The gardens grows.
Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, August 15, 2018
(BEDFORD) - Ten lucky teachers are heading back to school with a gold star and an extra $5,000 in their pockets. Including Jamie Hooten, who teaches at Lincoln Elementary School.
To support its ongoing commitment to cultivate a curiosity and love of learning in the next generation of scientists, Orkin implemented its first-ever Start With Science Innovation Challenge, a contest that encouraged teachers to submit their most innovative insect-inspired projects to DonorsChoose.org. Of the 1,588 projects submitted, the top ten "most innovative" were selected, by a curated panel of judges, to receive a $5,000 gift card for additional classroom needs.
The gardens grows.
"It's important to our country's future that we make a positive educational impact on the youth in our communities," said Cam Glover, Managing Director Marketing, Orkin. "Our partnership with DonorsChoose.org has been a perfect fit, and we look forward to further inspiring students and teachers nationwide through our Start With Science program."
Through the Start With Science Innovation Challenge, Orkin matched citizen donations up to $3,000 and provided $236,000 in total funds to help more than 75,000 U.S. students. An amazing 845 classroom projects were fully funded, supporting hands-on experience learning about insects, and more than 700 pre-K through high school teachers received classroom materials.
Students working in the gardens this spring at Lincoln Elementary School, with Mrs. Hooten supervising.
From gardening projects to superhero builds to edible curriculums, creativity among submissions was in abundance. Below are the details of Mrs. Hooten's project - Having a Buggy, Good Time with Stem.
The donated magnifying glasses, bug investigation kits and bug catchers enabled Mrs. Hooten's class to further understand the benefits of the insects in their school garden.
Students planting seeds
"My students have turned into little scientists who are insect enthusiasts," said Mrs. Hooten. "They now understand that bugs have a purpose in our environment and they can hold conversations about investigating bugs. Since I was able to use the donated items from the project in both my fifth-grade classroom and my after-school gardening club, more than 100 students are more knowledgeable on entomology in their agricultural environment."
DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that allows public school teachers to post requests for classroom project materials, which are fulfilled by citizen donors. Orkin formed its partnership with the organization in 2014 to put classroom materials directly in the hands of students to help children become passionate about science. To date, Orkin has donated more than $850,000 to fund projects through DonorsChoose.org.
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