Ventura County Teachers Honored for Innovation in the Classroom

Teachers from throughout Ventura County are being honored with $10,000 in grants for developing innovative lessons for their students. At a ceremony tonight in Oxnard, the Ventura County Office of Education will present 14 IMPACT II grants to 23 teachers from nine schools in seven local districts. The grants are funded by local businesses and organizations that wish to promote unique and creative teaching practices.

The winners were selected by judging teams comprised of educators and community members. The winning entries cover a variety of subject matters including the environment, civics and psychology. Detailed lesson plans prepared by each of the grant winners will soon be posted online for use by other teachers in Ventura County and beyond. An advertisement that appeared in the VC Reporter newspaper to honor the winners is attached.

2019 Ventura County IMPACT II Grant Recipients

The Next Big Game!

Sponsor: SAGE Corwin Publishing

Participants: Jennifer Dobbie

School: Santa Paula Unified School District

How can I overcome my implicit bias?

Sponsor: SAGE Corwin Publishing

Participants: Aliza Lederman, Danna Lomax

School: Anacapa Middle School

Project Understanding: Little Buddy Heroes

Sponsor: SAGE Corwin Publishing

Participants: Kathy Elliott, Alyssa Soles

School: Pacific High School

Kidtopia

Sponsor: SAGE Corwin Publishing

Participants: Lisa Sage

School: Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education (CAPE)

Mirror, Mirror

Sponsor: SAGE Corwin Publishing

Participants: Kari White

School: Colina Middle School

Walk a Mile

Sponsor: SAGE Corwin Publishing

Participants: Christa Lamb

School: Colina Middle School

Write a bill: How can we use clean, renewable energy to make the world a better place?

Sponsor: SAGE Corwin Publishing

Participants: Jessie Green

School: Monte Vista Middle School

Won't You Be My Neighbor? A Project to Renew and Connect Our Community

Sponsor: Amgen Foundation

Participants: Holly Johnson, Laura Bingham

School: Ventura Charter School

Climate Change Champions

Sponsor: Amgen Foundation

Participants: Emily Barbata

School: Blackstock Jr. High

Energy to Power the World

Sponsor: Amgen Foundation

Participants: Heather Farrell

School: Thousand Oaks High School

The Changing Night Sky

Sponsor: Amgen Foundation

Participants: Christina Sandbach

School: Ventura Charter School

Footprints in the Sand

Sponsor: Amgen Foundation

Participants: Kari White, Christa Lamb

School: Colina Middle School

A Moment of Peace

Sponsor: Amgen Foundation

Participants: Kimberly Hansmeier, Emily Noel

School: Ventura Charter School

The Energy Project

Sponsor: Amgen Foundation

Participants: Jessica Granados, Bethany Ellis, Emily Noel, Christi Sandbach

School: Ventura Charter School

More About IMPACT II 
IMPACT II is a curriculum sharing and recognition program for educators in kindergarten through grade 12 in all subject areas. Since 1993, Ventura County educators have received $388,500 in sponsor-funded grants.

Educators submit grant proposals about classroom-tested curricula they have developed. A committee of educators, school administrators and business partners select the most unique, innovative and ready-to-share ideas to receive the sponsored grants. Additional information about IMPACT II is available here.

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About the Ventura County Office of Education

The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org.