BY BERNIE MIXON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cinergy Foundation is putting up to $3 million to work preparing today's students for tomorrow's work force.
Building Assets & Support for Innovative Communities & Schools (BASICS), a grant program to be announced today,will help teachers explore new ways to improve schools.
It calls on educators to work with community and business leaders to design comprehensive improvement plans.
"We want to encourage schools to reinvent the way they are teaching children; to think outside the traditional way of thinking about education," said Joe Hale, a former English teacher and president of the Cinergy Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cinergy Corp.
"What we would love to see is a student with the flexibility and adaptability to be successful in tomorrow's economy," Mr. Hale said.
Cinergy will spread up to $1 million annually among schools in its service area for three years. Up to $3,000 will be awarded for planning and coalition-building, and up to $50,000 to implement the ideas.
Fairfield City School District, a former school partner with Cinergy and a pilot for the program, will use the money to develop a strategic plan, a blueprint for the future of Fairfield schools.
"It's like anything else: If you don't have a plan in place, you don't know if you are ever going to get there or how to get there," Fairfield schools spokesman John Brunner said.
Under its strategic plan, which expires this year, Fairfield built a high school and elementary school, and enhanced curriculum and technology.
"These were things we were able to do because of community input," Mr. Brunner said.
The BASICS grants will be awarded to schools or not-for-profit organizations to pay for inventions and school reform. They can be used for teacher development and even charter schools.
"Ideas can get sidetracked, defeated and worn down when people don't understand how the ideas work or where they fit in with the current system," said E. Renae Conley, president of Cinergy unit Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. "Success comes when educational ideas are brought forward and consensus-building takes place around those ideas in the community."
To qualify, schools have to:
- Demonstrate strong leadership.
- Show support from community and business leaders.
- Thoroughly explore the learning environment.
- Exhibit a long-term commitment and strategy to raise academic standards.
- Be able to measure long-term progress.
