Empowering Multicultural Initiatives
To fund the 36-hour course offered through the EDCO collaborative of school systems in the greater Boston area. The course is designed to introduce participants to issues involved in recognizing and developing effective teaching strategies to improve the academic achievement of students of color and nurture the development of all students. Participants explore the current personal, cultural and structural meanings of race, ethnicity and culture, and how these issues affect the classrooms and school systems. This grant will enable 25 teachers and 4 administrators to attend this course.

Put Yourself in Their Shoes:
Connecting Students to History through Historical Fiction and Research
To purchase 50 new historical fiction books as well as complementary non-fiction print sources at a variety of reading levels to support student research into the historical time periods the fourth and fifth grades study. This grant will allow the Hardy School library to support both low and high level readers, promote a contemporary understanding of historical time periods through more realistic character development, and inspire students to read outside a favorite genre.

Supporting the Struggling Reader
To purchase books on tape and CD, to allow struggling readers in grades 3, 4 and 5 to listen along as they read silently during independent reading time at Hardy School. Teachers have reported that students demonstrated newfound interest in reading independently as well as an increased ability to sustain attention when listening while reading. It also allows students in grades 4 and 5 the ability to access grade appropriate literature in order to participate in class discussions. This enhances their thinking skills as well as deepens comprehension.

Expanding Knowledge beyond Our Library Walls
To fund the purchase of the JSTOR database to provide students with increased access to scholarly journal articles to use for research in their core classes. JSTOR offers researchers the ability to retrieve high-resolution, scanned images of journal issues and pages as they were originally designed, printed and illustrated. This will be particularly useful for juniors writing their junior thesis.

Purchase of CAD Software for Design Technology Course
To fund the purchase of modern CAD software for the WHS Sci/Tec Department. This software will allow students to gain a better understanding of how computer aided design is used to plan and design structures. It will be used primarily in the design technology course offered at WHS, but also opens up the possibility of more collaboration within WHS - for example design technology could collaborate with the performing arts program to design plans for sets and other structures for performance.

Purchase of Micropipettes and an Ice Machine
To fund the purchase of Micropipettes and an ice machine for the Biology Department. Students working with biomolecules require the ability to measure small volumes and to keep things cold. Small volumes are measured using micropipettes, which are carefully calibrated syringes. The department does not have a sufficient number of these to allow an entire class to work concurrently. In addition, the purchase of a small portable ice machine will allow the classes to keep experiments cold, a requirement for much of the work being done in the Biology classes.

A Picture is Worth One Thousand Words
To fund the purchase of a projection system for the clay room. The system will allow art teachers to efficiently and effectively display and use visuals for demonstrations as well as instructional purposes.

Mounted Overhead Projection System
To provide a mounted overhead projection system in a Social Studies classroom. The room is small and includes a pole. The overhead system will allow images to be seen by all students and would enhance many activities in this compromised room.