The Sharing the Dream grant program, funded by the MetLife Foundation, began in 2004 after the annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher revealed a significant disconnect between the ways in which principals and other members of the school community view their schools and relationships with one another.
As Sharing the Dream enters a new decade, principals are being asked to define community in broader ways that can build global awareness. The new emphasis on global connections grows out of findings from the most recent MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Collaborating for Student Success, which found that 71 percent of teachers and 75 percent of principals believe that preparing students for competition and collaboration in a global economy is very important for improving student achievement.
For 2011-2012, NAESP and MetLife Foundation is awarding 25 elementary and middle school principals with $5,000 each to create globally oriented schools and international learning communities, and to engage children in transformative, multidisciplinary experiences and service learning projects that will help them succeed in the interconnected world of the 21st century.
The winners of this year's grant are:
Aveson School of Leaders
Sebastian Cognetta, principal
Altadena, CA
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary
Gail Scott-Parizer, principal
Silver Spring, MD
Clarence R. Edwards Middle School
Leo Flanagan, Jr. principal
Charlestown, MA
Christel House Academy
Carey Dahnche, principal
Indianapolis, IN
Chichester Central School
Pamela Stiles, principal
Chichester, NH
Choctaw County Elementary
A. Wayne Longmire, Principal
Butler, AL
Denver Center for International Studies at Ford
Ligia Gibson , principal
Denver, CO
Dick Scobee Elementary
Adam Couch, Principal
Auburn, WA
Girls Learning Center
Mary Williams
Greenwood, MS
Grove Early Childhood Center
Julie Bloss, Principal
Grove, OK
Hogg Middle School
Mina Schnitta, Principal
Houston, TX
Indian Hills Elementary
Ronald Donkersloot, Principal
Galllup, NM
Linderman Elementary
Heather Jones, Principal
Polson, MT
Lowndes Middle School
Derald Jones, Principal
Valdosta, GA
Martin Behrman Charter School
Rene’ Lewis-Carter
New Orleans, LA
Olga Brener Elementary
Karen Smith, Principal
Shawano, WI
Pinnacle Charter School
Linda Marzslak, Principal
Buffalo, NY
Richard Green Central Park Community School
Catalina Salas, Principal
Minneapolis , MN
Stanley Switlik Elementary
Lesley Salinero, Principal
Marathon, FL
Sunset Acres Elementary
Stacey Jamison, principal
Shreveport, LA
Storm Lake Elementary
Julie Kwikkel, Principal
Storm Lake, IA
Sandy Hook Elementary
Dawn Hochsprung
Sandy Hook, CT
The Cambridge School
Derek Barber, Principal
Chicago, IL
Watson Lane Elementary
Rosemarie Young, Principal
Louisville, KY
White River Elementary
Abi Van Regenmorter, Principal
White River, SD
To learn more about the Sharing the Dream program, contact Margaret Evans at 703-517-8989 or sharingthedreamgrant@gmail.com
