MUSD Teachers Receive Federal Grant
MUSD Teachers Receive Federal Grant
Two teachers from Marana Unified School District received $252,000 in Federal funding to launch a statewide professional development program for teachers to help positively influence the social and emotional well-being of K-3rd grade students and improve their academic performance.
Using the Ninja Life Hacks social-emotional book series and curriculum, 120 teacher participants will learn how to foster emotional resiliency in students and how to help students develop social and emotional skills essential for their well-being and success. The program addresses the five key competencies of social and emotional learning: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Martha Bishop, Twin Peaks K8 Reading teacher, and Julie Bradshaw, Estes Elementary 3rd grade teacher, collaborated with Water’s Center StemAZing Systems Thinking and the Pima County School Superintendent (STEMAZing Project) to submit the proposal. The community project was sponsored by Rep. Raul Grijalva.
The 120 participating elementary school teachers from across four areas of Arizona will receive training from Mrs. Bishop and Mrs. Bradshaw in January and February 2024. Teachers will learn how to use the books and participating schools will receive the book series – almost 200 books – to share with fellow teachers. The books will be available in Spanish to make them more accessible to all students.
Both Mrs. Bishop and Mrs. Bradshaw have extensive teaching experience and success using the Ninja Life Hacks series with their students in MUSD.
“We are excited to impact other Arizona teachers and students through this program. We have seen students successfully practice and use strategies modeled within the Ninja Life Hack books to self-regulate big emotions,” said Mrs. Bishop. “Helping students develop these regulation skills early on is important to their success not just academically, but also in relationships with peers and adults.”
As part of the program, teachers will develop a Ninja Life Hacks implementation and accessibility plan, which will ensure the program and resources are available to all teachers and students at their school. The program must be implemented for at least one year, and teachers will each receive a $250 stipend.
We are proud of Mrs. Bishop and Mrs. Bradshaw for the years of hard work and time they put into writing and obtaining this grant. Thank you for investing in MUSD and other districts’ students and teachers.