HCPSS Superintendent Michael J. Martirano and Board of Education members recognized 11 Howard County public school teachers and staff for receiving funding for innovative instructional projects to enhance students’ learning experiences. The grants, totaling more than $10,000, were awarded by the Bright Minds Foundation, the county’s independent, nonprofit organization that supports all HCPSS students. In the grant program’s history, Bright Minds has invested more than $145,000 for enrichment programs throughout county classrooms.

Each year, the Bright Minds Foundation awards Staff and Teacher grants of up to $2,000 for projects that build students’ skills in cultural proficiency, diversity, equity and inclusion; financial, economic, business and entrepreneurship literacy; fine arts; humanities; health and wellness; information and communications technology literacy; and STEM.

The grant recipients for the current school year were recognized at the Howard County Board of Education meeting on September 20.

2018 / 2019 Staff and Teacher Awardees
Kenneth Brown, Applications and Research Lab, $1500, EMT Academy-Into the Future
Alyson Donoghue, Applications and Research Lab, $1579, Isolation and Analysis of Chesapeake Thraustochytrids
Charles Lidard, Atholton HS, $627, Mr. Bucket’s By-Pass Surgery
David Floyd/Elissa Hozore, Bellows Spring ES, $1476, Bee-Gin Computer Science with Bee-Bots
Beth Ivey, Bellows Spring ES, $600, Buddy Bench
Raymond Gerstner, Glenelg HS, $600, Glenelg First Robotics Team
Joshua Mize, Glenelg HS, $1842, Coding a Pathway to STEM Experiences
Anne Reis, Homewood Center, $450, Truth and Racial Healing Book Club
Jon Hollander, Howard HS, $780, Rho Kappa Oral History Project
Sarah McGuire, Laurel Woods ES, $1123, We Can Code Project