Eligible teachers can register once a day, every day between August 1 and December 17, 2009. Winners will be drawn every Friday and notified by telephone or email. Each winning teacher may choose both:
School-Based | Field Trips | Professional Development/Other
Alabama Power Company
Help your students learn about electrical safety by inviting Alabama Power to bring Safe-T-Opolis to your classroom. During a 45-minute presentation, Alabama Power employees use a three-dimensional model to engage students in an active discussion about electrical safety. This program is recommended for students in grades 4-12 and is available during the 2009/2010 school year.
Alabama Symphony Orchestra - ALREADY SELECTED
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) offers one free "Symphony Storytime" or "Poetry and Music" Workshop for a teacher's classroom. ASO's Education Staff lead a hands-on session that uses music and movement to creatively illustrate a story or poem. Workshops are 45 minutes long and limited to 25 students. Appropriate for all ages.
Aldridge Botanical Gardens
Aldridge Botanical Gardens is a 30-acre public woodland garden in Hoover featuring over 175 species of hydrangea, a six acre lake, and an abundance of native birds and small mammals. Children’s Education Coordinator Dr. Vasha Rosenblum will visit your school and conduct an one hour outdoor presentation for up to 25 students on the history and variety of hydrangeas, planting and care of hydrangeas, including soil preparation and planting of a Snowflake Hydrangea (signature flower of Aldridge Botanical Gardens and Hoover City Flower, patented by Gardens founder Eddie Aldridge). Students will participate in planting a Snowflake Hydrangea plant on school grounds. Upon request and in consultation with the winning teacher, the presentation can be weighted toward the subjects of biology/botany, social studies or math. The visit will be arranged at a mutually-convenient time and should be booked preferably after 1:00 p.m. during the best planting times of the year which are October, November, January or February. Appropriate for grades K-12.
American Red Cross - ALREADY SELECTED
Help your students have happy hearts with a 30 minute program presented by the Mid-Alabama Chapter of the American Red Cross. The Happy Hearts program emphasizes the importance of good nutrition and exercise with tips children can follow. Children learn how the heart works and to recognize when adults may be having heart problems and what to do in case of an emergency. The winner teacher will also receive an educational poster for his/her classroom, a t-shirt, coffee mug and totebag. This program is recommended for K-5 students and is available during the 2009-2010 school year.
Birmingham International Center
Select the “Spotlight on Japan” Resource Kit and receive teaching aids to give students a deeper appreciation and understanding of the spotlighted country of Japan and its culture. The kits contains curriculum that fulfills State Department of Education learning objectives, CDs and background information, and student activities keyed to lesson plans. BIC promotes mutual understanding between cultures through international education programs, country spotlights and services to Alabama and its international communities. BIC was proud to spotlight Japan in 2006.
Birmingham Museum of Art
The Birmingham Museum of Art will provide one teacher with the Adventures in Art: Asia set that includes 10-12 laminated posters depicting treasures and artifacts from China, Japan, Korea and Tibet plus a teacher's guide. Recommended for grades 6-12.
Birmingham Museum of Art - ALREADY SELECTED
The Birmingham Museum of Art will come to your school and provide a 1-hour Japanese fish printing art activity known as goyataku for a teacher's class limited to 30 students. All art supplies will be provided. Must take place between September 14, 2009 and May 1, 2010. Recommended for grades K-12.
Birmingham Zoo - ALREADY SELECTED
The Birmingham Zoo will provide one live 30 minute animal demonstration for a teacher's class limited to 30 students. Must take place between September 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010. The Zoo will work with the teacher so that that the best animal for their class can be scheduled. Appropriate for grades K-12.
Charles Ghigna (Father Goose)
An autographed, first edition copy of SCORE! 50 Poems to Motivate and Inspire. Charles Ghigna is an award-winning poet, children's author, speaker, and nationally syndicated feature writer who helps promote the love of poetry and children's literature throughout the world. He is the author of more than 5,000 poems and 40 books. SCORE! received a National Parenting Honor Award and is being adopted by school systems as part of their character education programs with principals reading a poem-a-day from it during their morning announcements. Appropriate for grades K-5.
