Welcome to The Impact II Web Site!
The Bridge To Creativity in Learning
1996-97
GETTING TO KNOW US
A BRIEF HISTORY
The WESTCHESTER/ROCKLAND IMPACT II Program represents a network of school districts working through Southern Westchester BOCES to provide funds which enable teachers to share creative and effective educational programs. Initially funded by an Exxon Education Foundation Grant, Impact II currently operates with donations of monies and in-kind services from Westchester and Rockland businesses and local school districts. This affiliation of Westchester and Rockland counties has enabled the program to span the Hudson River, thereby connecting teachers from many individual districts.
In a day of tight budgets and shrinking resources, teachers are challenged with creatively dealing with both instructional and social issues. IMPACT II helps to meet these challenges. Learning all the exciting results produced by the IMPACT II network in nearby New York City, and in Houston, Texas, Rockland County began its program in 1984 to help give dedicated teachers the recognition they richly deserved, and the opportunity to share innovative ideas with other educators. After a successful first year, Rockland joined with Southern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Ser vices to form a collaborative, thereby expanding the pool of creative and effective educators who could participate in the newly formed Westchester/Rockland IMPACT II alliance.
HOW IMPACT II IS MAKING ITS IMPACT
Recent research findings indicate that bright, creative young people do not consider the teaching profession a viable career path. More and more frequently, exemplary teaching professionals opt to leave education. Individuals remaining in teaching have lost much of their initial enthusiasm. IMPACT II serves to ameliorate this phenomenon.
WESTCHESTER/ROCKLAND IMPACT II supports a host of activities which include funding developer grants, adaptor/replicator grants, and projected grants for research development projects. IMPACT II stipends allow grant winners to demonstrate their programs through teacher centers, college and university courses, fairs and catalog dissemination. Training on how to present a workshop is given to all grant winners, and many of these staff members have been spurred on to become mentors or teacher trainers both in their own schools and in other districts. This type of recognition raises the teachers' self-esteem, reduces the sense of isolation in their profession, and keeps the spark of creativity kindled.
WESTCHESTER/ROCKLAND IMPACT II predicates its philosophy on recognizing exemplary teacher-developed programs as a necessary vehicle which transmits enrichment to the teaching profession. The motto of IMPACT II is Take An Idea and Go Creative. This theme is currently networking teachers from coast to coast and we are proud to be a part of this growing IMPACT II community.
HOW TO USE THIS ONLINE CATALOG
THE CONTENT
This catalog contains profiles of the sixteen exemplary programs chosen for 1996-97 Westchester/Rockland IMPACT II Developer Grant awards. These profiles describe school- based projects which can be shared with other teachers in the Westchester/Rockland network who wish to adapt these programs in their own classrooms.
PROGRAM PROFILES
Each profile is arranged to give the prospective adaptor teacher all the information necessary for initial contact with the developer teacher.
THE PROGRAM - a brief description of the program, including subject area, content and objectives
THE STUDENT - a description of the students who have been part of the program, with suggestions for adaptability
THE STAFF - information about the developer and the staffing needs of the program
MATERIALS/FACILITIES - a description of the materials and facilities needed to implement the program
OUTSIDE RESOURCES - recommendations and suggestions for outside resources
OVERALL VALUE - an insight into the effectiveness of the program, and its contribution to education
RECOMMENDED FUNDING - developers suggest reasonable funding of their programs for potential adaptors
ADAPTOR AWARDS - An Adaptor Award application is provided at the back of this catalog for your use. Please duplicate and share it, and this catalog, with your colleagues. Please note: The maximum Adaptor Award is $200.00. Programs which require a higher funding level are indicated with an asterisk (*). These programs will receive the maximum award, but will require supplemental support.