AEP Teacher Vision Grants from Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) will enable two Caddo Parish teachers to improve student learning in the classroom.
Matthew Murry, a sixth-grade English teacher at Donnie Bickham Middle School, and Dr. Alexis Morris, a fifth-grade teacher at Riverside Elementary, each received a $500 grant for classroom projects.
“This grant means a lot to my students and me,” Murry said.
Murry is using the money to upgrade presentation technology in his classroom, while Morris plans to purchase telescopes, DNA kits and a host of other tools for science experiments.
Morris said for the past three years, she has taught a STEM-based English and language arts class. Part of that curriculum is a study called “The Making of a Scientist” by Dr. Richard Feynman. She is eager to have her students utilize the scientific process and experience hands-on science during it.
Murry said the new projector for his classroom would allow his students to use technology to practice language and writing skills in a way they have not been able to before.
The AEP Teacher Vision Grant program launched in 2003 to provide aid ranging from $100 to $500 to classroom teachers.
“These grants are designed to reward the talents and creativity of Pre-K through grade 12 educators devoted to motivating youth to think creatively, to step into leadership roles and to address the challenges of the future,” said SWEPCO External Affairs Manager Michael Corbin.
Educators who live or teach in the SWEPCO service area or in communities with major SWEPCO facilities are eligible to apply for the mini-grants. Projects that have an academic focus and a goal of improving student achievement are eligible for consideration. SWEPCO has a special interest in science, mathematics, technology, electrical safety and the balanced study of energy and the environment.
For more information on the AEP Teacher Vision Grant program and other SWEPCO education initiatives, see www.aep.com/community/TeachersAndStudents/