Irene Latham – A Day in the Life: 1932 Gee's Bend, Alabama- ALREADY SELECTED
Local poet and author, Irene Latham offers a 1-hour presentation 50 students based on her historical novel Leaving Gee's Bend.This program is recommended for students in grades 3rd – 6th grade and is available mid-January thru late May, 2010.This program the Alabama Course of Study objectives in areas of geography, transportation, economics, history, textile arts, mathematics, writing, literature, character education.Includes a PowerPoint presentation documenting research for book and an introduction to the "Gee's Bend in a Box," which teacher may keep in the classroom for two weeks. Box contains a copy of the novel, a quilt, scrap sack of different fabrics (each child chooses one to keep), the documentary film "The Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend", Sticithin' and Pullin' a Gee's bend Quilt by Patricia McKissack, photo scrapbook of author's research in Gee's Bend and Camden, authentic sack dress, apron, cotton boll and a Leaving Gee's Bend scavenger hunt activity to be used with the novel.
McWane Science Center - ALREADY SELECTED
Can’t come to us? Then we’ll bring our adventures in science to your classroom! McWane Science Center’s Outreach specialists offer a variety of exciting, standards-based, hands-on science activities and presentations. Select one outreach program for your classroom (up to 30 students). Consider choosing Razzle Dazzle Chemistry, Amazing Animals, Science Tales, or Plant Power. View the complete list of the 21 outreach programs for the classroom available during the 2009/2010 school year. Reservations must be made 30 days in advance. Family Science Night is not an eligible program.
My A.R.T.S. Kids - ALREADY SELECTED
Meghan Muncher offers 30 copies each of her three Fine Arts Storyline coloring books that she has written, illustrated and published. Also included will be crayons and a 30-minute talk with your class about how developing artistic talents can help students excel in other academic areas. A sample coloring book storyline: Marcus, a young boy with artistic talents learns that these skills will provide him with the encouragement to work harder on his grades, become a better baseball player, and help him reach his dreams to be an academic all-American. The classroom visit will be scheduled at a mutually agreeable time during the 2009-2010 school year. This activity is recommended for Grades 1-4.
Red Mountain Theatre Company - ALREADY SELECTED
Red Mountain Theatre Company (RMTC) is a non-profit professional theatre organization with an emphasis on musical theatre offers a special visit by a character from Barnstormer, a musical about Bessie Coleman, the first African-American aviatrix.RMTC’s outreach department will present a 30-45 minute program that supports the educational goals of your students. Possible activities include reading a book to younger students, talking to students and answering questions in character, and performing musical selections from the show. This program is best suited for students in grades 3-8. The visit will be arranged at a mutually convenient time and must be booked by February 2010. Note: this program is an excellent pre- or post- activity to seeing the live performance of Barnstormer at the RMTC Cabaret Theatre in downtown Birmingham January 28-31, 2010.The RMTC outreach department will be happy to provide group sales information and make arrangements for your school group to attend a performance.
"Riverboat John" Ferguson - ALREADY SELECTED
A prize for the whole school, "Riverboat John" will spend an entire day in the winning teacher's school library providing multiple sessions ofcurriculum-based programs on reading, writing, listening and speaking using song, story, antics, and student participation. Typically sessions will be 30-60 minutes in length and are recommended for K-6 students. "Riverboat John" welcomes the opportunity consult with teachers to ensure these programs meet the educational needs of a particular group of students. These programs are aligned with the Alabama Course of Study and tailored for each age group. History, Heritage, Music, Story and Character Education are incorporated throughout the programs. To be scheduled at a mutually convenient time during the 2009/2010 school year.
Ruffner Mountain Nature Center - ALREADY SELECTED
Via the Fur Feathers and Scales-Alabama Style program, a winning teacher's students will use their super powers of observation and deduction to get to know the native animals of Ruffner Mountain.Through live animal viewing, students will explore the unique adaptations of birds, snakes, turtles and reptiles. Addressing the ACOS standards for science, this 45-minute program will be tailored for each age group K-12. This program is available during the 2009/2010 school year.
