2012 Grants

A community read: which will include an adult and a children's selection with the theme of small town life.
Valerie Kilmartin-Durham Public Library

Freedom Riders: Traveling exhibit on the Freedom Riders, which will be housed at Strong School and used as a learning experience for American history students and the community.
Emily DelGrego, 7/8 Integrated Day Humanities teacher, Strong Middle School

Transition Team: The Transition Team is attending training to help them learn how to explore ways in which our two communities can create more of an independent, healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Susan VanDerzee

TREET bags: The Reading Education Enrichment Tote full of themed educational activities to do with pre-school children.
Vicki Berry, Levi E. Coe Library

QR Codes & Book Trailers: New technology to support the idea of using QR codes and book trailers to encourage and excite students about reading.
Jenny Lussier, Korn Elementary School teacher

Adult Band: The formation of an adult band, ages 50+, an opportunity to learn a new skill, participate in a group and perhaps make new friends. No previous musical experience necessary.
Timothy Fisher, Memorial School Band Director

Past Perfect: Software program called Past Perfect, which will catalog and computerize the Middlefield Historical Society's collection of artifacts, photos and documents to make it available to all town citizens.
Kenneth Twombly, Middlefield Historical Society

Clicking Nutmeg at Night: The expansion of the already successful Clicking Nutmeg at Night program to include students in grades seven and up, adults, parents and teachers.
Anne Doyle, Vicki Berry, Karyn Gardiner and Pam Wooding, Memorial School and Middlefield and Durham Libraries

2011 Grants

Exploring With SeaPerch: An innovative robotics program that teaches students how to build an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).
Coginchaug Regional High School

Historical Society Database Initiative: A digital database containing images and information on items in the Durham Historical Society’s collection of Durham’s history.
Durham Historical Society

Homework Hangout: A multigenerational educational program that provides a supervised, structured, quiet workplace to support homework completion and group projects for Strong Middle School students.
Durham and Middlefield Youth and Family Services

Destination Durham: Creation and development of cable TV programming dedicated to people, history, and stories that make our area a great place to live.
Destination Durham

Making Sense of the Civil War: A series of programs that put the war in cultural and historical perspective, reveal the role of Connecticut in the war, and provide a human context through stories of real people of the period.
Durham Public Library

Making Sense of the Civil War

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Go Far Fit School: As a continuation of the Go Far Wellness Program for elementary school students, Fit School will be geared exclusively to middle school students.
Go Far

Everyone Outside in Durham and Middlefield: A combined goal to enjoy the outdoors in our communities while working toward preserving and disseminating local social and natural history information.
Durham Recreation

In 2010 CVEF was proud to award seven grants of up to $1,500 to community organizations.

2010 Grants

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Presentation John Lyman Parents Association

Everyone Outside for Health and Environmental Stewardship
Lucy Meigs

iRespond-Differentiated Instruction
Strong School

Lights, Camera, Action!
Korn School

Bringing the Sea to Seniors
Levi Coe Library

Go Far
Jen Schulten

Summer of Science
Levi Coe Library

2009 Grants

May is Mental Health Month Library Project Judy Hurlbert on behalf of Region II Mental Health Board’s Catchment Area Council Ten

Organization and Preservation of Durham Library Local History Collection Durham Public Library

Thoughts & Memories: An Oral History of Durham and Middlefield during the Vietnam era CRHS

Preserving Durham and Middlefield Farms Durham Fair Foundation

Tropical Marine Aquariumand Aquatics Lab CRHS

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Presentation (Learn more)

Everyone Outside for Health and Environmental Stewardship (Learn more)

iRespond-Differentiated Instruction
(Learn more)

Bringing the Sea to Seniors
(Learn more)

Go Far (Learn more)

Summer of Science (Learn more)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Presentation

To highlight our national holiday, we will host Victoria Christgau for a community performance on Martin Luther King Day, Jr. past, present and future in January 2011. This highly participatory program will include Ms. Christgau and a host of professional musicians from the tri-state region. The performance will review the historic role that freedom songs played in the American Civil Rights Movement. Drawing on songs, stories and film clips from the movement, the audience will develop a greater understanding of the complex issues that faced the nation. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, learn and sing songs. (Read more)

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Everyone Outside for Health and Environmental Stewardship

Our goal is to get more people outside enjoying the natural world to promote healthy living and environmental stewardship. We will do this by posting information about the publically accessible trails in Durham and Middlefield on CFPA’s new WalkCT website. We will promote the use of local trails and WalkCT.org by publicizing the availably of WalkCT, providing at least 10 hikes in Durham and Middlefield to introduce more people to our trails, and initiating a program consisting of activities to get children and adults outside to exercise and connect with nature.

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iRespond-Differentiated Instruction

The goal of the iRespond-Differentiated Instruction Project is to allow teachers to gain real time data on student comprehension of instructional material in order to enhance student learning. A key component of differentiated instruction is the ability for teachers to collect data on student comprehension of material so that instructional strategies can be modified to address the needs of each student. The iRespond system allows for real time collection of student data so that teachers can modify their instruction as necessary for each student.

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Lights, Camera, Action!

All Korn students will create innovative learning experiences using digital cameras and Flip Videos. Being a successful, productive member of society in the 21st century requires the incorporation of technology into many daily activities. Approval of this grant will allow third and fourth grade students at Korn Elementary School the opportunity to develop technology skills to enhance their global productivity and communication skills. All students will create presentations and projects as well as enrich current curriculum areas using digital cameras and Flip Videos.

Bringing the Sea to Seniors

The ocean is one of the most peaceful and beautiful places in nature. The proposed project would involve the set-up of a 30 gallon saltwater fish tank in the Senior Center in Middlefield, CT. Following the initial construction of the tank, an informational and educational seminar will be taught to the seniors on how to maintain the tank. Wildlife in the tank would include several species native to Long Island Sound and a booklet will be provided detailing each animal and the steps and supplies needed to maintain the tank. A younger student will also be introduced as the “contact person” in case any issues arise.

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Go Far

Go Far is a non-competitive daily fitness and wellness program that encourages healthy habits through repetition and consistency. Children benefit and learn about the importance of achieving a long term goal through our structure program. During recess, students run or walk laps and have their mileage recorded by a mentoring adult. Students are given small prizes every five miles and a t-shirt at 26.2 miles. Positive peer and community recognition is given to the students and is essential in reinforcing the benefits of this goal-driven program. Long term goals are met by each student’s willingness to succeed with the help from community members that are dedicated to seeing these goals through.

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Summer of Science

Summer of Science will provide the opportunity for elementary students to explore and enjoy different areas of science: chemistry, biology, archeology, and physics. The programs will provide a knowledge base for future leaning as well as create an interest and excitement surrounding science. The presenters include Denison Peqotsepos’ Nature Center (Own Prowl), Children’s Museum of Southeastern CT (It’s Electric), The Children’s Museum (Polymer Power), Connecticut Science Center (Egyptian Adventures), Cheryl Blum (Science Sensations).