Mississippi Power Education Foundation awarded 22 grants to southeast Mississippi schools in October, 1999 totaling more than $82,800.

The largest grant ($32,000) went to Dr. Marjann Ball at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville for the program "Learning is a Consequence of Thinking."

The community college will provide teacher training and materials for all teachers in six schools in the use of thinking maps. During the second year, the school districts agree to provide training at their own expense in at least one additional school. The use of thinking maps will promote greater independence of learning among teachers and students through sharing ideas and synthesizing information.

Wayne County School District received a grant for $11,470 to support the second phase of Project Read. Because federal funds have allowed the district to reduce its class sizes, 10 teachers have been added to the staff to take on the additional classes. The Mississippi Power grant will help the district purchase additional Phonology, Comprehension and Written Expression kits for the new classes.

The following projects also were awarded grants:

Poplarville Elementary School teacher Shelly Amacker will use $2,000 to implement the "Year in a Box" project, which uses video and audio tape to create a portfolio assessment of each student and teacher. Oral presentations, reading samples, writing samples and photographs of group presentations and projects will document the learning process, as well as classroom instruction and strategies.

A grant for $1,473.21 will help Romona Pittman at West Marion Elementary School start up "Promoting Map Skills Across the Curriculum." The program will emphasize geographical knowledge and global awareness by using various resources and literature on the places they study in various subjects.

Hilda Cline of Grace Christian Elementary in Hattiesburg has developed the "Classroom Shutterbugs" program, where students will create, edit and publish their own books, using photo illustrations. Students will have access to disposable cameras in order to take pictures of their families and one family gathering. A grant for $868.46 was awarded to this project.

"Character First" will implement character education in grades K-5 at Stainton Elementary School in Laurel. Johnnie Bender was awarded a $780 grant to implement the project, as the staff works with parents and community to build character and self-esteem in its students.

Mike Barlow at Laurel Alternative School received a grant for $1,937 to increase the reading level of students. "SOAR to Reading Heights" will emphasize increasing the amount of reading that students do voluntarily outside of class.

A grant for $1,807 is going to Lia Landrum at South Jones Middle School for the project "From Yankee Doodle to God Bless the USA." This project will integrate history, music, technology and research to help students understand how history is a compilation of social, political and economic events.

"First Steps…School to Career: It`s Our Business" involves helping severely learning disabled students to increase their academic performance while introducing them to the global economy. As the Claudia Freeman`s classroom at Pass Road Elementary becomes a business, students will work collaboratively and independently to produce identification cards for students and employees in the school district. A grant for $1,960 will help the project.

Teacher Kelly Dykes of Oak Park Elementary School received a grant for $492 for the project "The Global Connection," which will enable students to use information on varying cultures and their global locations to create classroom projects and a theatrical production.

"The Watershed Project" developed by Diane Holland at Sumrall Junior High School will let students explore man`s need for clean water and develop a better understanding and appreciation of the preservation of this natural resource by monitoring a watershed in their community. A $1,660 grant will help support the project.

Kathryn Boyette of Enterprise Elementary School received a grant for $700 to create Family Literacy Bags for preschool through first-grade students with development delays. The bags, which will be taken home, will contain books, suggested activities and materials for parents to help their children develop language skills and learn literacy concepts.

A $1,408 grant will support the "Restructuing Math" project developed by Danna Roberts at Seminary Attendance Center. This project will use the computer program "Accelerated Math" to focus individualized math instruction.

Nelda Hudson of West Marion Primary will produce the project "It`s a Small World" with a $1,998 grant. This project will provide third-grade students with culturally-diverse experiences by comparing/contrasting governments, holidays, lifestyles, histories and cultural distinctions.

"Don`t Just Sit There, Get Involved" is a project written by Dorothy Stockstill at Pearl River Central Elementary that will get third-grade students involved in learning through Discovery Centers. In these centers, students will complete hands-on activities and use manipulatives that target literature, science and social student. A $2,000 grant will assist the project.

Kathy Smith of George County received a grant for $1,837 for the project "Look Inside Me," which will equip classrooms with information, models and scientific investigations to help students understand and explore the human body.

A $989 grant will help Carleen Gilmore`s project "Buoyancy -- Who Sank the Boat?" at Sebastopol Attendance Center. This project incorporates children`s literature with the assistance of a Flex Cam, a new computerized desktop video camera, helping students follow concepts that are part of a plot.

Anita Carroll developed "The Empowerment of Students in the Art of Book Making" project, which will result in each student creating a hard-cover book. A $1,317 grant will help the project.

Hattiesburg Middle School teacher Joanne Oshrin received a grant for $3,350 for her project "HMS: School and Community Report." This project allows seventh- and eighth-grade students to apply their language arts, communication, social and technical skills to create community-based TV programs. Students will create, film and edit community service videos and operate a newsroom.

Mark Rice`s program "Rev It Up -- Racing Across the Curriculum" at Stringer Attendance Center received a $9,925 to further develop the project, which uses motor sports as a motivational and educational tool, as well as enhance staff development and support for teachers using the program.

Charlotte Cahill received a $2,287 grant to implement "Rev It Up -- Racing Across the Curriculum" at Jones Middle School in Laurel. Nine teachers involved with the project at JMS will use car racing to integrate the curriculum during a four-week period.

Lisa Lamb at George County Middle School received a grant for $627 for promoting professional growth at her school.