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| By Sholeh Patrick |
Money to benefit learning
"Feed the moose another dollar, mommy."
Yet another of the many things I never expected from motherhood: feeding a can with antlers. Yet feed it I do each time I go to Skyway Elementary, so the school can buy back its tabletop moose from the EXCEL Foundation.
A moose is a more sensible symbol than you might think: a very unordinary animal working for extraordinary education.
The Press has repeatedly covered all the colorful moose (or mooses or meese, as you prefer), their artists, and their purpose: to raise thousands in cash for local schools. Today, it all comes together for the moose auction. My personal favorite: Man on the Moose by Jennifer Riggs.
Jennifer's choice of design is also a fitting metaphor for the EXCEL Foundation itself; both are about reaching higher, and getting there. EXCEL is a local, nonprofit foundation with a volunteer board that exists quite simply to provide learning experiences kids otherwise wouldn't get.
Is it better to read about science, or see it in action?
Does a kid remember Shakespeare longer by reading about him or acting out his play?
When EXCEL and creative teachers meet, culture comes alive through a school-wide theatrical production, computers are put to use in more classrooms, books take on life when kids interact with their authors, engineering becomes un-boring with robot-building, radio technology takes flight in a student-built plane; the list of grant projects goes on and on. Sometimes it's as simple as supplying classrooms with new books.
EXCEL Foundation has given more than $540,000 in 451 grants to Coeur d'Alene teachers since its inception in 1986. The idea is to fund projects or cover expenses that wouldn't happen relying solely upon public funds. The projects do not have to be tied to the official curriculum; in fact, EXCEL encourages teachers to "think outside the box" when they apply.
EXCEL does require:
• higher level thinking skills,
• creativity,
• depth of knowledge,
• increased motivation to learn, and
• excellence in education.
So often leaders and role models say that one special teacher stood out when they were young, inspiring them to aspire, to believe in themselves, or to pursue something they might not otherwise have sought in life. The more resources those teachers have, the more students they can reach and the better off we will all be when those kids grow up.
Please support the EXCEL Foundation, either at today's auction or by a tax-deductible donation (292-2683 or www.excelfoundation.org). Teachers can also get current grant applications at the EXCEL Web site.
Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Send e-mail to sholehjo@hotmail.com.
