2015 Winner
BEST PRACTICES AWARD WINNERS 2015
Title: Global Citizenship: More Than Madison
School: Madison Public Schools
Madison, New Jersey
Designer: Matthew A. Mingle, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction
Project: The More Than Madison Project was closely aligned to the 2010 CTAUN Conference, “Developing Globally Literate Students.” All fifth grade students in the Madison Public Schools engaged in an experience that challenged them to discover their role in the global community, learn what life is like for ten year olds in developing countries, and work collaboratively to find solutions to persistent issues in the developing world – all with minimal guidance from teachers. Representatives from the community, school administrators, teachers and peers, evaluated students’ presentations using rubrics.
Title: Know Myself ~ Know Each Other ~ Know the World
School: New York State School for the Deaf
Rome, New York
Designer: Vicky Stockton, Music, Latin, ASL, and US Citizenship Teacher
Project: Inspired by the CTAUN 2014 Conference, ”Promoting Peace Through Education ,”
Ms. Stockton designed a school curriculum for students preK-12 to promote understanding of different cultures through communication. Students would overcome speech limitations and develop communication skills through learning American Sign Language, discovering personal needs and talents, and building curiosity of the needs of others in different parts of the world. They would acquire the skills to select deaf and hard-of-hearing buddies in a country of their choosing. Students in this program come from New York, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Jordan, India, and Bosnia.
Title: Ambassadors for a Better World
School: Oceanside Middle and High Schools
Oceanside, New York
Designers: Penny Ellis, Life Skills Teacher, Oceanside High School
Nancy Morris, Retired English Teacher, Oceanside Middle School
Project Ms. Ellis’ and Ms. Morris’ project encompasses themes from both CTAUN Conferences, 2008, “Teaching and Learning in an Independent World,” and 2014, “Youth in Danger: A Call to Action.” This is an internship project designed to offer special needs students the opportunity to learn skills to be successful at their after-school jobs while developing social and emotional skills. As a part of their project started under the leadership of Ms. Morris in the middle school, students learn the concept of sustainability as they participate in “Save the Earth School by School,” a recycling program in their community.
Title: Scattered Seeds of Peace
School: Warrior Run School District
Turbotville, Pennsylvania
Designer: Elizabeth Brewer, Elementary School Counselor
Project: Ms. Brewer has had the opportunity to attend the past four out of five CTAUN Conferences. She was inspired by the 2014 CTAUN Conference, “The UN at 70: Making a Difference,” when Principal Lisa Fernandez, PS119 Brooklyn, New York, demonstrated her Best Practices Project, “Celebrating Peace Day 2014.” Ms. Brewer designed an innovative curriculum in her district to develop the students’ understanding of the meaning of peace by accepting themselves, engaging fairly with others and offering resolutions to conflicts. She culminated her peacekeeping project with a celebration of United Nations Day, October 24, with her students and their families. Five hundred sixty two thank you notes were written to UN Peacekeepers around the world and were distributed by the United Nations.
Title: Children of the Ganges
School United Nations International School
New York. New York
Designer: Truike Boekholt-Daly
Project: Ms. Boekholt-Daly believes that education is the way to freedom and peace. She developed her project for underprivileged children in Rishikesh, India. Her mission at the center is:
to provide free education from kindergarten to senior secondary level for children regardless of religion, caste, gender or social status; to promote the quality of kindness and compassion, ethical behavior and a sense of universal responsibility; to inspire children with the quality of leadership and the motivation to bring peace, happiness and well-being to their communities and environment. Ms. Boekholt-Daly’s project is aided by her students, co-workers and parents at the United Nations International School with donations, fundraising activities and townhall meetings.
Special Recognition Certificate was awarded to Kush Teotia on behalf of Basanti Devi Degree College in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Halt Poverty Ctrl Tourism project in Madagascar was recognized as a Work in Progress under the leadership of Mirana Francoise Razafindramboa, former Fulbright student.
Prepared by Mary Metzger and Joan Goldstein, Co-chairs CTAUN Best Practices Awards