2024 DEF Innovative Teaching Grant Recipients

Bay Colony Elementary

• “Enhancing Community Engagement Through Art” - $9,585 awarded to Heather Petway, Hillary Baker, Janette Magdaleno, Rebecca Thomas, Kimi White
• “Smartboard Symphony!” – $5,740 awarded to Brook Morgan
• “The Book Machine: Get Your Next Read in a Snap!” – $8,000 awarded to Ginny Canales

Calder Road Elementary

• “Kids Learn Through Sensory Play” – $3,575 awarded Leann Huston, Marisha Ausmus, Laura Adams, Jennifer Manuel, Liz Marcciano, Dawn Pitre, Brianna Birdwell
• “Rolling Creativity: Enhancing Elementary Art” – $1,625 awarded to Allexandra Morales
• “Knowledge Kiosk” – $8,000 awarded to Madeline Gleeson
• “Safe Swamp: Calming Your Chomp at the Swamp” – $1,230 awarded to Kim Jackson and Courtney Cunningham

Hughes Road Elementary

• “Career Cafe 2.0” – $1,350 awarded to Jennefer Bell
• “Bright Beginnings: Empowering Early Literacy” – $5,000 awarded to Andie Masiel
• “Bringing Stories to Life with Tonieboxes” – $1,110 awarded to Kassandra Long
• “Precision Learning Stations” – $2,500 awarded to Brian Hopkins
• “Incubating Curiosity and Egg-Citing Learning” – $100 awarded to Kassandra Long, Erin Koehler, Lindy McGee, Sarah Tidwell, Amy Diaz, Emily Daiello

K.E. Little Elementary

• “Storytelling Sparks” – $1,200 awarded to Holly Casey

Lobit Elementary

• “The Greater Gator Con” – $1,925 awarded to Sheri Howard
• “Third Grade Thrills: A Podcast for Budding Bookworms” – $1,900 awarded to LaTisha Watson
• “Engagement in RLA” – $300 awarded to Jaycie Harmon, Emily Lumpkin, Jennifer Payne, Lisa Yates, Melissa Matranga, Chantelle Demunbrun

Silbernagel Elementary

• “Orff We Go! Elementary Music Supplies” – $7,600 awarded to Kelsey Helton, Landon Peterson, Jeremy Trevino, Darnel Mafnas, Angela Guidry, Melanie Wiggen, Jasmine Pulliam, Ashley Brown, Tyler McCord
• “Voices Unlocked: Empowering Non-Verbal Learners” – $3,500 awarded to Tammy Wright, Sarah Jackson, Lus Pelaez

Barber Middle School

• “We Like to Move It, Move It!” – $2,010 awarded to Jenna McClung

Dunbar Middle School

• “Science is “Ready to Learn” – $3,000 awarded to Nicole Marak
• “We are the “CHOMP”-ions Multilingual Broadcasting Initiative” – $900 awarded to Lauri Brown and Katashia Corpus

Lobit Middle School

• “High Access Low Barriers” – $1,500 awarded to Sheri Howard

Dickinson Junior High

• “Building Bridges to Literacy: Empowering Special Education” – $5,000 awarded to Ashlee Beagnyam
• “Building Math Mastery” – $7,000 awarded to Alberto Lujan and Lisa Ivy
• “Innovating the Future: Empowering Students Through Robotics” – $1,000 awarded to Lisa Ivy
• “Digital Literacy and Battle in the Swamp” – $2,485 awarded to Samantha Battleson
• “Pages of Positivity: Book Vending Machine” – $8,000 awarded to Christy Lynn

Kranz Junior High

• “Dickinson Gators Keep Calm and Play Chess” – $4,000 awarded to Aislinn Clinch, Crystal Pilcher, Travis Smith
• “Tracing Lights Boxes for the Art Room” – $1,025 awarded to Kimi White, Laura Pregeant, Rachel Sanchez
• “Leveling Up Literacy (at KJHS)” – $3,000 awarded to Delaney Daly

McAdams Junior High

• “Radiant Performances” – $10,000 awarded to Tara Jones, Kayla Holder, Abraham Villareal, John Hinojosa, Robert Baker, Rebekah Delgado

Dickinson High School

• “The Necessity of Restraint” – $7,200 awarded to Mitch Robinson
• “Prints by Gators” – $2,340 awarded to Elizabeth Coughlin
• “Dickinson’s Ultimate Drill Book” – $3,500 awarded to Robert Wang, Trevor Braselton, Risa Hsu, Alex Hedden, Todd Sommer
• “Building Bridges with VR” – $6,310 awarded to Melissa Miller
• “Rainbows of Light in DISD Fine Arts” – $5,000 awarded to Roxanne Sheffield, Laurel Powell, Marisa Hataway, Zach Foster, Gracie Stutterheim, Brianne Sisson, Trevor Braselton
• “CTE Department Practicum Teachers - All Pathways” – $2,500 awarded to Kristin Stewart
• “Training Tomorrow’s Teachers with DSD Literacy Curriculum” – $7,290 awarded to Annlyn Gunn
• “Beyond the Blink” – $6,020 awarded to Krystal Clay

Dickinson Continuation Center

• “Bytes of Brilliance: Empowering Learners, Unlocking Potential Through Technology” – $7,080 awarded to Emily Faulk