Batesville, IN – The further integration of technology into the classrooms at the Batesville Community School Corporation (BCSC) seemed to be the theme of the grants chosen for funding by the board of directors of the Batesville Community Education Foundation (BCEF) during its spring award cycle, according to executive director Anne Wilson. This biannual program by BCEF allows up to $5,000 to be awarded each fall and spring to projects selected by a committee of reviewers.
Grants awarded include:
• Fully funded Batesville Middle School (BMS) seventh-grade teacher Travis Smith’s request for a two-year subscription to IXL for social studies. According to the IXL website, it is an online personalized learning platform that combines curriculum, individual guidance, and real-time analytics to help teachers differentiate instruction
• Partially funded was a request from the Batesville High School (BHS) English department for iPads and Apple Pencils to be used during Close Reading lessons, which engage the students in delving into text in a deeper manner. The equipment will also be used for other creative English activities.
• Partially funded was a grant application from BHS engineering and technology teacher Craig Hughes for new VEX V5 Robotics Kits for the engineering courses and VEX Robotics Competition teams.
• Partially funded was a grant by Batesville Intermediate School (BIS) teacher Tricia McPherson to create a student-driven monthly digital newsletter by fifth-grade students.
