NWA Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants

National Weather Association (NWA)
SOL HIRSCH EDUCATION FUND GRANTS

Congratulations to the ten teachers winning the Sol Hirsch NWA Education Fund Grants for 2008! These were announced at the 33rd NWA Annual Awards Luncheon on 15 October:

Cliff Hudson, Williamston High School, Williamston, NC

Mary Jean Johnston, Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center, Punxsutawney, PA

Bev McKillip, Elkhorn Valley School, Tilden, NE

Ronette Oller, Fort Middle School, Columbus, GA

Susan Parker, Buckland Elementary School, Gates, NC

Teresa Root, St. Mary of the Lake School, White Bear Lake, MN

Timothy Sheehan, Sangamon County Juvenile Center, Community Transition Program, Springfield, IL

Clara Shoe, Foster Elementary School, Tampa, FL

Lisa Sims, Zellwood Elementary School, Zellwood, FL

Leslie Stafford, Manual Junior Preparatory School, Peoria, IL

Over fifty grant applications were received from great teachers all across the country. NWA Education Committee members — Sol Hirsch, Eleanor Vallier-Talbot, Jeffrey Tongue, Faith Borden, Paul Croft, Tom Ervin, Tony Lupo, Donald Price, Shelley Sink and Richard Snow — had a very tough time determining the winners, but ten made it to the top, were approved by President John Scala and were sent congratulatory letters and $500 checks. Special thanks to all teachers who applied and best wishes in all your initiatives — improving education in the atmospheric and related sciences. Congratulations again to the grant winners!

$500 grants are available annually from the NWA for teachers in grades K-12 to improve the education of their students in Meteorology.

Applications are due by 15 June each year.

The NWA Education Committee needs help from all members to spread the word to teachers in grades K-12 that $500 grants are available annually from the NWA to help improve the education of their students in meteorology. The teachers selected will be able to use the funds to take an accredited course in atmospheric sciences, attend a relevant workshop or conference, or purchase scientific materials or equipment for the classroom. Seven grants or more are possible each year (since 2004) thanks to the many members who have contributed to this fund in honor of Sol Hirsch who retired in 1992 after being the NWA Executive Director for 11 years.

Completed applications are due to the Education Committee by 15 June each year.

Application Procedures:

Teachers, program directors, school district supervisors and other individuals or groups proposing to improve the education of K-12 students in meteorology may submit an application. The application will consist of a NWA cover form and a two-page proposal.

NWA Proposal Cover Form is available at Website page — NWA Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grant Application Form. If you cannot copy the form from the Website, please contact the NWA office by phone at: (919) 845-1546 or by e-mail at: exdir@nwas.org and copies of the application cover form will be sent to you by mail or fax.

Proposal Length — Please limit length of the proposal description and rationale to no more than two double-spaced typed pages.

Proposal Description — Provide a thorough description of activities in the project. Include the details of how the money will be spent. The awards committee will place a high value on the creativity and expected impact of the project/scholarship. If applying for a Grant for equipment and supplies - Specify the equipment, materials and supplies required and how they will be used to enhance class study of weather (atmospheric sciences). How many students and faculty will be involved? Will this project be part of an ongoing effort, a new project or have partial funding from another source? If applying for a Grant for Individual Scholarship for continuing education courses or conference attendance – Specify how the proposed course work, seminar participation, meeting attendance or other instructional activity will benefit the teacher in instructing weather (atmospheric sciences) to students.

Proposal Rationale — Explain the need for such a project or course work and explain the potential benefits to the children involved.

Completed applications are due by 15 June each year via regular mail to:
NWA Education Committee
228 W. Millbrook Road
Raleigh, NC 27609-4304

Winners will be announced at the NWA Annual Meeting held in mid-October each year. Grants will be mailed to the selected teachers/schools soon thereafter and names of winners will be posted on this Web page.

If you need further information, please contact the NWA office at exdir@nwas.org or Tel/Fax: (919) 845-1546.

Past Winners of the NWA Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants


2007 — Chris Campbell, Simsboro School, Simsboro, Louisiana
                Terri Cloyde, Madill Elementary School, Madill, Oklahoma
                Scott MP Hawbaker, Depew Middle School, Depew, New York
                Linda R. Hogan, Lake Ridge Middle School, Gary, Indiana
                Deb Hurst, Mills Elementary School, Austin, Texas
                Dana K. Kelly, Highlands Grove Elementary, Lakeland, Florida
                Veronica Krautheim,  Multimedia & Visual Arts School, Crawford Educational Complex, San Diego, California
                Betsy Moore, Goodridge Elementary School, Hebron, Kentucky
                J. Christine Paulsell, Jefferson East Curriculum Center, Covington, Louisiana
                Cindy Wilson-Hyde, Gulliver Academy, Coral Gables, Florida

