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Current Projects
Following is a list of current Foundation projects:
Brookfield Environmental Greenway Education Trail
“Environmental Greenways” are places of refuge. They are corridors of open space that cities and towns have dedicated to passive recreation, environmental education, and nature study. This grant proposal would build the latter functions into the design of a passive recreational trail that is already in progress.
The Town of Brookfield has been awarded federal funding to create a handicap accessible multi-functional trail along the Still River. The Trailhead will start at Silvermine Road near the Police Station and is routed along the shoreline of the Still River for approximately 2 miles. The trail will provide passive recreational opportunities for hiking, bicycling and nature study. The “environmental education” function of the pathway needs self-interpretive signs to explain to school groups, outdoor clubs and citizens the ecological functions of the river, the floodplain, the forests and other key habitats that comprise these ecosystems.
The Brookfield Education Foundation will fund $20,304 for development and implementation of signage for this environmental education trail. The goal for this project is to have signage in place for the opening of this greenway, during the summer of 2009.
Project Goals and Objectives
GOALS:
- Educate the citizens of Brookfield and western Connecticut of the environmental functions of the Still River along Brookfield’s handicap accessible Greenway trail.
- Design, produce and install 15-19 environmental education signs.
- Create user orientation trail brochure and map on a website.
- Promote area’s history and heritage.
- Improve recreational access and responsible visitor behavior.
OBJECTIVES:
- Create a self-guiding interpretative trail to explain the environmental functions of the Still River to citizens who casually utilize the trail.
- Encourage the faculty of Brookfield public and private schools to utilize the trail as an element of their outdoor education program.
Possible examples of signage include:
- Wildlife of the Forest
- A watershed
The literacy volunteers attended a 3-hour orientation/training session on August 27. They will begin work with second grade students in October. The volunteers are: Front row (left to right): Barbara Stone and Dottie Miles. Second row: Nancy Quinn, Maureen Capalbo, Kristin Staub, Sean Leary, Arlene McMullin. Third row: Arlene Reich, Betty Ann Elsenboss, Dorothy Schmidt, Jean Bradley, Marnie Agard, Pat Walsh. Back row: Tina Schappach, Jenny Collins, Lisa Miles, Gerry McGlynn, Lyn CanfieldA grant from the Brookfield Education Foundation has funded the inaugural year of “Hand in Hand” – a literacy program at Huckleberry Hill Elementary School. Principal Sharon Beitel, Assistant Principal Matthew Salvestrini and Librarian Maureen FitzPatrick have provided tremendous encouragement and support for the establishment of “Hand in Hand.” Retired teacher Dottie Miles is the program coordinator.
Twenty-eight volunteers — senior citizens, parents and high school students — will enhance the learning of developing readers and writers. Each trained volunteer will spend an hour a week inviting one child into the world of books and written language. Literacy tutors will demonstrate not only reading and writing but also citizenship, showing their students by example what it means to give to others.
“Hand in Hand” is based on Help America Read, a program and handbook for volunteers, by Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C. Fountas They cite research showing that tutored students made greater academic gains than might have been expected and greater gains than students who were not tutored. Structured ongoing training for the volunteers is a cornerstone of the program.
Click here if you'd like to contribute to these or other Foundation projects.
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