Fourteen Connecticut schools have been selected by the Connecticut Association of Schools as the recipients of the 2015 CAS-CIAC Endowment and Flanagan Grants. Through the generosity of corporate partners, the CAS-CIAC Endowment and Flanagan Grant Program was able to provide $37,000.00 in grants this year to new or existing initiatives that meet the endowment’s and fund’s requirements and would not otherwise be afforded by CAS member schools. In order to be funded, grant applications must meet demanding program criteria, impact a significant number of students, and support pathways of learning that are creative, exciting and engaging.

Dave Maloney, Assistant Executive Director of CAS who oversees the grant process, noted, “The Endowment grant applications this year featured a myriad of curricular and co-curricular programs designed to bring terrific opportunities to students and to improve learning. These grants are so richly deserved because this is the answer to improving schools across the state. When we have kids engaged in positive school based student activities we know that their attendance is going to be better, their engagement in learning activities is going to be better, their achievement is going to be better, and the overall school climate is going to be better.”

This year’s CAS-CIAC Endowment and Flanagan Grants were awarded to the following schools and programs.

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Bakerville Consolidated and New Hartford Elementary, New Hartford – School Spirit and Citizenship Program
The School Spirit and Citizenship Program (SSCP) was developed around the school vision statement: “We are safe, caring, respectful of others, and proud of our differences. Every day we work together to learn, to grow, and to create a stronger community.” The SSCP has a different focus every month of the school year. Throughout the month students are introduced to a particular topic and work on small, related projects in their classrooms. At the end of each month the students participate in a school spirit and citizenship assembly. During these assemblies students share and celebrate the projects they’ve completed and participate in a variety of activities that reinforce the topic and provide them with hands-on-experiences. Through this program students develop an awareness of their roles as members of the school, the local and global community, and those who are different from them.

Berlin High School – Upbeat Peer Leadership Program
The Berlin High School Upbeat Peer Leadership Program is a student run organization that conducts bi-weekly meetings and residential training workshops throughout the year. The goal of the program is to encourage the students to develop sound decision making skills and to provide opportunities for positive community involvement and community service. Working in small groups called “houses” peer leaders plan and implement over 125 school and community service projects each year. Every student in the district is impacted by at least one and usually multiple programs each year. At the high school approximately 35% of the student population is involved in the Upbeat Peer Leadership Program.

Bethany Community School, Bethany – Family STEM Night
Family STEM night at the Bethany Community School consists of a series of evening events during the school year in which both students and parents come together and are involved in STEM enrichment activities. Together the students and their parents take part in design challenges and deepen problem solving and leadership skills through team building.

Dag Hammarskjold Middle School, Wallingford – Kindness Squad
The Kindness Squad at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School will be initiated in the fall of 2015. The Squad will have designated student representatives who intervene when there is a concern of mean spirited behavior, a lonely student at lunch, a new student who needs a guide or as a touchstone for any student who needs support in some way. These students will also promote and recognize kindness throughout the school promoting school wide kindness. Not only will this club have a positive impact on school climate, but the students who are members of the Kindness Squad will gain leadership and organizational skills as well.

Farmington High School, Farmington – Safe Water for the Children of Haiti
In Haiti disease from bad water contributes to a fatality rate of approximately 50% for infants and children. Clean water would greatly reduce this statistic. This past school year Farmington High School initiated the Safe Water for Children of Haiti Program. Open to all students, the objective of the program is for the students to collectively research, design, fabricate, test and install a Solar Disinfection System (SODIS) for the children of Haiti. Students will first successfully test their completed SODIS in Connecticut and then proceed to test in locations in Haiti for eventual installation at designated Haitian locations to provide safe drinking water.

Lewis Mills High School, Burlington – Female/Male Empowerment Groups
Through participation in the Female and Male Empowerment Groups, the students at Lewis Mills will learn to navigate their teenage years armed with vital information that will influence their decisions at the school and in their community. The Female Empowerment Program is a 12 week program in which the female student body will rotate through workshops on self-image and relationships. This program will give female students the opportunity to learn information which will empower them, increase their confidence, self-esteem, verbalization skills and self-advocacy. Through participating in this program the students will also learn to provide support for each other in a positive non-judgmental way, how to discuss their problems and receive help from adults and peers. Similarly, the Male Empowerment Group is also a 12 week program in which the male student body will rotate through workshops which will focus on the development of interpersonal skills, college and career exploration, and leadership development. The program offers interactive discussions and activities to help young men achieve goals without living offensively.

