past but, in creating an interactive mural like the one they're currently planning, this will be the first of its kind. It's another valuable opportunity, in Michael's eyes, to model the 4 Cs—collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. Since it perfectly aligns with promoting future readiness and social-emotional learning, we can't wait to see how the project turns out!
We thank Michael for applying for our technology grant and, once again, congratulate him on his selection! Whether you're looking for makerspace grants, specific classroom robots, or any other STEM solutions, we encourage you to apply for the next award. The application for the February award is now open and will close on Feb. 20. If you have questions about the program or which STEAM tools from our store you should request, please reach out. And, if you've never applied for a grant before, now's the perfect time! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more.
