Chappaqua School Foundation’s third grade technology initiative a success
June 25, 2010
by Rachel Rader
This week, the Chappaqua School Foundation announced that its third grade technology initiative, to fund SMART boards for every third grade class in the district, was an overwhelming success on several fronts. Not only did the foundation reach its goal of raising $75,000 in just eight weeks, but 70% of the contributions made for this technology came from donors who had not previously donated to the Chappaqua School Foundation.
A quick, focused campaign draws new donors
In just eight weeks, the Chappaqua School Foundation (CSF) learned of the district’s interest in placing SMART boards and document cameras in each third grade classroom, organized the campaign and achieved its objective. Outgoing CSF President Leslie Pechman Koch commented, “I am so happy for the third graders who get to experience the wonders of learning with SMART Boards, and I am overwhelmed by the generosity of this community and the fact that so many parents took ownership of this campaign and ran with it. I am also very appreciative of the PTA ‘s unprecedented major gift for this initiative.”
Since 1993, CSF has funded programs and materials that have improved the quality of our children’s education. In 2010 alone, and prior to the technology campaign, CSF financed $120,000 worth of grants, proposals submitted primarily by teachers and administrators, in the areas of music, technology, the visual arts and literacy.
This year, however, at the completion of the grants cycle, the district approached CSF with one more immediate request: installing SMART boards and digital document cameras in every third grade classroom for the 2010-2011 school year. Basing their request on research that shows that SMART boards improve student engagement, increase student motivation and attendance, adapt to a range of learning styles and issues, enhance retention and improve teacher productivity and creativity, as well as the success of the 108 SMART boards already in use in upper level Chappaqua classrooms, the district felt certain that this technology would help facilitate teaching the new math curriculum, as well as other subjects, in third grade.
Campaign kick-off at CSF benefit in April
CSF announced the third grade SMART board initiative at its April 30 benefit. Donations and positive feedback from the community began to roll in. This targeted initiative struck a chord with elementary school families in particular. Karen Payes, the parent of a preschooler and a Roaring Brook first grader noted, “I was introduced to SMART boards when our principal read a book using one at Roaring Brook Open School Night last fall. When I heard that CSF was raising money to put SMART boards in third grade classrooms I got excited. Of course I want my almost second grader to be learning with the latest technology tools available, and I support efforts to put this in place for our children.”
Payes was so strongly in favor of the SMART board initiative that she, along with over a dozen other parents, reached out by a district-wide eblast to all first and second grade families, a move that was instrumental to CSF’s success in meeting its goal. In fact, over 70% of the contributions to the SMART board campaign were from people who had not previously donated to CSF, many of them parents with young children who will benefit from the technology.
PTA made an unprecedented contribution to SMART board campaign
Support for third grade SMART boards came from the Chappaqua PTA as well. In an unprecedented move, the PTA made a contribution of $5000 to help defray the cost of this technology for the district. “It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to work with CSF to make good things happen for our students,” said Chappaqua PTA President Leslie Kuhn. “We are working together to fulfill an important need identified by the district for next year.”
A $10,000 donation from an anonymous donor and several other large gifts went a long way. However, the $75,000 goal could not have been met without smaller, but equally important donations; 36 percent of the donations were less than $100. “This is a wonderful example of people pulling together toward a common goal, with each contributing at his or her own comfort level. No gift is ever too small and all contributions are greatly appreciated and have a direct impact on our children,” said Leslie Koch.
Rachel Rader is member of the board of the Chappaqua School Foundation.
Jeff Knisely’s 8th grade social studies class at Seven Bridges
I think that smartboards are useless. Teachers just use them as another blackboard. They distract teachers and take away teaching time with useless movies and videos supposedly teaching the students. I don’t know why these boards are so important or why they are funded at all. This is an utter waste of money.
Is there any research that shows Smart Boards raise academic achievement? All the research I have found points to greater student engagement, but it is not clear if this is just a short term effect due to the novelty of Smart Boards.
Yes, show the research before even more is spent on them. At least the money for Smart Boards has been privately raised, in the coming financial straits (and they WILL continue to be straits)we can’t afford to spend even discretionary monies on feel-good products. Show the research before continuing. I think you’ll find that Smart Boards are a great marketing success story, with not much behind them. Unfortunately, it DOES help people to give when they can see something tangible like a cool techie thing to give out to teachers and kids. Let’s be smarter than that.
Has our new, interim, superintendent have any opinions on the usefulness of Smart Boards? Surely he’s seen some REAL data.
We can’t afford toys going forward. We need to justify every dollar spent—especially MANY every dollars spent, whether they are contributed privately or they are tax dollars.
