Ciara Peterson of Tucson took second place in the sophomore division of the Braille Institute of America’s 18th Annual Braille Challenge. The competition is the only international reading and writing contest in braille for students who are blind or visually impaired.
The braille challenge is an annual two-stage competition that encourages children to practice, fine-tune and improve their braille literacy skills, which are essential to academic and employment success.
This year, more than 1,100 braille readers participated in one of 51 preliminary regional events across the United States and Canada, but only the top 50 scorers participated in the final round in Los Angeles.
Walden Grove students 2nd
in 9th Circuit Civics Contest
Robert Lowell, Desarae Millet and Mariah Vasquez, seniors at Walden Grove High School in Sahuarita, took second place in the video competition for the 2018 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest, an educational outreach effort to high school students sponsored by the federal courts.
The theme of the 2018 contest was “The 14th Amendment 150 Years After Ratification: What Does Equal Protection Mean to Students?” Students were asked to write an essay or produce a short video explaining how Congress and the federal courts have applied the Equal Protection Clause to public education, whether in admissions, classrooms or on athletic fields.
The competition was open to students in grades 9-12 in public, private and parochial schools and home-schooled students of equivalent grade status in nine Western states and two Pacific island jurisdictions. Approximately 1,300 students entered the contest, which offered cash prizes, an opportunity for travel and a chance to meet jurists and legal practitioners.
Rosemont Copper gives $10,000 to area schools
Four public school education programs will receive funding in support of science, technology, environment, engineering, agriculture and mathematics (STEEAM) through grants from Rosemont Copper, Hudbay’s Arizona business unit.
The Spring 2018 School Grant Program is awarding nearly $10,000 to be shared by the four schools.
- Catalina Foothills High School’s Sub-Orbital Balloon Team will buy hardware, tools and raw materials for a high-altitude balloon to be launched into the upper atmosphere.
- Elgin Elementary School will use its funds to purchase Google Expeditions and virtual-reality field trip sets.
- Flowing Wells High School’s Agriculture Education Program will use its funds to update and revitalize livestock facilities for lambs and goats to make a safe environment for both students and animals.
- Walden Grove High School will use its funds to purchase Google Chromebooks to access online science curricula.
Tuition-free private school accepting enrollments
Imago Dei Middle School is accepting applications for its next 5th-grade class.
Enrollment at Imago Dei is available to any eligible family, but spaces are limited to 20 students. Families must be eligible for the free/reduced lunch program in order to apply.
Imago Dei Middle School is a private, nonprofit school that is tuition-free to enrolled scholars. All students receive free school supplies, uniform shirts, field trips, an annual camp retreat and more. The admissions staff is available at (520) 882-4008 or by email at admissions@imagodeischool.org
Crowdfunding effort raises $33K for Cooper Center
The Cooper Center for Environmental Learning raised $33,349 through its fourth and most successful annual crowdfunding campaign.
The success of the crowdfunding, combined with other fundraising and support from local charities, will allow the Cooper Center to hire another full-time employee while also creating a salaried, year-round position for one of its current educators.
The changes are expected to allow the center to serve more than 3,000 children during the 2018-19 school year. More than 90 percent of the students at the Cooper Center come from Title I schools, which serve high percentages of children from families living at or near poverty.
