The Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) announced the first round of its quarterly Red and Gold Grants for the 2014–15 school year. Twenty-four grants totaling $10,671 were awarded for projects and programs that will serve more than 3,500 ICSD students. The grants assist teachers, students, and community members with projects that strengthen and enrich the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) curriculum, have a positive impact on students, and actively engage students.

Red and Gold Grant recipients in this cycle include three first-time recipients highlighted below.

Janet Gordinier, Caroline Elementary School’s secretary, will provide all classrooms with Wilderness Campus Outdoor Bags—containing field guides, water testing kits, nature journal books, and animal track identification guides. The materials will help students study and identify plants and animals as they explore Caroline’s Wilderness Campus.

Vinnie Alcazaren, a Boynton Middle School Social Studies teacher, will ask his students where and how New Yorkers could survive a fantasy epidemic caused by zombies. Role-playing as teams for the Centers for Disease Control, the students will research the spread of pandemic diseases in historical outbreaks through graphs, charts and data tables, and analyze how best to predict and increase survival rates in various populations.

Cassidy Fisk, an Ithaca High School Social Studies teacher, will take students to Cornell’s Johnson Museum of Art and Kroch Library to work with and analyze ancient artifacts and artwork from Europe’s Medieval and Renaissance periods. This educational exploration will allow students to compare the two historical periods and learn how art and architecture reflect cultural values.


"The amazing variety and ‘bang for the buck’ are the best part of IPEI's Red and Gold Grants,” said IPEI Board President Jennifer Engel. “They excite and ignite the imaginations and learning for Ithaca's students and teachers!”

Newly awarded Red and Gold Grants are listed below. All 2014-15 grants can be found at www.ipei.org under Grants. The deadline for Red and Gold Grants round 2 is December 8.


Boynton Middle School

Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: A Study of Pandemics and Geography, Vinnie Alcazaren

Pourin’ Petri Dishes, Victoria Benson

Creative Science Projects, Dennis Carbone

Biathlon: Running and Archery, John McNally, Jeanette Palmer, Shane Taylor


Caroline Elementary School

Wilderness Campus Outdoor Bags, Janet Gordinier

Fitness Program Equipment Grant, Samuel Trechter

The Pre-K Rock Box, Johanna B. Rice

Blurry vs. Clear: An Up-Close Look of Our World, Deanna Crossgrove

Using Play Pods to Support Positive Peer Interactions, Aileen Grainger

Farm to Table School Garden and Food Processing, Eric Woodward and Mary Grover

Miles, Movement and Mapping: Caroline Kids Create Their Own Movement Routes on the Wilderness Campus!, Amy Seldin-Murphy


Cayuga Heights Elementary School

Differentiated Instruction Organization for CHES Kindergarten, Eileen Coller


DeWitt Middle School

DeWitt Beautification Project, Callie Bryant

Combining Visual Resources for Geography Awareness, Andrea Volckmar


Fall Creek Elementary School

Materials for Visual Thinking Strategies, Lisa Trent

Encouraging Independence through Game-Based Learning, Catherine Hart

Yoga Ball Seating for Second-Grade Children of Fall Creek Elementary, Diana Lamphier


Ithaca High School

Ithaca’s Youth Study the Biodiversity of Costa Rica, Leslie Zolnik

Audio Books to Enhance Literacy, William M. Asklar

Digital Photography Grows, Gina Cacioppo

Medieval and Renaissance Extravaganza, Cassidy Fisk


Lehman Alternative Community School

Building a Garden Tool Shed, Debbie Cowell Mandl


Northeast Elementary School

Adventure to Fitness: Learning and Movement during Indoor Recess and More, Elizabeth Bolton


South Hill Elementary School

Optimizing Focus/Attention in the Classroom, Cynthia Buchanan, Marianne Stuart

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