General objectives or mission of the organization or group:

The mission statement of Lancaster City Schools is as follows: "Lancaster City Schools

will prepare, inspire, and empower all students to be lifelong learners and socially responsible

citizens who are able to communicate and meet the challenges of an ever-changing global soci-

ety." My general objective with this grant proposal is to begin to transform the paradigm of edu-

cation by shifting the classroom from being teacher-led to being student-centered with an empha-

sis on incorporating skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity.

I think that changing the classroom setting is crucial to that shift as they represent an actual phys-

ical shift from a forward-facing classroom to a 360-degree world of possibility.

Amount being requested: $6,124.14 Total Cost: $9,104.30

Budget

Item Description Cost per Unit Quantity Total Cost

Learniture Ballard Se- $279.88 20 (out of 30 total class- $6,124.14*

ries Mobile Tablet Arm room seats)
Chair (SKU:LNT-
NES3018BT-PK-SO)

*total cost does not

reflect tax
The remaining amount to cover the 30 total chairs of $2,980.16 will be sought from the

Lancaster Public Education Foundation and Lancaster High School.

Describe the project or activity for which funds are being requested:

I am seeking a grant on behalf of the Latin program at Lancaster High School to pur-

chase new and innovative classroom seating that complements our district technology goal. We

currently have 30 standard desks in my classroom that are typical of what you would expect in

any high school classroom, but that do not support and encourage collaboration. I am proposing
to buy new mobile chairs with movable tablet arms to replace the traditional desk and allow for

more of a student-centered classroom with an encouragement towards communication and cre-

ativity.

Describe the people who would benefit from this project and the type of impact it will have

on the community:

This project will benefit the approximately 170 students who take Latin per year at

Lancaster High School. It will serve as a starting point for change at the high school, where we

will continue to bring new technology as well as new instructional methods to the forefront in

this area.

The aforementioned group of students is comprised of various levels of learning and age,

ranging from general level students to Advanced Placement (AP) students. I think that it is im-

portant to note that a lot of classes and core content areas are specific to grade and learning level,

whereas the Latin classroom reaches a broad range of both of those two areas, which makes for a

wider impact across the community.

I am specifically focusing my efforts this year on building our AP Latin program, which

just finished out its pilot year in the 2016-2017 school year. Although there is some emphasis put

on our AP students, they are not the ones at risk of not graduating and, thus, are not always con-

sidered in funding. I believe that these desks will prove extremely effective at preparing these

students for the higher level learning institutions that many of them are continuing on to; these

are institutions that are always progressing in their forward-thinking methodologies and pedago-

gies. And with that continuation into post-secondary education, I believe that these students will

help to spread a positive message about our area of Lancaster and our schools as we strive to stay
ahead of the curve with our practices. These desks are just a small part of that race ahead of the

curve and it is my credence that they will encourage our students to shine an encouraging and

enlightening beam on a community that could benefit from some positive publicity.

What will be the impact on the organization, project or activities if this application is not

funded?

In schools, technology is an integral part of moving these students into the 21st century

and preparing them for life after high school. However, if our teaching strategies and classrooms

cannot stay as current as the technology that we hand out, then we are left with students holding

technology without any real collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, or communication.

How will you evaluate the success or effectiveness of your project or activity?

I will first and foremost evaluate the success of this project through student surveys using

Google Forms. The questions will center around the effectiveness of the desks in their everyday

learning, their preferred learning styles, and how they are adjusting to the shift in classroom

management.

Secondly, I will use administrative observations to evaluate the success of these desks. This

will be in accordance with the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System and will play a part in our school

reports to the State of Ohio.

What other information do you believe is important for us to consider?

While Lancaster High School is ahead of the curve with technology, said technology is

only effective when it is utilized to its fullest extent by the students. Chromebooks have so many

more possibilities than just notetaking, which becomes the main function when a classroom is

teacher-led. If I am able to purchase these desks, then I will be able to hand over the responsibili-
ty of learning to the students, which is the overall goal. We cannot continue to send students out

into the real world and into post-secondary education without the crucial abilities of collaborat-

ing with others, creating new ideas, critically examining real-world problems to find solutions,

and communicating with others outside of their inner circles. These desks will encourage all of

those things and, hopefully, will spark a transformation of the educational paradigm that will

spread throughout our district and will help to produce forward-thinking, contributing members

of society.