Mini Grants

NC-CEC Mini-Grant Recipients 2008

Wilderness Experience:
Cathy Misenhiemer, Director of Special Programs, Lexington City Schools

The Wilderness Experience is a practical outdoor learning program designed specifically to target children under 18 with disabilities. While the target group is predominately children with serious behavioral/emotional disorders, it will also accept referrals for children in other disability groups. It is a three day, two night backpacking trip into the mountain wilderness areas of NC. With sufficient funding, there would be no cost to the child’s family in order to participate.

Optimize Interventions Using DIBELS Data
Tara Galloway, Gaston County Teacher of Exceptional Children

This project focuses on selecting students with disabilities in first grade who have been identified as needing strategic interventions based on assessment results of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). The project will provide selected students with interactive computerized instruction that supplements core reading instruction. In addition, students will have access to manipulatives and other interactive instructional materials in learning centers in regular classroom setting to practice essential reading skills.

Jaguar Unique Celebrations (Student-Operated Small Business)
Nancy Yelverton, Transition Facilitator at Carrboro High, Chapel Hill High School

The primary goal of the project is to establish a school-based small business for our Occupational Course of Study students. Because this is a brand new school, they want to build a brand new business. A secondary goal is to build relationships within the school and community that will help students obtain and keep jobs.

FAB 5 (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary & Comprehension) Library
Margaret M. Corbi, EC Teacher, Pactolus School, Pitt County Schools

This project will focus on the development of a working library to instruct students who have unique literacy needs that are not responsive to instruction or supplemental services provided to the general school population. This project will serve a dual purpose. In addition to instructing students with these resource materials, the faculty will also be introduced to how they can be used for differentiation of instruction. This addition to Pactolus’ newly formed Academic Learning Center will lend itself to open dialogue and collaboration within the school community to better serve its children.