For Immediate Release Contact: Ambika Kapur
9/20/00 (617) 969-7100, ext. 2369
Foundation Awards Over A Quarter of a Million Dollars to Gender Equity
Projects in Boston/Cambridge Schools
In the second year of its "Gender Equity Mini-Grants Program," the Caroline
and Sigmund Schott Foundation has awarded over $250,000 in grants to 23
teams of teachers in Boston and Cambridge public schools. Said foundation
president, Greg Jobin-Leeds, "Extensive research has shown that gender
bias, discrimination, and sexism persist in schools and harm girls and
boys. The Schott Foundation is using its resources to support the
development of gender healthy public schools."
The Foundation will launch this year's activities with a Gender Equity
Institute, September 22-23 at Northeastern University featuring Dolores
Grayson, Executive Director of Graymill Consulting. Dr. Grayson is the
creator of the nationally recognized GESA (Generating Expectations for
Student Achievement) Program. Her keynote speech, "Equity: The Key to
Excellence," on September 22 at 6:15 p.m. will be open to the press.
The 2000-2001 projects address frequently discussed gender equity issues
like sexual harassment; increasing girls' participation in math, science,
and technology; and nontraditional career education (list attached). And
they also include issues that are just beginning to emerge nationally such
as gender issues in bilingual education, media, the arts, and cultural
differences. The grants include support for: professional development for
teachers, counselors, and administrators; strengthening and expanding the
network of activists and advocates for gender equity; and raising awareness
of gender inequities among district administrators, principals, policy
makers, parents, and the public.
"These projects are working to ensure that Boston/Cambridge public schools
move closer to gender equity," said Schott Foundation project manager,
Shirley Mark. "It seems impossible that at the beginning of the 21st
century students' educational opportunities are still limited by gender.
We need to develop leaders in the public school system to advocate for
gender equity," she said.
A unique aspect of this program is that the Foundation has also awarded
funds to the Gender and Diversities Institute at Education Development
Center, Inc. to provide training to the teacher-teams in implementing and
evaluating their projects. "Generally foundations give money without
recognizing that grant recipients may need other kinds of support. The
Schott Foundation's innovative program could become a model for other
gender equity efforts around the country," said Susan J. Smith, technical
assistance project director. The evaluation or 'reflective action research'
component is critical to ensuring that the valuable lessons learned about
gender equity can be shared with others," said Maria-Paz B. Avery, project
director for the evaluation component.
The Gender and Diversities Institute, located at Education Development
Center, Inc. in Newton, Massachusetts, is a global institute that brings
together scholars, practitioners, parents, students, businesses, and
community representatives committed to understanding the relationship
between education and gender, inclusive of race, ethnicity, language,
ableness, and sexual orientation. Established in 1999 and housed in EDC's
Center for Education, Employment and Community, the Institute brings over
20 years of expertise gained from the technical assistance work of the
federally-funded Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) Resource Center.
The Caroline and Sigmund Schott Foundation, a family foundation with its
headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts has an office in New York.
Caroline and Sigmund Schott Foundation
Gender Equity Mini-Grant Program
2000-2001 Grantees
Bilingual Education
Creating a New Learning and Teaching Community: The Dever Elementary School
Crosses Barriers to Equity
Paul A. Dever Elementary School, Jamaica Plain, MA
Combining professional development for teachers and parental involvement to
explore gender issues in bilingual education.
Gender Equity Across Cultures: Raising Consciousness to Improve Students'
Confidence
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Cambridge, MA
Revising interdisciplinary curriculum in three bilingual classes to explore
gender equity issues.
Career Education
Bridging the Gaps
Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, Boston, MA
Working with teachers and students to deepen understanding of how gender
equity supports success and higher expectations for all students.
Charlestown Chinese Girls Project
Charlestown High School, Charlestown, MA
Encouraging girls to pursue careers in computer technology. Expanding on
its success with Chinese girls last year, the project now also will include
bilingual Spanish girls.
Connecting With Science, Math, Engineering and Technology
Cluster 7, Dorchester, MA
Providing professional development and on-site support in mathematics for
35 teachers and administrators in grades K-5.
Science Club for Girls
King and King Open School, Cambridge, MA
Providing after-school science clubs for girls in grades K-7 with mentors
from grades 8-12.
Young Achievers Science and Mathematics Team
Young Achievers School, Jamaica Plain, MA
Working to promote educational equity at the school.
Equity and Excellence
Cambridgeport School Project
Cambridgeport, MA
Producing a video to demonstrate how equity and excellence go hand-in-hand.
Gender and the Arts
Race, Class and Gender in Humanities
Boston Arts Academy, Boston, MA
Using the humanities curriculum to explore race, class, and gender in
American culture generally and specifically in the arts.
Gender and Cultural Issues
Millennium Project
Martin Luther King Middle School, Dorchester, MA
Focusing on the attitudes and behaviors of Latino students around gender
equity issues.
Literacy and Gender
Gender and Literacy Acquisition
Harriet Baldwin School, Brighton, MA
Examining how gender affects literacy acquisition, specifically why boys do
not acquire literacy skills as readily as girls.
Media Literacy
Gender in the Media: Fact or Fiction?
Fenway High School, Boston, MA
Exploring how the media influences students' images and expectations of
themselves as girls and boys, and their images and expectations of the
other sex.
Rites of Passage
Rites of Passage
The Harbor School, Dorchester, MA
Developing a program for two single-sex groups of students and their
families to address issues such as boundaries in relationships, showing
courage, responding to anger, responsibilities to family and community, and
cultural knowledge and self-development.
Sexual Harassment
Addressing Sexual Harassment in a Comprehensive Way
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Cambridge, MA
Training peer educators and adult allies to confront sexual harassment in
the school.
Fenway/BARCC Initiative in "Teaching Teens About Sexual Violence"
Fenway High School, Boston, MA
Working with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) to train students
to become leaders in sexual harassment prevention efforts.
Sexual Harassment and Peer Prevention Project
Brighton High School, Brighton, MA
Working with the Title IX Advocacy Project to train student peer leaders
and adult allies in sexual harassment prevention.
Slur-Free Environment: Alternatives to Name-Calling and Bullying
Tobin School, Cambridge, MA
Creating, implementing, and evaluating an anti-bullying, anti-name calling
curriculum in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classrooms.
SEED Projects
SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) is a national staff
development model for educators.
"Agaseed": Monthly Seed Meetings at the Agassiz
Agassiz School, Cambridge, MA
Cambridge Seed Program
Cambridge, MA
Cambridge SEED Program II
Cambridge, MA
MCAS - SEED Seminar
Dorchester High School, Dorchester, MA
________________
Ambika Kapur
Gender and Diversities Institute
Education Development Center
<akapur@edc.org>
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