Parents' Association Announces Faculty Trust Grant Recipients

Every year, the Parents' Association of MKA (PAMKA) dedicates a significant portion of its annual fundraising efforts to support faculty continuing education. PAMKA Faculty Trust Grants are designed to provide teachers with "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunities that are both personally stimulating and of benefit to the school community.  This year, PAMKA awarded 5 grants for a total of $28,500:

Upper School history teacher and Department Chair Louise Maxwell will travel to Paris, Berlin, and Copenhagen to explore art, architecture and public spaces in anticipation of developing a new history elective on the history of cities.

Upper School English teacher Marianne Burke, who teaches 19th century literature, will travel to Massachusetts and Connecticut to explore literary landmarks and homes of 19th Century American writers to“vicariously recreate the experience of a nineteenth century traveler in search of culture and beauty.”

Middle School science & health education teacher Dan Wellerwill travel to Tahiti to view a total eclipse of the sun on an expedition organized by the NASA Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society and led by Dr. Jacques Guertin and former NASA astronaut Claude Nicollier. He will use the photographs and videos he takes while studying the eclipse during class teaching. 

Middle School social studies teacher Cheryl Amendolawill travel to Paris to study Thomas Jefferson’s private and public life as an American Ambassador. Her trip will enhance her teaching of the significance of Jefferson to American history and will broaden her understanding of his philosophy and beliefs.

Middle School math teacher Nancy Gratzwill travel to Italy and Greece to study the lives of mathematicians, and will visit the birthplaces, structures and museums exhibiting the works of mathematicians, architects and early inventors such as Eratosthenes, Vitruvius, Isidoros and Anthemius in order to "bring the mathematicians to life" in her math classes.

To read more about the PAMKA Faculty Trust Grants, click here.