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
Sloss Furnaces will provide one outreach program visit to a school by Lil' Red, a character who interprets Sloss Furnaces from the perspective of a former employee. Lil' Red will conduct an oral history experience with your students as they learn about the history of Birmingham in a fun way including historical photos, samples of raw materials, company money and small tools. The program is one hour in length and appropriate for grades K-12. Limited to 50 participants. Must be scheduled from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm. This prize is good during the current academic school year.
Charles Tortorici - ALREADY SELECTED
Charles Tortorici is a teaching artist, poet, and singer-songwriter living in Birmingham. Charles offers an hour long performance for up to 120 students of his original songs and poems (and those of others) that focuses on writing, the arts, and the environment. This in-school program is recommended for 3rd - 6th grade students. Charles will provide the school's library with a copy of his children's CD, Thicket Dweller Tales. This prize offer will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time during the 2009/2010 school year.
Vulcan Park and Museum - ALREADY SELECTED
Vulcan Park and Museum (VPM) will come to your school and conduct up to three 20-minute “Vulcan Face to Face” performances for one grade level over a two hour period. Each informative and entertaining performance features one VPM staff member and “V,” Vulcan Park and Museum's mascot who will introduce students to this renowned iconic landmark, and discuss Vulcan’s significance to the city of Birmingham. This presentation provides short, entertaining and substantive lessons on Birmingham's unique geology, the principles of metallurgy behind iron and steel production, and Birmingham's early economy, and delivers the empowering message that these students can build the city's future. “Vulcan Face to Face” is available each Friday in the months of September, February and March between the hours of 8:00 AM and 12:00 noon.
Alabama Ballet
Enjoy a “behind-the-scenes” look at a day in the life of a dancer. Visit Alabama Ballet’s studio and enjoy the opportunity to watch the company of 35 professional dancers in a rehearsal. Enjoy a guided tour of the facility, including a peek at the exciting costume shop! Students will also have the opportunity to meet several dancers and engage in a question/answer session with them. Appropriate for students in grades K-12. Activity length: 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, approximately. Limited to 25-30 students (plus teacher and 1 or 2 other chaperones/drivers). Available during the Alabama Ballet season (September – April; no December). Best time to visit is during the morning rehearsal (between 10am and noon). Visits are also available from noon to 2pm. Teacher is responsible for all transportation arrangements.
Alabama Ballet
Bring your class (limit 30 students) to see one full-length Alabama Ballet school matinee! Enjoy the beauty of a live performance while teaching your students about dance, history and culture. Choose one of these four 2009-2010 productions: George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™ - Mon, Dec 14 and Tues, Dec 15 at 10:00 AM
Don Quixote – Friday, February 26 at 10:00 AM
Rooster and Balanchine’s Serenade – Friday, April 9 at 10:00 AM Nutcracker and Don Quixote recommended for all ages; Rooster recommended for middle and high school students. Performances are approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes in length. All productions held at the Samford Wright Center. Reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Teacher is responsible for all transportation arrangements and expenses other than tickets.
Alabama School of Fine Arts
“Explorations in Science”: Want to see the latest scientific hardware and software used in classroom labs? The winning teacher and 30 students are invited to ASFA on Tuesday, September 29 at 9:30 AM for a 90-minute science presentation focusing on biology and chemistry demonstrations in a fun and exciting classroom experience. This activity is recommended for strong or honors-level science students in grades 7 and 8. Teacher is responsible for all transportation arrangements.
Alabama Symphony Orchestra - ALREADY SELECTED
Purchase tickets to any 2009-2010 ASO Education Concert (Explorer, Young People’s, or Young Adult) and receive a pre-concert classroom visit from Conductor Yaniv Attar. Maestro Attar will lead students in engaging, hands-on music activities that will prepare them for their upcoming concert experience. Visit lasts approximately 45 minutes and may be scheduled at your convenience. Appropriate for all ages. Note: Explorer Concerts take place in September; Young People’s Concerts take place in October, February, and April; Young Adult Concert takes place in May.
