Solano County teachers are thinking outside the box.
As budget cuts loom, programs are slashed, class sizes expand and teachers are faced with the daunting challenge of increasing student achievement.
A difficult feat, no doubt, as substantial budget cuts to the public education system in Solano County alone force school districts to take devastating funding hits in millions of dollars.
So what does this mean for our students?
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell acknowledges the colossal impact and states that massive reductions in school funding will result in very real consequences for students. They also threaten to derail the progress students have made over the last several years.
"Larger class sizes, canceled summer school, a shorter school year and no new textbooks are just a few of the painful results," he said in a press release.
Ultimately, teachers are faced with a heightened challenge to educate our children.
But some teachers, such as Cathy Dacanay, a Vacaville resident and 5th-grade teacher at Jean Callison Elementary School in the Vacaville Unified School District, are finding ways to meet this challenge by looking for outside help, namely through community grants.
"The idea that you can bring something to kids, for the kids, all because of community support, makes a difference in the world," she said.
Last school year, Dacanay applied for and received educational funding for her class through Solano Community Foundation's Education Plus! Mini-Grant Program.
She received $500 for a project called "Ancient Artifacts -- The American Revolution," a 60-minute in-class presentation of historic facts, storytelling and humor that brings to life the birth of our nation.
Her students were given demonstrations pertaining to skills used by the colonial soldiers. More important, they were able to handle authentic artifacts from the Revolutionary War period, leaving them with a better understanding of the conflict that spawned our nation. A conversation with the students several months later proved this to be true.
Saundra Rushford and Carol Saiers, K-1 teachers at Foxboro Elementary School in the Travis Unified School District, also received grants last year that provided math and science materials for their young students. They created a hands-on Weather Science Station, a Science Station and a Math Calendar Center -- areas that were "instrumental" in solidifying students' math and science concepts.
Teachers are finding creative ways to augment student learning, which should be at the heart of what happens in schools.
Solano Community Foundation is helping to continue their enthusiasm regarding the benefits of creativity by once again offering the Education Plus! Mini-Grant Program.
The program, which has been in existence since 2000, offers grants of up to $500 and has already provided 499 awards, totaling just more than $218,000. Last year, 59 grants were awarded to teachers in Solano County, of which 23 were dedicated to creative and performing arts projects.
The grants are made possible thanks to those in the community who care about education. MV Transportation, the Harry and Eleanor D. Nelson Vacaville Endowment Fund, the Frank H. and Eva B. Buck Foundation, Copart, Jelly Belly, Westamerica, Fairfield Suisun Twilight Rotary Club, and several other private donors in our community recognized the importance of these creative projects and have donated funds to make them happen.
So now it's teachers' turn. Those who have a creative idea that will increase educational opportunities are invited to apply for a mini-grant by visiting the Foundation's Web site at www.solanocf.org for information and list of criteria. Grants will be awarded in November for projects in the 2009-2010 school year.