Research has proven that students who are engaged in the arts are more attuned to core academic study areas than those students who are not. Over the past three years, Big Creek Elementary District, through the support of The Foundation @ FCOE, has added arts back into the classroom through technology, instrumental music and now ceramics. Recently, the district purchased a new kiln to revive the ceramics program, and 2014 Innovation Grant was used to purchase much needed supplies.

The KEYS to Success project at Clay Elementary School was a project aimed to strategically teach keyboarding to students at their developmental level. This project employed the use of Chromebooks and the developmentally appropriate ‘Keyboarding Without Tears’ program for kindergarten through fifth grade students, and free online keyboarding lessons and practice for sixth through eighth grade students. The goal of this project was to expose students to pre-keyboarding and keyboarding, increase their speed and accuracy, and to develop proficiency in computer-based assessment navigation.

Students at Central High School gathered around an oversized set of photo prints documenting different moments of historical eras. These carefully selected sets correlate with the social studies history curriculum as students examine the various historical images and take notes on their observations. They formulated questions about the photos and then conducted research. The young budding researchers took what they learned and composed a story reflecting the image itself during that historical time.

Teachers at Alvina Elementary love to see children excited about learning and as the world becomes complex with technology, students are encouraged to find an interest in science, technology, and engineering. With this grant, Alvina Elementary launched a Lego Learners program where children have access to working hands-on with wheels, gears, axles, motors and building blocks. They combined the parts with technology to create simple robotics. The goal was to create an interest in basic physical science concepts through observation, reasoning, prediction, and critical thinking.

West Fresno Elementary strongly believes that it is never too early to start learning about college and career exploration. The College and Career Center allows students to have a designated area to research college and university requirements. It also encourages students to explore career options and offer parents college and career planning resources for their children. The center serves as a meeting area for invited college representatives and professionals to come and share their experiences.

The new and improved library media project at West Park Elementary provided supplemental enhancements to school learning through supported library services. Students now have access to media hardware for whole class presentations. Programs such as TED TALKS, Educational You Tube, Discovery Channel, History Documentaries, and contemporary news resources are now accessible to supplement and enhance learning services. All students will benefit from this implementation and it is aligned with the school-wide objectives. This project will make learning more engaging and interactive.

Students in the ROP Stagecraft program at Kingsburg High School were given an opportunity to create stage props using a vacuforming machine. A vacuforming machine is an essential piece of equipment in theater scene shops that allows for the creation of props, costume pieces and other set decorations. It works by placing objects on a table that is then covered in heated plastic. Holes in the table surface remove the air from the area and the heated plastic conforms to the shape of the object beneath it.

ROP students at Laton High School constructed a portable oxy-acetylene plumbed table that will be utilized to teach students in the Introduction to Agricultural Mechanics class about oxy-acetylene safety and methodology through hands-on application. The portable oxy-acetylene apparatus is a table made up of eight stations with each station offering the capability to cut or weld. Students will learn fabrication methodology including designing, measuring, cutting, welding, fastening, gas pipeline plumbing, assembly and fit-up.

Third grad students at Pacific Union Elementary participated in the the Get Fit project to improve their physical fitness by teaching them the correlation between eating healthy foods, exercise, and establishing healthy habits. Students carried a Fitbit throughout the day to monitor their activities and they tracked all the food calories they consumed in a daily log. They logged the number of calories they burned, steps taken, and the number of miles walked or run during recess and PE activities.

Students and their families in the community of Westside Elementary now have access to a special library. Storyland Library is a special library geared towards children of this rural farming community. It offers a large variety of books including multicultural, learning and picture books, and resource books for parents. These books are available for check-out to read at home, or they can read with their children in the comfortable cozy reading space. The library is open daily during school hours for parents to use and once a month it would be open in the evening for parents who work late.

The Innovation Grant awarded to Clay Elementary allowed the school to continually meet the changing needs of students and faculty. The goal of Destination Library Meets Learning Common, was to integrate the use of technology and eBooks into the everyday life of the library. The library has become a hub for learning and every day the library becomes a host for students who are reading, or working on Chromebooks and computers.

Students in Ms. Vongehr’s classroom completed a gated area for housing a beautiful greenhouse. Additionally, in collaboration with the Women of Construction and under the supervision of Jay Eichmann, the students assembled an 8 x 12 x 8 Palram greenhouse. This stunning jewel is the centerpiece for the ongoing development of the "Secret Garden" at Clovis High School with additional plans of above ground planters, garden benches, and a botanical setting for students to enjoy for years to come.

Tammy Pilcher’s classroom at Laton High School participated in the Fresno Chaffee Zoo educational program. This program included a behind the scenes tour of the Hooved Animals, Vet Center and Sting Ray Bay exhibits. Students had the opportunity to learn about research and conservation efforts that the zoo is making including career opportunities in Animal Science. Students were able to ask questions of zoo keepers about each area that they visited. It was a great experience for students and the first time visit to the zoo for some.

As part of the Science is Real project, Mendota High School students in Sinead Brien’s classroom completed and presented a project that demonstrated the application of science to the issue of how to use solar panels more efficiently. Students took their project to the State Science Fair where they connected with other science-minded students. Students also had the opportunity to discuss their project with professionals in the field of science and engineering.

Pine Ridge School was able to enrich student elective programs in the arts and science by providing supplies for classes such as campus graffiti art, book illustrations (Young Authors Fair books), cooking, rocketry, video editing and golf. The goal was to introduce activities to students that enhance their school experience while teaching them the foundations of art, math and science.

Sierra Junior High students participated in either a math, English intervention or an enrichment course. The goal of the Directed Studies- Enriching Experiences project was to excite students about a variety of educational fields and to help teachers share with students the experiences within those fields that could lead them to make career choices. Enrichments included science, art, music, athletics, ASL, and life skill themes. The courses were 3 weeks in length and students rotated through several interventions and enrichments throughout the school year.

The library at West Fresno Middle School made great strides to offer students 21st century learning experiences with the establishment of the audio and video recording, and coding stations. A digital library was also established featuring book talks created by students. The Innovation Grant also made another project possible, the Junior High Reading Fair Competition. The competition provided students with the opportunity to share their favorite fictional or non-fictional book through a storyboard display.

The Partnering for a Bright Future project took a diverse group of at risk young men and placed them in a disk jockey program, which allowed them to take on a leadership role on campus. These students disk jockeyed at all of the school dances, and participated as sound men for sports rallies. Students learned social, public speaking and communication skills, as well as work ethic. The program was a huge success with one of the involved students being nominated for the school's Eagle Award.