A Keystone to Our Foundation
Pyramid Awards have been a keystone program of OCEF that has been sustained from the beginning of the foundation in 1989. These individual grants up to $1250 are competitively awarded to teachers or staff for the most engaging classroom project applications each year. Our board believes strongly that these innovations can maintain Oldham County Schools as one of the best school districts, and that our educators should have resources to make them a reality. In 2023, a record-breaking $46,512 was given directly to teachers and staff to fund projects in their classrooms. This adds to the over $500,000 awarded over the 30+ year history of OCEF.
In 1990, the Foundation began awarding various types of grants to classroom teachers to assist with instructional strategies to increase student learning outcomes. This process was refined and formalized in 1995 and was designated as the Pyramid Awards. Teachers were encouraged to develop innovative projects by introducing unique, new or different instructional methods designed to actively involve students in the learning process and increase student learning. Another criteria for these teacher developed projects was student engagement, which encourages hands-on, active learning and is likely to cause a high level of interest and involvement among students.
These teacher submitted projects have always been rated by a panel of OCEF Board members and other non-school affiliated community members using a rigorous scoring criteria. The projects must receive a certain scoring level before a Pyramid Award grant is given. Non-allowable expenditures for Pyramid Award funds include transportation costs, consumable items and teacher stipends.
The Foundation has a history of awarding grants to classroom teachers to assist with instructional strategies to increase student learning outcomes.
Teachers applying for Pyramid Awards are encouraged to develop innovative projects by introducing unique, new or different instructional methods designed to actively involve students in the learning process and increase student learning.
The award may be as much as $1,250 per grant and can be used for instructional materials, equipment, partial stipends for guest instructors, and partial admission costs to community resources.
PRAISES
Receiving a Pyramid Award last year really helped my students become more fluent readers. Through my Pyramid Award I was able to get headphones with microphones, so my students could record their voices reading a short passage. My students then graded their fluency abilities using a rubric taught early in the year. Then, at different times during the year, students were able to compare their recordings. My students have increased their reading fluency and are more confident in themselves as readers. This is something that I would not have been able to afford on my own and am thankful that OCEF provided the opportunity to apply and receive resources that make such an impact in my classroom and on my students.
Brittany Stephens
Third Grade TeacherI received a Pyramid Grant to start the Who Was History Club at LaGrange Elementary. With the funds, we purchased small sets of various Who Was titles. During club, students read books together in small book groups, shared their learning from the book through online forms, and participated in classroom and school-wide History Bees. We had so much fun growing our content knowledge this year and are already looking forward to next year's club starting!
Samantha Abercrombie
Fifth Grade TeacherI was able to create 12 OT Motor Toolboxes using the Pyramid Grant. There is one for each classroom in kindergarten, first, and second grade. I completed this as my capstone project for my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. This is my favorite quote from my results: "C. is a very reluctant writer. It is difficult to make him do work that involves strength or coordination. These lessons are painful for him. But using the tools and activities in the binder/box is fun and he can't wait. He chooses to use the box during his free time and is able to do several activities independently. He builds confidence with each activity and loves to show others how to do it.” Student C. currently receives OT services from the capstone student, and he stated, “Thank you Mrs. Taylor for making the toolboxes. I really enjoy using and playing with them."
Taylor Martin
Occupational TherapistThe Pyramid Grant helped make LaGrange's first ever STEM curriculum a success. From kindergarteners building egg chutes out of magnetic tiles to fifth graders building bridges out of different materials, students quickly equated STEM with hands on learning that would not have been possible without the building materials the grant provided.