Alys Stephens Center - ALREADY SELECTED
One winning teacher will get tickets for up to 30 students to attend a 10:00 AM performance of either Yuletide in Dogtown (Monday, Dec 7) or Down the Yellowbrick Road (Friday, March 26). In addition, the class will get a 45-minute pre-performance visit from the director, writer, and songwriter, Jerry Sims along with other special guests. Mr. Sims will come to your school and give students a sneak preview of songs from the show, teach elements of songwriting, and help students to write some of their own song lyrics! After the performance the class will remain in the theatre to meet and chat with the actors. Ask questions about the show and find out how the actors prepare for their performances; then the whole class will have their picture taken with cast! This activity is recommended for students in the 2nd – 5th grades. Make your production choice as soon as possible to ensure seat availability. The pre-performance visit must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.
Alys Stephens Center - ALREADY SELECTED
Plan to bring your class to see one of the Meet the Artist programs but need help getting there? Alys Stephens Center will guarantee transportation funds for one bus to bring students from your school to one of these programs during the 2009/2010 school year. These one-hour performances by internationally acclaimed artists enable students to experience the thrill of a live performance in a world-class performing arts venue. During these interactive presentations, performers engage students with anecdotes about their professional training as well as their experiences as touring artists. They also provide insight into the pieces they perform. Tickets to the performances are free but advance reservations are required and are available on a first come-first served basis. Make your reservations as soon as possible to ensure seat availability. Visit www.alysstephens.uab.edu for additional information about these programs. Thursday, Oct 8 Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Friday, Nov 6 Hubbard Street 2 Dance Company
Monday, Dec 7 Yuletide in Dogtown
Friday, Jan 15 Battleworks Dance Company
Friday, Jan 22 Los Lobos
Monday, Mar 22 Boston Brass
Friday, Mar 26 Down the Yellowbrick Road
Monday, Mar 29 Peking Acrobats
Birmingham Children’s Theatre
Purchase tickets for your school group to see any one of BCT’s mainstage or Wee Folks productions and the winning teacher’s class -- up to 30 students – will receive:
BCT’s 2009/2010 season features The Little Red Hen; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Santa in Space; Scrooge, the Musical; Three Billy Goats Gruff; Play to Win! The Jackie Robinson Musical; and The Wizard of Oz. Mainstage productions are recommended for students in grades 2-8; Wee Folks productions are recommended for PreK- grade 2. Check Smart Directory listings or the www.bct123.org for details on these productions including performance dates.
Birmingham Zoo - ALREADY SELECTED
The Birmingham Zoo will provide free admission to one teacher and up to 30 students between September 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010 Monday through Friday. This offer does not include any tokens, rides or lunch; only admission. Must provide own transportation. Appropriate for grades K-12.
McWane Science Center - ALREADY SELECTED
The McWane Science Center is a nonprofit museum that complements the mission of schools and educators by offering dynamic hands-on science experiences for all ages. Programs support curriculums and meet the Alabama Course of Study Standards (ACOSS) and National Science Education Standards (NSES). Free admission to the museum for up to 30 students plus one reserved school program. IMAX not included. Check the field-trip guide (pages 16-32) for a complete list of reserved school programs by grade and ACOS standards. Available during the 2009/2010 school year. Reservations must be made 30 days in advance.
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark Sloss Furnaces will provide free admittance and a one hour guided tour for up to 100 students and teachers. The winning teacher must arrange the visit in advance and provide their own transportation. Available Tuesday - Friday during the 2009/2010 academic school year. (Facility is closed on Mondays).
Southern Museum of Flight
It was 100 years ago next March that Orville Wright took the first powered flight in Alabama at the Wright Flying School outside of Montgomery. Celebrate this historic anniversary by bringing your class (up to 40 students) to the Southern Museum of Flight for a guided tour of Those Daring Wright Brothers and Other Early Flyers. Exhibit highlights include a full-scale reproduction of the Wright Flyer and photographs of the Wright Flying School building in outside of Montgomery. After the tour, students can create their own paper replicas of Wright Flyer to take home. This exhibit addresses numerous ACOS standards including Alabama history; pioneers of flight; laws of motion; overcoming obstacles; forces of flight; and people, places and events in US and world history. The winning teacher may schedule the tour between January and May 2010. Thirty (30) days advance reservation required; the Museum is open Tuesday-Friday. School must provide their own transportation. This activity is recommended for students in grades 2-12.
