Photo Caption: AHS teacher Cinzia Mangano holds a student-created prosthetic hand in front of a 3D printer. This month, Mangano was awarded a $4,000 grant from AEF to expand data-driven approaches in her architecture, design and engineering classes at the high school.
Using authentic materials, Mandarin students at Arlington High School will learn from a visiting professional artist about traditional Chinese art forms, creating connections between artistic techniques and cultural heritage. Second and third graders at Peirce Elementary School will explore math concepts on a deeper, multisensory level using weighted manipulatives. Sixth graders at Gibbs Middle School will learn to make connections between ancient civilizations and scientific observations by raising trout in the classroom.
These are just a handful of the exciting new projects and hands-on experiences coming to students in Arlington Public Schools this year, thanks to the support of Arlington Education Foundation.
Earlier this month, AEF awarded just over $25,0000 in fall Innovation Grants to teachers at five elementary schools, Gibbs and AHS, supporting and empowering creativity in classrooms across the district. These projects are expected to touch more than a quarter of the 6,000-plus students currently enrolled in the district, with the potential for ongoing impact that extends beyond the 2025-26 school year.
At AHS, architecture, design/engineering and fabrication teacher Cinzia Mangano was awarded $4,000 to purchase two new 3D printers, which will expand the opportunity for more than 120 students across her classes to engage in a data-driven, experiment-based approach to learning. Instead of creating one final design, students will be able to test, analyze and improve their designs, mimicking real-world processes in the fields of architecture and engineering. The printers will also allow for cross-department collaboration; for example, design students and chemistry students could work together to create custom prototypes for use in the science lab.
Mangano said she is thrilled to receive the grant and is working to implement the new project during the first part of the next semester.
“These grants reflect the creativity and thoughtfulness of APS educators and will open new opportunities for student learning and growth,” said Mahlet Aklu, the AEF board member who oversees the organization’s Innovations in Education grants program. “We’re grateful to everyone who submitted a proposal and look forward to seeing these ideas come to life.”
AEF’s Innovations in Education grants support creative endeavors and experiences that seek to transform learning for students in visible ways. Innovations grants are awarded twice a year, in the fall and spring. A nonprofit, volunteer-run organization designed to engage the community to support public education in Arlington, AEF also provides grants for educator professional development, student-run clubs at AHS and wide-ranging projects at the school and district levels. For more information about AEF, log on to aefma.org.
