29
January
2021

Winners Announced for Internet2 Community Anchor Program’s Distance Learning Scholarship

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WASHINGTON, D.C., January 29, 2021 – Internet2 today announced the winners of the Community Anchor Program (CAP) Distance Learning Scholarship program to give K-12 teachers free, one-on-one distance learning programs for their class through the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC). A total of 38 recipients teaching grades K-12 across Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Oklahoma are being awarded CILC scholarships that will directly benefit more than 1,600 students.

Community Anchor Program (CAP) logo

“We are thrilled to be able to help teachers provide their students with a unique interactive classroom experience for their students during the pandemic, regardless of whether their students are attending school in-person or online,” said Internet2 Community Anchor Program Director Stephanie Stenberg. “Research and education networks provide schools a robust internet connection for education and an unparalleled level of service, and we are proud to serve them. Congratulations to all the scholarship recipients!”

The scholarship program was open to K-12 teachers from a school that connects to the national Internet2 network through their state or regional research and education network. Teachers could choose from any of the over 1,900 professionally-delivered programs offered through CILC, all of which have been evaluated by teachers and can be sorted by topic or by recommendation.

Live, interactive learning experiences

Kirstina Frazier teaches first to third-grade students at Andover Elementary, a small, rural school in Connecticut that is a member of the Connecticut Education Network. Frazier selected the Exploring the Continents with Story and Song program to allow students the opportunity to gain an appreciation and understanding of the world around them. “I want my students to gain a greater appreciation for the people and cultures from around the world through traditional storytelling and instruments,” said Frazier.

For Michelle Hundt, a fifth-grade teacher at Wharton Elementary in Illinois, and whose school is a member of the Illinois Century Network, the What’s the Matter? program offered the perfect opportunity to supplement what students have been learning about the subject this year. “My students are currently studying how particles undergo phase changes due to temperature and heat changes. I am looking for some really neat ways to get them excited about this topic, and this seems like a great learning opportunity for them,” said Hundt.

For Taggart Fox from New Carlisle Elementary School in Ohio, whose school is a member of OARnet, offering the Kids Rock On – Chipping Away at the Rock Cycle! program for third-grade students is an opportunity to introduce geology with the hope that the role of geologists would spark interest and begin to develop the roots of future career path options. “The rock cycle and rock classification are pertinent to our standards. Weathering is a tough concept to grasp because of its dependence on lengths of time, and I am hopeful this course will show some real-life examples that the students can identify with,” said Fox.

Distance learning scholarship winners

The 38 scholarship recipients connect to the Internet2 network via one of the following seven state or regional research and education networks: Connecticut Education Network, Iowa Communications Network, Illinois Century Network, KanREN in Kansas, NYSERNet in New York, OARnet in Ohio, and OneNet in Oklahoma.

Scholarship winners are listed below, along with the state or regional research and education network that connects their school to the Internet2 network.

