LOCAL
TEACHER AWARDED TOYOTA TAPESTRY GRANT
AWARDING SCIENTIFIC SUCCESS...Rachel Kuzmeskus Roberts (center), a teacher
at Pine Peace School in the U.S. Virgin Islands, who recently was awarded
a Toyota TAPESTRY grant, receives her certificate from Emma Walton (left),
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) president, and William E.
Pauli (right), national manager corporate contributions, Toyota Motor Sales,
U.S.A., Inc. Roberts is one of 50 teachers across the United States and
its territories -- and the first ever from the Virgin Islands -- to receive
a Toyota TAPESTRY grant for innovative science teaching. Recipients were
honored at the NSTA National Convention in Orlando, Fla.
SAINT
JOHN, U.S. Virgin Islands (April 6, 2000)...A local teacher's idea to create
a living curriculum based on local aquatic life has attracted a $10,000
TAPESTRY grant from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc.
Rachel Kuzmeskus Roberts, a Pine Peace School teacher, is one of 50 winners
nationwide to receive a 2000 Toyota TAPESTRY grant. Funded by Toyota and
administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the grants
total nearly $500,000 and enhance the teaching of science in areas of environmental
education and physical science. Roberts' project was selected by a panel
of science educators from more than 700 proposals.
Toyota TAPESTRY is the largest K-12 science teacher grant program in the
country. Since the program's inception in 1990 it has awarded teaching
grants totaling nearly $4 million to teachers in 48 states, as well as
the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"In the past 10 years, innovative TAPESTRY projects have been awarded throughout
the United States and its territories -- in urban and rural areas -- to
393 teams of teachers," said Gloria Jahn, TMS Corporate Manager Corporate
Philanthropy and Internal Communications. "Toyota is proud to be a part
of a program that directly supports teachers' creativity with their students
and in their communities."
Roberts' fifth- and sixth-grade science students will monitor coral transplant
sites through a series of monthly field trips. Each trip will involve snorkeling
at the sites, observing the coral transplants, collecting and recording
data on the health of each piece, and documenting each piece by taking
photographs using digital cameras with underwater casings. The students'
findings will culminate in life-cycle books, posters, a Web page, guidebooks
and workshops for the community.
Roberts teaches fourth- through sixth grade science and math at Pine Peace
School, where she has been teaching for one year. Collaborating on the
project are Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park; Canon USA, Inc.;
National Park Foundation; Virgin Islands Environmental Research Station;
and the Virgin Islands National Park.
"NSTA is pleased to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this wonderful program
with the announcement of the 50 winners for the year 2000," said Emma Walton,
president of NSTA. "We congratulate the awardees and thank Toyota for supporting
innovative science education at the grass roots level through its partnership
with NSTA."
NSTA, headquarters in Arlington, Va., is dedicated to improving science
education at all levels. Its 50,000-plus membership includes science teachers,
science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry
representatives.
Toyota TAPESTRY is just one program that demonstrates Toyota's commitment
to education. In 1999, Toyota contributed more than $16.9 million to U.S.
charities, with more than 60 percent funding education.
National
Science Teacher Association
National Science Teacher Association
Project Description
REEF Project
Project Director: Rachel Kuzmeskus Roberts
Pine Peace School
PO Box 1657
Saint John, VI 00831
Phone: 340-776-6595
E-mail: REEFproject@hotmail.com
Staff: Rebecca Bremser,
Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park (FVINP)
Budget: $10,000.00
Through several integrated strands of academic, experiential,
and community service work, the REEF Project creates a living curriculum on
local aquatic life for 20 students of Pine Peace School on the island of Saint
John for the 2000-2001 academic year. The project involves students in research,
study, practice, teamwork, reflection, community participation, and presentation
of their work to the school, community, and world beyond this small island. The
project was inspired by the Coral Transplant Project, a local initiative
studying the effects of "transplanting" fast-growing coral species on
reefs surrounding Saint John. The REEF Project greatly expands upon this local
initiative and gets students involved in the work of reclaiming the environment.
Toyota TAPESTRY Grants
Funded by Toyota and administered by
the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the Toyota TAPESTRY program is
the nation's largest grant competition for kindergarten through 12th grade
science teachers. Since 1991, Toyota has invested more than $3.4 million to fund
original and imaginative science programs involving 343 teams of teachers
nationwide. Annually, 50 grants of up to $10,000 each are given to individual
teachers or teams of teachers to bring innovative science programs to the
classroom and community. For more information or an application, please write:
NSTA/Toyota TAPESTRY
1840 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201-3000
1-800-807-9852 (800 # in operation between August and late January)