April 23, 2021 – Salisbury, MD – Schools in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties received $20,016 in grant funding through the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s 2021 Education Award Grants Program to help them get through the second half of this challenging school year. With schools fluctuating between in-person, virtual and hybrid schedules, students and teachers have been faced with a host of unique hurdles. Many teachers have gotten creative, transforming their curriculum into virtual programming. Others have adopted a variety of methods to make in-person learning safer. All their efforts come with a cost, and CFES hopes to help ease the burden.
“The creativity and willingness to adapt we have seen really highlights the passion our local educators have for their students,” states Erica Joseph, Community Foundation President. “We are proud to support these learning opportunities for Lower Shore students.”
Education Awards are typically made annually through a competitive process to public and private grade schools on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. Grants are made to those schools that have developed innovative programs to enhance education and improve the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of their students and communities. For 2021, a mid-year grant round was added. The following mix of virtual and in-person programs received Education Awards grants:
Berlin Intermediate School will purchase paint supply kits to send home to students for virtual arts programs.
Faith Baptist School will outfit a new Summer STEM classroom to comply with CDC guidelines.
Salisbury Christian School will create a sensory walkway for students in school to help with behavioral problems.
Salisbury School will purchase age-appropriate games and tools for the school counselors and purchase additional supplies for the Maker Space Carts to create COVID-19 safe sharing practices.
Washington Academy High School will start a virtual Project Lit group for students and community members to read and discuss carefully selected books that focus on important social and cultural issues.
Berlin Intermediate School used a CFES Education Awards Grant to purchase paint supply kits so students could participate in virtual arts programs from home.
St. Francis de Sales Catholic School will expand the outdoor classroom space by adding a sandbox to be used for sensory education, and the supplies needed to keep it safe and sanitized.
The Wicomico County Board of Education will purchase supplies for the new English Language Learning Center serving ELL students from Wicomico County in a hybrid format.
Parkside High School will purchase Go-Pros for students to borrow to demonstrate virtually to their instructors and classmates their culinary knowledge from their home kitchens.
Glen Avenue Elementary School will enhance its outdoor learning space, to include painting a US Map on the blacktop, a number grid game, and a sensory pathway.
Prince Street Elementary School will purchase additional technology for the World Music Program to make music technology compatible with virtual learning.
Wicomico County Public Schools TAD Program will create a podcast program for TAD students to plan, write and deliver their own podcasts.
Salisbury Middle School will turn the school courtyards into “Sensoryscapes” for returning students, to help with mental health, mindfulness, and education.
Pocomoke Middle School will launch the Hide and Go Read initiative, which includes goodie bags for a scavenger hunt style program that incentivizes reading.
Worcester County Public Schools will provide voice amplifiers to multiple county schools so choral groups can continue to sing while using voice masks.
Pocomoke Middle School will purchase books for a culturally responsive, social and emotional needs project.
Snow Hill High School will purchase a variety of supplies, including costume materials to be hand-crafted, and set props for the theatre program to put on a virtually streamed production.