Memorial Elementary School, East Hampton – Student Run Bookstore
In the 2015-2016 school year Memorial Elementary School will develop the Student Run Bookstore which will promote literacy, entrepreneurial skills and PBIS reinforcements. The third graders at the school will lead the work. They will complete job applications and interview for positions in the bookstore. They will promote and organize sales including public announcements, book reviews, and multi-media infomercials. They will also run the store under staff advisement. As a result, this will inspire literacy, provide opportunities for choice and for the school community to foster leadership, respect, and responsibility. The Student Run Bookstore will be a very engaging and relevant way to increase available reading materials for all students leading to improved achievement.

Niantic Center School, Niantic – Body and Mind (BAM)
Body and Mind (BAM) was designed by school staff with the intent to better equip students with life-long habits that enable them to meet and master the academic, physical, and emotional challenges of life. Through a variety of activities and events throughout the school year, BAM will bring awareness to children, families, and staff about the benefits of maintaining a healthy body and mind through a variety of physical, kinesthetic and curricular activities. These activities will not only improve school climate by bringing the community together through school wide celebrations, but other initiatives will also include thematic literacy units that develop character education and social, emotional intelligence which tie into Common Core State Standards as well.

North Haven High School, North Haven – Diversity Team
The North Haven Diversity Team is a wide reaching program of students teaching students, in an attempt to improve school climate and create an all-inclusive atmosphere. Initiatives presented by the Diversity Team focus not only on the general school population but also target specific audiences such as in their Freshman Seminars and Athletes as Allies programs. The program also guides student Diversity Team members in educational growth as they conduct research to create new presentations, and integrate the skills of public speaking, multi-media production and data collection, among other initiatives. The program goal is to not only continue to train North Haven student leaders but to address school climate issues at the school, and also to reach out to other schools throughout the state to present the program and offer training so that they have the ability to address their own school climate issues.

Platt Technical High School, Milford – Student Leadership Development
Starting in the fall of 2015 Platt Technical High School will launch their Student Leadership Development Program. This program will train 30 students to facilitate group presentations and workshops to their peers on topics that promote team building, cultural and diversity awareness, and overall positive peer interaction. Students who participate in this program will learn about cultural awareness, team building, public speaking, peer advocacy, and group facilitation. These are advanced skills that will help to prepare these students for college and careers. Platt draws students from 26 different towns, creating a culturally, racially, and socioeconomically diverse population. This program will positively impact the culture of the school by promoting an accepting and welcoming school environment.

Sunnyside Elementary School, Shelton – Writing with Character
In October of 2015 Sunnyside Elementary School will welcome Renata Bowers as a resident author for a week. Ms. Bowers has written the Frieda B. series of picture books, which focus on character development and perseverance. The students will be coached on how to read and write like an author. They will be walked through the writing process and create their own short stories. Sunnyside currently highlights a different character trait every month as a means of strengthening school climate. Many of these traits are brought to life through the characters in Ms. Bower’s books. This program will help students see the connection between showing good character and succeeding academically.

Wells Road Intermediate School, Granby – Kindness Matters
Kindness Matters is a school wide initiative intended to promote a proactive stance in leading students to act with kindness and compassion in order to negate bullying acts before they happen. Faculty and administration will engage in a professional study based on concepts presented in Bullying Hurts: Teaching Kindness through Read Alouds and Guided Conversations by Lester Laminack and Reba Wadsworth. Students will participate in guided conversations following read alouds of carefully selected children’s literature that target the development of their understanding of the need for kindness and compassion. The insights gained through the read alouds and guided conversation will in turn promote a school culture of acting with kindness and compassion.

Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School, Bloomfield – Plant It, Share It, Eat It
Through Plant It, Share It, Eat It students will learn how to plant, grow, and harvest their own fruits and vegetables. Families will be included by being given the opportunity to volunteer in the school greenhouse and will also receive literature regarding nutrition. This program will teach students where food comes from and will help educate families on the importance of healthy eating. The overall goal of the program is to inspire families to adopt healthy eating habits at home which in turn may help to reduce obesity and promote a more health conscious school and community.

Woodstock Academy, Woodstock – Student Athlete Leadership Breakfasts
In the area of Leadership, Woodstock Academy, has established a leadership training program called Leadership Breakfasts. The breakfasts take place every other Thursday morning throughout the course of the school year and are open to any student athlete that is interested in growing as a leader. During these breakfasts students are exposed to different leadership styles and case studies, and gain insight into why and when leadership is important and how to respond in certain scenarios. The goal of this program is to not only strengthen student leadership, but to also strengthen citizenship and sportsmanship within the school.