Vulcan Park and Museum
The winning teacher and up to 30 students are invited to, attend free of charge, Vulcan Park and Museum’s Anything is Possible Living History Performance. The performance is 30 minutes in length and appropriate for students in grades 3-12. Professional actors Frank Thompson and Quinton Cockrell weave the story of the people, materials, and ideas that transformed Birmingham from a sleepy cornfield in Jones Valley into a dynamic industrial city and the cradle of the modern civil rights era. Over 150 years of Birmingham and American history are covered in this engaging work by UAB playwright-in-residence Lee Shackleford. After the performance, students extend learning through group activities in Vulcan Center Museum and a trip up to Vulcan's Observation Balcony. Like Vulcan Park and Museum's exhibits, the Teachers' Guide is aligned with the Alabama Course of Study in science, social studies/history, and fine arts. Teachers will love the guide's easy-to-use format and well-researched overview of our region's history. A Teacher's Guide must be requested in advance. Anything is Possible performances occur on Tuesday mornings in the months of September, February, March and April. The program location is the Vulcan Park and Museum atop Red Mountain. School must provide their own transportation; free parking for buses and vans.
Alabama Humanities Foundation
The Alabama Humanities Foundation will give one teacher a canvas bag filled with the following books and a mouse pad:
Four Spirits by Sena Jeter Naslund
The Spanish Frontier in North America by David J. Weber
The Classic Slave Narratives, edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Wieland and Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist by Charles Brockden Brown. These books are from AHF’s SUPER Teacher Institutes and Workshops. Check out the conference and workshop section of the Smart Directory resource page or AHF’s website www.ahf.net for more information about these SUPER Teacher Institutes, Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship for k-6th grade teachers and SES program for high school students.
Alabama School of Fine Arts
The Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) offers the winning teacher 4 tickets to see the highly acclaimed and historic play A Raisin in the Sun presented by the ASFA Theatre Department. Performances are October 22, 23 and 24 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, October 25 at 2:30. Advance reservations are required.
Alabama School of Fine Arts
“Shoebox Chemistry for Middle School Teachers” led by veteran ASFA Chemistry Teacher Judy Cantwell. The winning teacher is invited to attend a workshop on Wednesday, October 14 from 3:30 PM until 4:30 PM that will focus on physical science activities that instructors use with students even with modest lab resources. Ms. Cantwell will present five different fun physical science exercises that teachers can share with their students back in their classrooms. As a bonus, at the end of the one-hour lab session, each participating teacher will receive a plastic shoebox filled with ready-made classroom activities and supplies for their students!
Alabama School of Fine Arts
“Ready, Set, Go: Probeware Training for Middle School Teachers” lead by ASFA Environmental Science Teacher Ryan Reardon. Reardon is also a paid consultant with PASCO Industries and travels the country teaching educators how to use the company’s latest scientific software in the classroom. On Thursday, October 22 from 3:30 PM until 4:30 PM, the winning teacher will receive one hour of comprehensive training using the Probeware and conduct an experiment just for fun.
Alabama School of Fine Arts
The Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) offers the winning teacher 4 tickets to see the exhilarating Fall Dance Performance presented by the ASFA Dance Department. The performance will feature classical and modern dance selections choreographed by the ASFA Dance Department Faculty. Performances are November 20 and 21 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, November 22 at 2:30 pm. Advance reservations are required.
Alabama School of Fine Arts
Would you like some help with a class or school production during the 2009/2010 school year? The winning teacher is offered a two hour consultation with one or more ASFA faculty members who will provide ideas and guidance on production aspects such as music, drama, choreography, sound, costume or set design. The consultation includes a tour of the ASFA facility and an invitation to attend a tech rehearsal for an ASFA production. This opportunity is ideal for middle and high school productions.
