2008/2009 The Pinnacle Fund Distributes More than $26,000 To Technology and Fine Arts Projects
PALM SPRINGS – Board members of The Pinnacle Fund of the Foundation for the Palm Springs Unified School District distributed more than $26,000 in grants to 21 arts and technology projects at the Board of Education meeting on March 10, 2009. Lead teachers for the projects, which range in cost from $500 to $5,000 each, received their funds from Foundation board members.
A total of 10 mini-grants of $500 each were awarded to classroom teachers at Landau and Rio Vista Elementary, Raymond Cree and James Workman Middle Schools, and Mount San Jacinto High School to fund projects in instructional technology, art appreciation, choir, improvisational theater, science through technology and a guitar elective program.
A total of eight “school wide” grants ranging from $550 to $1,000 were awarded to teachers at Sunny Sands Elementary (Cathedral City), Desert Hot Springs High School, Palm Springs High School; Desert Hot Springs Alternative Center, Ramon Alternative Center, and the District’s visual performing arts program for projects including an L.A. County Museum Art tour, moviemaking in school, dance, digital art and animation, musical theater and opera education.
Three $5,000 collaborative grants were awarded to Landau Elementary School, Sunny Sands and Palm Springs Unified. At Landau, the grant will be used for expansion of the “Art Within Reach” partnership with the Palm Springs Art Museum which provides art education and experiences for fourth grade students. The Sunny Sands grant will fund the “Educational Learning Magnificent Opportunities” (ELMO) project, which will provide six technology systems for kindergarten classrooms to enrich curriculum for English Language Learners. The District grant will provide teacher training and a mobile digital video production station for the DigiCom Challenge Project, aimed at producing student-created public service announcements to support the City of Palm Springs’ Sustainability Initiative.