#Teacher NameSchool NameCity & StateGrade(s)Connecting Research & Education Network
1Debra AllardIntegrated Day Charter SchoolNorwich, CT6th gradeConnecticut Education Network
2Kristy CookStrong Elementary SchoolPlantsville, CT5th gradeConnecticut Education Network
3Lori Crocker-LincolnEastford Elementary SchoolEastford, CT2nd and 3rd gradeConnecticut Education Network
4Melanie DrinkwaterCanton Middle SchoolCollinsville, CT7th gradeConnecticut Education Network
5Lynn EricksonStafford Elementary SchoolStafford Springs, CT2nd gradeConnecticut Education Network
6Kirstina FrazierAndover Elementary SchoolAndover, CT1st-3rd gradeConnecticut Education Network
7Kimberly HollenbachBirch Grove PrimaryTolland, CTKindergartenConnecticut Education Network
8Marissa KrayeskiChaplin Elementary SchoolChaplin, CT5th and 6th gradeConnecticut Education Network
9Louise MorrisonThompson Middle SchoolGrosvenordale, CT6th gradeConnecticut Education Network
10Sarah MoynihanBirch Grove Primary SchoolTolland, CTKindergartenConnecticut Education Network
11Julie PrescottChippens Hill Middle SchoolBristol, CT8th gradeConnecticut Education Network
12Ashleeann TranerSouth Side SchoolBristol, CTKindergartenConnecticut Education Network
13Ashleeann TranerSouth Side SchoolBristol, CTKindergarten- 5th gradeConnecticut Education Network
14Nancy WassermanJohn F Kennedy Middle SchoolPlantsville, CT8th gradeConnecticut Education Network
15Lisa SeabaJefferson ElementaryMuscatine, IAKindergartenIowa Communications Network
16Laurel AdamsPalestine High SchoolPalestine, IL6-12th gradeIllinois Century Network
17Alexis BillickFranklin Jr/Sr. High SchoolFranklin, IL9th gradeIllinois Century Network
18Vanessa CourtsAlain Locke Charter SchoolChicago, ILKindergartenIllinois Century Network
19Morgan DillmanGeff Grade SchoolGeff, IL1st gradeIllinois Century Network
20Margaret FiguraCICS West Belden — Distinctive SchoolsChicago, IL4th gradeIllinois Century Network
21Susan HaganMeridian Elementary SchoolBlue Mound, IL4-5th gradeIllinois Century Network
22Susanne HokkanenHeritage Middle SchoolSummit, IL6, 7, and 8th gradeIllinois Century Network
23Michelle HundtWharton ElementarySummit, IL5th gradeIllinois Century Network
24Michele IrlacherRiverdahl ElementaryRockford, IL1st gradeIllinois Century Network
25Ashley MaysCICS Bucktown — Distinctive SchoolsChicago, IL2nd gradeIllinois Century Network
26Kelly PollackChicago International Charter School: West BeldenChicago, IL3rd gradeIllinois Century Network
27Melisa ShepardWebster ElementaryCollinsville, IL2nd gradeIllinois Century Network
28Jeanine ShumakerRiverdahl ElementaryRockford, IL1st gradeIllinois Century Network
29Angie TapleyRich Township High School FAC CampusRichton Park, IL11th gradeIllinois Century Network
30Jim CeraRiverside High SchoolWathena, KS9-12th gradeKanREN
31Annette BahunEden Central School DistrictEden, NY6th gradeNYSERNet
32Kelly Grimaldi!Eden Elementary SchoolEden, NY3rd gradeNYSERNet
33Rebecca BowmanWest Muskingum ElementaryZanesville, OH1st gradeOARnet
34Taggart FoxNew Carlisle Elementary SchoolNew Carlisle, OH3rd gradeOARnet
35Michelle SmithEastern ElementaryLexington, OH6th gradeOARnet
36Ronna DuniganLeflore Public SchoolsLe Flore, OK1-2nd gradeOneNet
37Melissa NewportWhite Rock Public SchoolMcLoud, OK2nd gradeOneNet
38Tiffany RobinsonLeFlore Public SchoolLe Flore, OK1st gradeOneNet
39Mallory TullyWhite Rock Public SchoolMcLoud, OKPK-8th grade Music, 5th-8th grade ScienceOneNet

About Internet2

Internet2® is a non-profit, member-driven advanced technology community founded by the nation’s leading higher education institutions in 1996. Internet2 serves 320 U.S. universities, 59 government agencies, 45 regional and state education networks and through them supports more than 100,000 community anchor institutions, over 1,000 InCommon participants, and 58 leading corporations working with our community, and 70 national research and education network partners that represent more than 100 countries.

Internet2 delivers a diverse portfolio of technology solutions that leverages, integrates, and amplifies the strengths of its members and helps support their educational, research and community service missions. Internet2’s core infrastructure components include the nation’s largest and fastest research and education network that was built to deliver advanced,customized services that are accessed and secured by the community-developed trust and identity framework.

Internet2 offices are located in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Denver, Colo.; Washington, D.C.; and West Hartford, Conn. For more information, visit www.internet2.edu or follow @Internet2 on Twitter.

Media Contact:
Sara Aly
Communications Manager, Internet2
saly@internet2.edu