NEW ULM — The ISD 88 Foundation announces the recipients of the 2020 Eagles Extravaganza Education Grants.

Even though the Foundation had to cancel what would have been the sixth annual Eagle Extravaganza, the foundation was still able to provide grants due to our generous sponsors and donors.

The Foundation is grateful for the community support , but especially now in this time of uncertainty. “We are thankful that we are able to continue our mission of enhancing the quality of education in New Ulm Public Schools,” a statement from the Foundation said.

For more information on the ISD 88 Foundation, visit their website at isd88foundation.org.

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Phenology Program, Washington Learning Center – $2,500

“The thought behind the Phenology grant was to provide teachers with tools and equipment to teach whole class lessons and then allowing the children time to explore and investigate the natural world we live in. The quiet area of the front gardens can provide this investigative learning throughout the seasons. This grant will provide tools needed for this outdoor learning.  We will purchase sturdy, child size picnic tables, clipboards, and chalk. We will provide teachers with a larger chalkboard to use when explaining or drawing pictures for the children. We will create our weather station and replace items that have broken over the years. This grant will allow further development of the outdoor classroom theory that WLC created when the move over to the school first happened.” – Tracey Schmiesing, WLC Teacher

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Technology Exploration Program, New Ulm Middle School – $6,600

 “A grant to the Middle School to enhance current programs that promote innovative exploration of technology. An after-school club will be created to plan, script and practice for “Live From the Middle School“. This will have weekly broadcasts on Friday morning, which will live stream to all classrooms. Students will learn how to use Osmo gimbal cameras, iPads, iMac digital editing stations, webcams, microphones, and encourage both collaboration and independent projects.” – Victoria Tambornino, NUMS Media/Technology Specialist

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Space Science and Exploration, New Ulm High School – $7,600

“The Space Science and Exploration grant has been created to allow students an opportunity to have a hands-on experience exploring space, tracking orbital paths, and seeing a variety of structures in space firsthand. In order to accomplish this goal, the grant will provide funding to purchase telescopes including some computerized telescopes that will allow students to find and track astronomical bodies across the night sky. This grant will also help New Ulm High School meet and exceed Minnesota Department of Education’s new science standards. The standards incorporate items such as constructing explanations from evidence for the motion of distant galaxies, as well as identifying galaxies, planets, and astronomical bodies in space.” – Jack Nieters, NUHS Science Teacher