2008 Grant Proposal Details

Multicultural Storyteller   Parker Elementary

Total: $1950

Description:  Parker Elementary school's teachers are excited to have the opportunity to host storyteller Kelly Terwilliger for weekly presentations in grades K through 5. Ms. Terwilliger is a well-known master storyteller who presents a rich ans varied multicultural experience to classroom students of all ages. Her two-week visit to our students, through the Artist-in-Residence program, was a perfect complement to both Language Arts and Spanish programs. We are looking forward to the opportunity to extend Ms.Terwilliger's presentations over a longer period of time. Ms.Terwilliger will visit each classroom weekly. Her versatile and rich program will allow each teacher to connect her presentation with a specific aspect of the Language Arts curriculum, identifying various elements of story structures, appropriate to each grade level. At the same time, her extensive knowledge of material culled from Spanish-speaking countries /cultures will enrich and support our students' connection to our Spanish program. Additional stories from around the world will offer variety and broaden our students' awareness of the world.

Why is this important?  Ms.Terwilliger's storytelling skills are engaging for students of all ages. We have observed her interactions with our students and the whimsical ways in which she delivers messages of wisdom and respect. She provides a unique voice through which children connect with a wide variety of experiences, rich in language and traditions. This exposure validates our students' Spanish language acquisition. These presentations also provide an opportunity to connect the art of storytelling to our language arts curriculum when applied to key benchmarks elements such as predicting, summarizing and retelling.

Who will be served?  All 262 students enrolled in our program will be served through this program Ms.Terwilliger visits will be scheduled weekly, to 10 different classrooms, for a period of 13 weeks.

How will this be evaluated?  Despite being subjective, student's anticipation and participation during Ms.Terwilliger's visits will be indicative of the success of the program. More objectively, a survey of individual teacher's experience will provide feedback and suggestions to maximize the benefits of this program. Students will also be given the opportunity to evaluate the program upon its completion.

Does this build on existing programs?  Storytelling is an integral part of each classroom. Ms. Terwilliger adds her expertise of this traditional art form and lends her talent to enrich the experience. Moreover, through her broad multicultural knowledge, she will bridge curricular expectations in our language arts classroom to those of our Spanish program.

Budget:  Ms. Terwilliger charges an hourly fee of $30.00, the equivalent of the Artist-in-Residence program. A weekly visit to Parker Elementary will cost $150.00 for 5 hours divided into 15 to 30 minutes presentations to 11 classrooms. No additional expenses are involved. Ms. Terwilliger provides her own material. (5 hours @ $30.00 X 13 = $1950.00

Proposal #:  89