A$4,000 grant has been awarded to the Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Jackson by the State Farm Northeast Youth Advisory Board.
State Farm agent Andrew Weinstein listens to Christa McAuliffe Middle School teacher Vicky O’Donnell explain how pupils will benefit from a $4,000 grant the school received from the State Farm Northeast Youth Advisory Board. DAVE BENJAMIN Local State Farm agent Andrew Weinstein presented the grant to teacher Victoria O’Donnell during a ceremony held Nov. 23.
Weinstein, a lifelong resident of Jackson, said he was thrilled to be able to present the grant to a Jackson school.
The money will support the “Jackson Then and Now” project, which is designed to promote active community participation, and the development of financial literacy education, an effort to equip students, through hands-on experience, with the resources necessary to be successful in the 21st century.
O’Donnell said students will put together a picture history of the town. The children will learn about when Jackson was established, the history of the school district and the growth of local businesses.
The program also involves the learning of 21st-century skills such as financial literacy, communication and technology skills, with the help of the community, she said.
O’Donnell thanked Weinstein and the State Farm Northeast Youth Advisory Board for their support.
“Our students have put in a great amount of effort to plan and develop the ‘Jackson Then and Now’ project, and this grant allows Jackson students the opportunity to implement this unique and historic service-learning project,” she said.
Teacher Chris Ippolito, who is the History Club adviser, thanked the school administration, the individuals who work in the central office and the community, and Jackson Memorial High School Principal Kevin DiEugenio, who previously was the principal at the McAuliffe School, for their support.
“Vicky O’Donnell’s excitement is contagious,” said Ippolito. “She shows so much passion for the subject and for the history of the town and for this project in particular.”
State Farm Insurance public affairs specialist Teanice Wells- Ernest said she works with grants and community initiatives.
“This is good for the students because this is a way for them to connect the curriculum with actual hands-on activities,” Wells-Ernest said. “Instead of sitting in a classroom and looking at a book and not being able to relate what you learn in class to the real world, this gives them that relationship. It gives them more retention in terms of what they are getting out of that book learning.”
The $4,000 grant to the McAuliffe School was awarded as part of a service learning initiative funded by the State Farm Northeast Zone Youth Advisory Board, which is a diverse group of students and associates whose ages are between 17 and 24, and who play a leadership role in creating and overseeing a $60,000 service learning initiative.
Project categories include student engagement or dropout prevention; youthful driver safety; and/or financial literacy.
The opportunity to apply for the grant was made possible by Weinstein, who is active in the educational community.