As long-time partners with the KCI, educators at (Isaac Newton) Graham Middle School In Mountain View Whisman School District earned funding for innovative project development for their students with the support of the LIGHT Awards Program in 2019.

“The LIGHT Awards are a program of the Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation, a private family foundation. We believe that highly effective, engaged teachers are the most important factor in a student’s academic experience and success. We seek to honor and invest in superior educators and school leaders.”

While this award was granted in 2019, the realization of the benefits resulted in a long-term partnership with the KCI that supports a target middle school team of educators looking to truly innovate the instructional programs for their learners.

“This team of middle school teachers will collaborate with the Krause Center for Innovation to develop and pilot pathways for Project Based Learning (PBL)-based, technology enhanced electives and create curriculum for all students in media, technology, broadcasting, engineering, leadership, and visual art courses.”
— GRAHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM DIGITAL HEROES – LIGHT AWARDS, 2019

As one of the program professional leaders, I enjoyed a series of Saturday learning sessions in 2021 that focused on the personalized needs of the educators at Graham Middle School as they explored the workflow, functionality, and impact of their middle-school media project. Their journey was full of hurdles that the 2020-2021 school year presented, but with the ongoing support of the KCI team, we came together to articulate a clear vision for program implementation. 

One of my favorite memories was when we explored the Book Creator App together as a collaborative team. In their efforts to inspire a student-designed magazine, we uncovered the powerful capabilities of Book Creator. Not only does it simplify the publication process, but it also invites a variety of authors, creators, and voices to the creative process. 

Our journey has been far from perfect, but it’s been perfectly customized to the needs and dreams of the Graham Middle School team. 

Here’s to seeing where the next steps take our partnership!