When she learned that her school had won a 2012-2013 Sharing the Dream grant, writing teacher Lisa Stott whooped with excitement. “I was overwhelmed with emotion. I ran to my colleagues and gave them the news.”
The grant was awarded to Wetherbee School in Lawrence, MA, for “Movement through Memorial,” a project Stott designed for 8th graders to explore, through writing and reflection, the concepts of resilience and self-determination. This coming May, Stott’s students will visit the 9/11 Memorial in New York City—a trip Stott organized to help mostly low-income students realize that, like many others around the world facing hardship and loss, they have the strength and courage to move forward in positive ways. After the trip, students will create memorials of their own for an exhibit open to families
“It will be a life changing experience for our students,” said Wetherbee’s principal, Colleen Lennon. “It will help them understand the importance of remembering people who sacrificed for others, and who changed the world as we know it.”
SHARING THE DREAM FROM COAST TO COAST
From the city of Lawrence to rural Harrington, Washington (pop. 400), 25 schools representing every region in America were awarded $5,000 grants for projects that take students—and families—to places, and heights of learning, they’ve never been before.
2012-2013 Sharing the Dream Schools: Where Are They?
Fifth graders at Lyndale Community School in Minneapolis, MN, are learning Arabic, and videoconferencing with Lebanese school children to learn more about their culture and traditions. “This is my third year teaching,” said Rita Farah, who leads the Arabic Project at the school, “and we have already accomplished more than we ever have before because of the grant”
Students at other Sharing the Dream schools are making garden sculptures inspired by cultural traditions; touring embassies in Washington, D.C.; interacting with students in Chengu, China; and producing short films that explore themes of citizen activism around the world.
“We are using Skype to contact U.S. soldiers in the Middle East to learn more about the countries in which they are serving,” said J. Michael Caywood, principal of Holland Elementary in Fort Wayne, IN. Students at Holland are also collecting supplies for children living in war-torn regions.
Some schools are expanding their international programming with a Dream grant, while others are taking their first steps to building a safe, welcoming school climate with cultural fairs and outreach to immigrant families.
“The Sharing the Dream grant is giving us an opportunity to expand our school garden to an international theme,” said Anne Lupo at North Elementary in Morgantown, WV. “Our students will be traveling around the world online researching climates and cuisines, and what produce might grow well here in West Virginia and why.”
North Elementary’s world garden project celebrates the 51 languages and 48 countries represented at the school. “We hope this project motivates our international families to be more involved.”
THE JOURNEY HAS ONLY BEGUN
“To be selected for this grant is such an honor,” said Janet Baldwin, principal of Stetser Elementary in Chester, PA. Like many schools, Stetser is feeling the pinch of deep budget cuts. “Our resources are extremely limited, but we have an incredible staff, ingenuity, an Internet connection, and the Sharing the Dream grant, and now Stetser students are exploring and learning about children all over the world.”
In recent weeks, 5th graders studying the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation have widened their examination of the quest for freedom by researching the Apartheid system of racial segregation in South Africa. Baldwin and her team are working to establish a connection with a school in South Africa so that Stetser students can learn from students there about the nation’s history.
“Our culminating family event in late February is a ‘Wax Museum’ where our children will dress in character and share stories of their perspectives on events that led to freedom in the United States and South Africa. We are so excited and have only begun this incredible journey.”
______________________________________________________
To see the complete list of 2012-2013 Sharing the Dream grant winners, click here.
Interested in applying for 2013-2014 Sharing the Dream grant? Now’s the time to plan your project! Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions to get started on your proposal and view last year’s application package as an example. Be notified when grant proposals for 2013-2014 are being accepted by following our blog.
Simply enter your email address and click the Follow the Sharing the Dream blog button on the right side of this page, and all our posts and news alerts will be sent to you via email.
Sharing the Dream Grant Program 
1 Response to “25 Schools Across the U.S. Win Sharing the Dream Grants”