2006 — Karen Ashton, Dr. John Long Middle School, Wesley Chapel, Florida.
                Vickie Blankenship, East McDowell Junior High School, Marion, North Carolina.
                Regina Brinker, Christensen Middle School, Livermore, California.
                Robert L. Dospoy, Harmony Elementary School, Westover, Pennsylvania.
                Sherry Goldman,Floranada Elementary School, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
                Joyce Hembree, Mark Twain Elementary School, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
                Kathleen Jerome, STAR Academy, Lillington, North Carolina.
                Kathy K. Lineberger, Marvin Ward Elementary School, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
                Ros Won, Marymount School of New York, New York City.
                Way Yuhl, Flagstaff Children's Museum, Flagstaff, Arizona.

2005 — Marla Baldwin, Gillis Elementary School, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
                Gene Bush, Clay Hill Elementary School, Jacksonville, Florida.
                Karen DeBartolo, Saint Mark's Christian School, Middleburgh, New York.
                Erik Wood Fogel, Bronx Preparatory Charter School, Bronx, New York.
                Linda Militello, P.S. 84 Erie County Health Care Center, Buffalo, New York.
                Mary Ann Nakamoto,Churchill Elementary School, Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
                Caprice Potter, Gateway School, Santa Cruz, California.
                Catherine Ryan, Alvin High School, Alvin, Texas.
                Robert J. Stewart, Jr., Prince William County Juvenile Detention Center, Manassas, Virginia.

2004 — David W. Chapman, Okemos High School, Okemos, Michigan.
                Melanie DuBose, Valley Community Charter School, North Hills, California.
                Garland Jay Hart, Campbell Academy Challenge Cluster, Atlanta, Georgia.
                Peter Leinau, Jack L. Boyd Outdoor School, Fish Camp, California.
                Windy Linden, Reed Elementary School, Tiburon, California.
                Wendy McNeil, Dorothy B. Johnson Elementary School, Wilmington, North Carolina.
                Jennifer C. Williams, Isidore Newman School, New Orleans, Louisiana.

2003 — Cherie Edwards, Meadowlark Elementary School, Chinook, Montana.
                 Deborah J. Hargrove, LaVerna Evans Elementary School, O'Fallon, Illinois.
                 Kathy K. Lineberger, Marvin Ward Elementary School, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
                 Denise Scioli, Alternative Learning Center (Austin Independent School District), Austin, Texas.
                 John Schaefers, Ingomar Middle School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

2002 — Mary W. Altus, Brennan Elementary School, Columbia, South Carolina.
                Barbara A. Doughty, Saint Mary Elementary School, Norwalk, Ohio.
                James F. Dowling, Reading Muhlenberg Area Vocational School, Reading, Pennsylvania.
                Shannon Kleweno, Cedar Creek Elementary School, Olathe, Kansas.
                Rebecca J. Petrey, Kairos Academy, Newark, Ohio.

2001 — Chris Hockert, Clifton Hills Elementary School, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
                 Bernice Lowery, Langston Magnet School, Hot Springs, Arkansas.
                 Karen A. Vitek, Nassau Spackenkill School, Poughkeepsie, New York.

2000 — Susan J. Flores and Lynn Sillitoe, New Dominion Alternative School, Manassas, Virginia.
                 Marilyn M. Johnson, Umatilla-Morrow Education Service District, Pendleton, Oregon.
                 Catherine Sachse, Hudson Valley Circle of Learning, Rock Tavern, New York.

1999 — Jill Evans of the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in Fort Myers, Florida.
                 Peggy Morgan of Walnut Grove Elementary School in Ferguson, Missouri.
                 Arlene Scull of North Elementary School in Youngstown, Ohio.

1998 — Angela Marsan, Central Elementary School in Clewiston, Florida.
                Mary Beth Bauer, Ingram Tom Moore High School, Ingram, Texas.

1997 — Catherine Cavanaugh, Whitaker Center for Math, Science and Technology in Naples, Florida.
                Robyn Behen, Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Jefferson City, Missouri.
                Uri Harel, Hartland Elementary School in Hartland, Vermont. 

1996 — Leslie Demmert, Belleville, Illinois School District #118.
                Lisa Marie Gonzales, Thomas R. Pollicita Middle School in Daly City, California. 

1995 — Carrie Ann Lucas, Hopwood Junior High School in Chalan Piao, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
                Winnifred G. Bolinsky, Foglesville Elementary School in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
                Christina Wilder, Paul Revere Elementary School in San Francisco, California. 

1994 — Barbara Feller, Program Director of Science Station, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
                Jean M. Parker, Sacred Heart School in Boise, Idaho. 

1993 — Linda J. Wygoda, Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

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