The Geraldine R. Dodge
"STEAM" grant is off to yet another enthusiastic start this school
year! In the works are a revised grant ‘name’, a new grant coordinator, new
participating schools, a wildly successful Summer STEAM Institute and much
more.
First, WPU Professor In Residence (PIR) Dina Scacchetti, the former Dodge Grant Coordinator under whose leadership the STEAM grant has verifiably flourished, is leaving her position to immerse herself in other areas of university programming and arts integration. Professor Heejung An, WPU College of Education Professor whose areas of expertise include educational technology, science, and STEAM education, is now transitioning into the Dodge Grant Director position. The Dodge Art Integration Grant program is part of the larger WPU PDS School Network led by Nancy Norris-Bauer.
Next, the former Dodge
"STEAM" grant ‘name’ has been revised to the newer and more inclusive
Dodge "Arts Integration* Grant.” This means teachers in ALL content
areas in the Paterson Public schools will be encouraged to participate as
opposed to only the STEM and Art teachers. This is great news for those
teaching bilingual/ESL, social studies, and language arts, for example.
The new participating schools this year are Don Bosco Technical Academy and Charles J. Riley/School 9. The
continuing schools are New Roberto Clemente School (NRC) and School 12. WPU Art PIR Triada Samaras will be the Art PIR at NRC and the
Don Bosco Technical Academy. Art PIR Simone Sandler will be the Art PIR at Charles
J. Riley/School 9 and
School 12. In
addition, several schools have been now named "alumni" schools.
Alumni Schools 2, 7, 29, School of Government, School of Information
Technology, and School of Culinary Arts will function as role models in grant sustainability.
Lastly, the 2017 Summer STEAM (Arts Integration) Workshop at WPU was a smashing success! This Institute was sponsored by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the WPU Office of Professional Development.
This was due to the hard work of former Dodge Grant Coordinator Dina Scacchetti, the many facilitators who presented a variety of intriguing, hands-on arts integration workshops, and the 50 participating teachers who came from 19 schools and participated so enthusiastically for two consecutive days during this thought-provoking event.
Each Summer STEAM Institute attendee received a binder full of STEAM Lesson Plans to take back to his/her school. (See photos below). This is the third consecutive year that WPU has hosted its own in-house (using only Dodge teachers and PIR’s) Summer STEAM Institute and its sixth year of hosting a Summer STEAM Institute in general.
First, WPU Professor In Residence (PIR) Dina Scacchetti, the former Dodge Grant Coordinator under whose leadership the STEAM grant has verifiably flourished, is leaving her position to immerse herself in other areas of university programming and arts integration. Professor Heejung An, WPU College of Education Professor whose areas of expertise include educational technology, science, and STEAM education, is now transitioning into the Dodge Grant Director position. The Dodge Art Integration Grant program is part of the larger WPU PDS School Network led by Nancy Norris-Bauer.
Above: from left to right:
Nancy Norris-Bauer, Director WPU PDS Schools; Professor Heeejung An, New Dodge Grant Director; Dina Scacchetti WPU PIR and Dodge Grant Director (2012-2017)
“An
interdisciplinary teaching practice through which non-arts and arts content is
taught and assessed equitably to deepen students’ understanding of both” (as defined in The Arts Integration User Guide for New
Jersey Educators and Practitioners, 2017, NJPSA/FEA and the Geraldine
R. Dodge Foundation)
Lastly, the 2017 Summer STEAM (Arts Integration) Workshop at WPU was a smashing success! This Institute was sponsored by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the WPU Office of Professional Development.
This was due to the hard work of former Dodge Grant Coordinator Dina Scacchetti, the many facilitators who presented a variety of intriguing, hands-on arts integration workshops, and the 50 participating teachers who came from 19 schools and participated so enthusiastically for two consecutive days during this thought-provoking event.
Each Summer STEAM Institute attendee received a binder full of STEAM Lesson Plans to take back to his/her school. (See photos below). This is the third consecutive year that WPU has hosted its own in-house (using only Dodge teachers and PIR’s) Summer STEAM Institute and its sixth year of hosting a Summer STEAM Institute in general.
