Amid an increased focus on student achievement in South Carolina, public schools in the state are invited to apply for $50,000 in grants for programs that use the free resources from the Verizon Foundation's Thinkfinity.org, to improve students' skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The Verizon Foundation will award grants of $5,000 each to 10 public schools in South Carolina to integrate Thinkfinity.org, an online education resource, into the classroom. More information on the grant process is available at www.verizonfoundation.org.  Interested public schools should apply online by June 3.

Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation's comprehensive online portal that offers more than 55,000 educational and literacy resources for teachers, parents and students - all of which are at no cost to the school or educator.  Resources include standards-based, grade-specific K-12 lesson plans and engaging interactive activities provided in partnership with many of the nation's leading educational and literacy organizations.

"In South Carolina, there is an increased focus from our education leaders to ensure our students have a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and math," said Jerry Fountain, Verizon Wireless president for the Carolinas/Tennessee region.  "Educators across the state are using Thinkfinity.org to help our children maximize their educational experience and become strong academic achievers."  

Grant applicants should be aware of and plan to incorporate the Verizon Thinkfinity infrastructure already in place in South Carolina.  The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has partnered with the Verizon Foundation to roll out Thinkfinity to provide 21st century learning resources for South Carolina educators and students.
 

 

The Friends of the Anderson County Library will host a storytelling workshop and performance by Ellouise Schoettler on Thursday, May 5, at the Main Library, 300 N. McDuffie St. Both events are free and open to the public.

 

A native of North Carolina, Ms. Schoettler is a celebrated collage and textile artist who has been telling her expanding repertoire of original stories in festivals and performances around the country for over 20 years. Since 2001 she has hosted an annual invitational workshop with acclaimed teller Donald Davis.

 

The 90-minute workshop, "Flesh on Old Bones: Telling Your Family Stories," begins at 2 p.m. and is open to anyone interested in learning how to create and tell stories from family genealogy or legends. Now living in Maryland and an avid genealogist herself, Ms. Schoettler has been researching her Keasler family history in Sandy Springs and will show how she weaves the information she's found into stories. She'll also share basic genealogy sleuthing techniques.

           

Her library performance at 7 p.m., also titled "Flesh on Old Bones," will be a lively and entertaining blend of family tales and folklore. It is designed primarily for adults.

 

For more information, contact Community Services Coordinator Marybeth Evans at 260-4500, ext. 107.

 

 

The Board of Trustees of the Nalley Brown Nature Park have embarked on a strategic planning and business design formulation process in preparation for a feasibility study to determine support for a state of the art Environmental Education Center on a 38 acre site in Easley. The facility will be a key feature of the site housing labs, meeting rooms, lecture and interpretation spaces. The 38 acres is currently a mixed scrub of small saplings, overgrowth of exotics and some exceptional hardwoods.

 

The general scope of the project is to restore the landscape based on natural plant community models and various stages of succession. Planned program elements include the Environmental Education Center, parking for visitors and buses, a picnic area with restroom facilities, themed areas such as a Native American settlement and a European settlement that will be designed to resemble functioning  villages and farms, nature trails that will accommodate outdoor classrooms, exercise stations, observation decks and educational signage. The central theme in the landscape is to practice the art and science of restoration ecology. The plant communities within the site shall consist of mature hardwood forests, early succession meadows and prairies, historic Piedmont landscapes, granitic outcrops, and native plant gardens showcasing the plants indigenous and unique to Pickens County.

 

The center shall become a state of the art teaching facility for environmental education through audio/visual capabilities, wet labs, computer modeling and exhibits while providing the local community with a modern hall for city, school, and community events.

 

For more information on the project, please contact Fox Simons, Easley City Administrator, at 864.855.7900 or fsimons@cityofeasley.com.

 

 

For over a century, the American Red Cross has worked to improve the quality of life, to enhance self-reliance and concern for others, and to help people prevent, prepare for, and cope with emergencies. Founded in 1917, the Upstate South Carolina Chapter touches thousands of lives every year through the mission to help prevent and relieve human suffering. 

 

In just the first four months of 2011, the Southeastern part of the United States has seen a number of major storms that have impacted the lives of thousands of residents. The Upstate Chapter of the American Red Cross is asking for your assistance as they try to meet the local needs amidst an increased need for support nationwide and globally following a number of major disasters in other parts of the world.

 

To make a donation to the Upstate Chapter of the American Red Cross, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or go to the web site at http://www.upstateredcross.org/. 

 

 

On Thursday, May 12, 2011 Upstate Forever  will host a workshop on "Creating Active, Healthy Communities through Placemaking."  This hands-on program explores the rural to urban transect as a framework for restructuring our built environment to support active, healthy lifestyles.  Planners, developers, builders, elected and appointed officials, architects, landscape architects, engineers, public health professionals and private citizens interested in land planning and community design are encouraged to participate.
 
Tom Low, Director of Town Planning, with DPZ Charlotte, will guide participants through diverse landscapes along a rural to urban continuum from a planning and design perspective. From suburban setting to new growth, brownfield, retrofit, and infill development, case studies will illustrate the art and science behind SmartCode / Form Based Code and the transect approach to creating healthy places.
 
"Creating Active, Healthy Communities through Placemaking" is co-hosted by Upstate Forever and the City of Greer and will take place from 9:00am to 3:00pm, Thursday, May 12, 2011 at Greer City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St., Greer, SC.  Advance registration is required by May 4th.  Registration fee of $15.00 includes lunch and workshop supplies.   For more information or to register contact Upstate Forever at 864.327.0090.

 

 

If your city, county or organization has news you want to share or an event you want to promote with people across the 10-county Upstate Region, send it to us and we will include it in the next Ten at the Top e-newsletter.

The TATT newsletter is typically distributed the first Monday of each month (with special editions as information warrants) to more than 6,500 residents across the Upstate.

Send information about an upcoming event, special recognition or anything else you think is of regional interest to Dean Hybl.