Milford Teachers to Pursue Extraordinary Summer Learning Programs
Fund For Teachers Organization Awards Grants for Intensive Teaching Experiences
MILFORD – While students will be enjoying their summer vacations four Milford Public Schools teachers will be ‘in school’ – but not in their familiar school settings. Deborah Rogers, Laura Murphy, Susan Rodrigues, and Michelle Ryan will travel across the globe in what can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience as recipients of fellowship opportunities from the national Fund for Teachers organization.
Fund for Teachers provides fellowships for teachers to self-design and embark on summer professional growth experiences. To be eligible, teachers must have been teaching full time for at least three years. Individual teachers may request up to $5,000 for support and teams of teachers may request up to $10,000. Dalio Education is the funding partner supporting all Fund for Teachers grant recipients in Connecticut. A total of 77 teachers from Connecticut will embark on their fellowship opportunities this summer.
As part of the application process, candidates must detail the type of opportunity they seek, the scope of their requests, and the resulting impact of their learning upon returning to their classrooms in the fall. Upon completion of their fellowships, grant recipients join teachers from around the country to participate in mentorships, affinity circles, and innovation grants. The Milford contingent will pursue the following experiences this summer:
Deborah Rogers (STEM, Orange Avenue): will travel to Portugal to investigate the effects of natural and human impact on erosion in coastal communities. She will interview local researchers and the director of the EPA and take photos/videos of impacted areas. Her goal is to integrate her findings into enhancements for the Grade 3-5 units of study.
Susan Rodrigues and Laura Murphy (Kindergarten, Mathewson): will travel to Barcelona with the goal of gaining new insights into designing play-based learning opportunities for their students. This is the second Fund for Teachers fellowship the team has received; in 2018 the pair traveled to Italy where they studied the concept of mindfulness.
Michelle Ryan (Culinary Arts, Jonathan Law HS): will travel to Switzerland, Denmark, and Iceland for an intensive baking program where she will learn more about perfecting student instruction on laminated dough, pastries, Danishes, chocolates and dairy-based desserts.
“We are proud of our Milford teaching professionals – and their efforts to continue to improve their practice in the classroom,” Dr. Anna Cutaia, Superintendent of Schools, commented. “This is yet another example that proves ‘learning never ends’ – whether you are a student in a classroom – or an adult with dozens of degrees. I look forward to hearing more about their experiences and how they may impact teaching and learning across the district.”
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