The Saratoga Foundation for Innovative
Learning (SFIL) awarded seven grants to
fund innovative programming in the Saratoga
Springs City School District totaling almost
20,000. The grants were funded through donations
and proceeds from the event “Celebrate. Innovate.
Educate.” The grant recipients are:
Colleen Belanger for geocaching in Physical
Education in the amount of $3,470. The grant
will allow Saratoga students the opportunity to
explore geocaching and then work together to
create their own. Geocaching is a real-world,
outdoor game using GPS-enabled devices.
Samantha Decker for iPads in Foreign
Language in the amount of $5,470. The grant
will fund a set of iPads for the Maple Avenue
Foreign Language Department. The iPads offer
language students the opportunity to work
creatively on projects in ways that are not
possible on computers.
Judith Dorflinger and Dr. Greer Miller for
The Little Passports Program in the amount
of $3,208.25. The grant will fund the purchase
Little Passport Kits and supplies for the Little
Passports Program. The Little Passports program
will celebrate Division Street Elementary
School’s diversity by developing an educational
program that fosters global awareness.
Bridgette Gallagher and Damian Ubriaco for
“Our Saratoga Life” in the amount of $1,000.
The grant will provide recording equipment
for the project Our Saratoga Life. Students will
record podcasts and video podcasts that will
become publishable so that the school district
and community members can enjoy them.
Michael Gallagher and Educating Young
Engineers (EYE) for the expansion of Educating
Young Engineers in the amount of $1,000.
EYE held three sold-out Saturday engineering
programs during the 2014-15 school year. The
grant will help EYE expand their Saturday programming
by providing assistance to families
that cannot afford program fees.
Michael Gallagher and the Saratoga Inventor’s
Club for The Nitinol Heat Engine in the
amount of $5,000. The grant will provide half
of the costs needed for the creation of a Nitinol
Heat Engine. Nitinol is a Nickel and Titanium
alloy which possesses special and unique properties
that allow it to be trained to conform
to certain shapes at specific temperatures.
Technology students will exploit these properties
for the purpose of energy conversion in an
effort to develop a low cost, efficient, energy
producing system.
Mary Anne Fantauzzi for The IRIS Center of
Saratoga Springs High School in the amount
of $514.73. IRIS is an acronym for Immediate
Reinforcement Increases Success. The grant
will help the IRIS Center purchase and install
an interactive 27-foot by 6.5-foot chalkboard
painted wall to assist the teacher to be a mentor
and coach.
For more information, visit www.saratogalearning.org.