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Show-Me Careers Educator Experience
Show-Me Careers Educator Experience, a program of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, provided CPS educators with firsthand experience to learn about the workforce skills needed to be successful in today’s workplace. The program’s goal is to expose students to career opportunities by bringing teachers, counselors and administrators into advanced manufacturing, technology, healthcare and other targeted job sites where employers have identified a need to develop a career pipeline for area youth.
$12,500
$2,500 to each CPS school to celebrate 25 years
CPSF celebrated its 25th anniversary by awarding each Columbia Public School (CPS) with a $2,500 grant. The Foundation visited all CPS elementary, middle and high school buildings throughout the month of April to award the funds. The funds come directly from the Kay McLeod donation, a $1 million donation from the estate of Kay McLeod. McLeod was a lifelong public school teacher who began her career with the Columbia Public Schools. Funds are to be used in keeping with the Foundation’s mission to enhance and enrich public education.
NAO Robotics
A Fine Arts Collaboration with Special Education and Practical Arts. This project proposes that district coordinators and specific practical arts and fine arts teachers use NAO robots to implement a project-oriented pedagogy characterized by hands-on experimentation. Computer Programming & Music teachers will use NAO to integrate team work, project management, problem-solving and communication skills and “choreography” in a stimulating setting that is engaging and exciting for students. Teachers will also use NAO to develop interdisciplinary projects. Students participating in the program will have the opportunity to focus on problem-solving and exploratory learning by working in teams to actively engage in challenges and discover solutions. Students gain hands-on experience using NAO, and, when used in the lab, they discover exciting topics such as locomotion, grasping, audio and video signal processing, voice recognition, and much more.
Summer Expedition
Gifted center, all Elementary Schools
Grant Funds Requested: $1,800
More than Child’s Play
Rock Bridge Elementary: This program is designed to work with special needs students and expands the curriculum by providing hands-on activities to support literacy instruction for alternative learners.
Grant Funds Requested: $1,631
Writing Right
Russell Elementary – Portable keyboards will help increase learning disabilities students’ motivation, expression and confidence in the area of writing. The keyboards, which are equipped with a text-to-speech function allowing students to hear their written work, will enable students to learn skills that they will be using throughout their school careers.
Grant Funds Requested: $3,034
Carpe Diem
Establishes a custom manufacturing operation to impact students at all levels, including students with educational and behavioral disabilities.
Grant Funds Requested: $8,000