Aldridge Repertory Theatre - ALREADY SELECTED
Founded in 1984, the Aldridge Repertory Theatre is pleased to be the new resident theatre company at the Carver Theatre. ART’s mission is to provide educational performing arts opportunities to underserved and under-represented minorities. ART offers four tickets to the winning teacher to any one of the five shows in their 2009/210 season. Choose from: the southern premiere of No Child… (August), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (October), Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity (December), Intimate Apparel (February), and For Colored Girls… (April). Reservations must be made in advance and are subject to availability. More information on shows.
Birmingham International Center
BIC promotes mutual understanding between cultures through international education programs, country spotlights and services to Alabama and its international communities. BIC offers a scholarship ($50 value) for one teacher to attend the 2010 Professional Development Workshop for Teachers: Spotlight on Ireland. This full day conference for K-12 teachers will be held in February 2010 at a Birmingham area location TBD. Featuring over two dozen interactive, hands-on sessions, the workshop addresses issues facing many contemporary classrooms, including cultural and language barriers that continue to arise as the population grows and diversifies. Attendees will receive a “Resource Kit,” containing teaching aids to give students a deeper appreciation and understanding of the spotlighted country of Ireland and its culture. Kits contain curriculum that fulfills State Department of Education learning objectives, CDs and background information, and student activities keyed to lesson plans. In addition to the sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to sample a variety of Irish cuisine at the “Taste of Ireland” luncheon. Visit www.bic-al.org for more information.
Children’s Dance Foundation
Children’s Dance Foundation (CDF) will provide the “Math Dance” book and a participatory training session. Session includes a copy of the book "Math Dance" co-written by Mathematician and Dancer Karl Schaffer. During the one-hour session, educators will experience some of the activities in the book led by CDF Project Director Mary Foshee. The focus of this session is using movement activities related to the math curriculum. Appropriate for teachers in grade levels K-6 and teachers from each grade level are encouraged to attend. The winning teacher may invite up to 25 teachers to attend. CDF will work with the prize winner to find a convenient time and location for this session. Available during the 2009-2010 academic school year.
The “Math Dance” book is a component of CDF's School Touring Program "Math in Motion," an academically-linked 45-minute dance performance by four professional dancers. The program, created by Schaffer and Foshee for K-6 audiences, has been touring the State of Alabama since 1998. School-based activity for educators; focused on elementary, middle or high school. Available August 2009-May 2010.
Jones Valley Urban Farm - ALREADY SELECTED
Learn more about Jones Valley Urban Farm (JVUF) a community-based non-profit organization in Birmingham, Alabama. Utilizing over 3 acres of vacant downtown property, JVUF grows organic produce and flowers, educates the community about healthy food, and helps make Birmingham a vibrant community. JVUF is offering two free tickets to an Urban Harvest Twilight Supper on Sunday, October 18th, 2009. Five of the finest local chefs will be creating epicurean delights from items grown on the farm. In addition to preparing the dinner, the chefs will sit with you at the table during the event. What an opportunity to meet and mingle while finding out more about the farm’s educational opportunities for people of all ages. Reception starts at 5:00 pm with dinner to follow.
Sloss Performing Arts
Sloss Performing Arts (SPA) will provide a two-hour crash course educator version of the in-school student workshop, MUSE ON WHEELS: Igniting Shakespeare in Schools. During the session, educators will learn how to deflate the stereotype that Shakespeare is difficult, boring, and indecipherable, by incorporating the basics of theatrical performance into a Shakespeare unit, using only the text, regular classroom materials, and the students. Led by SPA artistic director Elizabeth Hunter, this session is geared for English or theatre teachers in grade levels 6-12. The winner may invite up to 10 educators to attend. We will be glad to work with the winning teacher to determine time and location. Available December 2009 - March 2010.
Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham
1731 First Avenue North, Suite 190
· Birmingham,
AL 35203
Phone: 205-458-1393 · Fax: 205-458-1396