Dodge/FEA Fellowship Program

The Geraldine R. Dodge/Foundation for Educational Administration Principal Fellowship Program

The Dodge Foundation/FEA Principal Fellowship Program will provide up to $50,000 in grants to full-time New Jersey PK-12 principals in public and public charter schools. These funds are intended to support non-traditional, imaginative, professional development and personal and intellectual renewal endeavors, which enable principals to grow as educational leaders to better impact their schools and communities. We are most interested in supporting generative, rejuvenating projects and proposals that will expand intellectual capacity and appreciation of diversity and culture.

The possibilities are endless!

The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the Foundation for Educational Administration award grants to individuals and teams of New Jersey principals dedicated to the ideal of non-traditional, imaginative, professional development and personal and intellectual renewal endeavors, which enable principals to grow as educational leaders to better impact their schools and communities.

Important Dates

Fellowship Applications Available on Friday, October 30, 2009
Proposals due Friday, January 8, 2010 via e-mail to fellowshipprogram@njpsa.org
Grant recipient notifications mailed via post mail by Friday, April 2, 2010
Final narrative & financial reports due no later than Friday, July 1, 2011

Who Should Apply

PK-12 principals employed in New Jersey public and public charter schools.

Amount of Grants

Total allocation for the 2010 Dodge Foundation/FEA Principal Fellowships for New Jersey principals is up to $50,000. Awards to principals typically range between $2,000 and $5,000.

Review Process

Award determination will be made by an independent panel consisting of four administrators. Notification of results will be sent via post mail by April 2, 2010.

Application Process

All Geraldine R. Dodge/FEA Principal Fellowship recipients must be a practicing principal in a New Jersey public or public charter school during the year for which the fellowship is awarded.

If you have any questions, please call: Mary Reece at (609) 860-1200 or email her at MReece at njpsa.org

Application must include

Part 1: Contact Information and Release Form (one for each team member, if a team application)
Part 2: Project Summary
Part 3: Responses to the Six Questions (include responses from each team member if this is a team application)
Part 4: Budget

Confirmation of Application Receipt

We will send you an email confirming receipt of your application. This confirmation will be sent within three working days of your application’s arrival.

Should you not receive a confirmation within 7-10 business days please contact Mary Reece at (609) 860-1200 or via email at MReece at njpsa.org.

Reporting Procedures for Award Recipients

Each grant recipient is required to submit a report detailing the experience and the impact the experience has had either personally, professionally, or both. In your report please include your reflections on how the experience expanded your vision and capacity, and how your personal and professional growth could impact your school community. For an individual grant recipient, the report is expected to be between 5-6 pages, double-spaced, single sided, or 2-3 pages, double-spaced, double sided.

In addition, the report should include a financial statement, which provides a specific description of how the funds were spent. We do not require actual receipts, just a breakdown of how the grant money was used. The report (without the financial details) will be bound, along with all of the other reports from the Fellowship recipients and presented to each grantee. Please note that excerpts from the reports may be used in press releases and both Foundations’ Annual Reports.

The report is due six weeks after the completion of the proposed experience, opportunity, or event, but no later than Friday July 1, 2011 to mreece at njpsa.org.

2009 Fellowship Recipients

Below is a brief overview of the projects being pursued by the 2009 fellows:

Robert Alfonse, Point Pleasant School District: Climate Change, Canopies, and Wildlife: Robert will participate in an expedition in the Ecuadorian Andean mountain forests while living at the Santa Lucia Cloudforest Reserve as part of an international volunteer effort with Earthwatch. The project entitled, Climate change, Canopies, and Wildlife will focus on helping to protect a biodiversity hotspot in an Ecuadorian Rainforest. These studies in tropical ecology and sustainability will be shared with students and faculty to promote environmental awareness through interdisciplinary curriculum development.

Sharon Biggs, Bloomingdale School District: From a Suburban Town in New Jersey to a Rural Village in Panama: Sharon plans to visit Panama in Central America where through servant leadership and a quality American higher education, she can help start a lifeline connection between a suburban New Jersey town and a rural village in Panama. She will help to provide mosquito nets to fight against the deadly medical disease, malaria; and children’s books to help combat the deadly social disease—illiteracy.

Deniese Cooper, Newark Public Schools: Gender and School Achievement: Deniese will visit the islands of Barbados and St. Lucia to gain knowledge of their educational systems and their ability to achieve and sustain a high literacy rate. She will delve into their history and culture with expectations of attaining professional and personal enlightenment. She will also observe single gender classrooms and schools that have proven to be successful in these educational systems.

Jane Costa, Bernards Township Schools: Restoring a Sense of Wonder: As an educational leader, Jane believes that it is important to teach children more than just reading, writing, and math. She feels that it is imperative that they also develop a sense of wonder and respect for the environment. For purposes of this grant, she will travel to Alaska and then share the wonder of its natural beauty with her students through pictures and artifacts.

Martin Dickerson, Hillside Public Schools: Martin intends to explore two western African countries that have suffered under genocide—Rwanda and Uganda. He is presently working with Dr. Paul Winkler, Executive Director on Holocaust Education, and other selected educators in creating a genocide curriculum for grades 7-12 in New Jersey. He believes that the opportunity to meet, interview, and study the history of these two countries will give him a deeper understanding on how these atrocities were allowed to take place.

Gayle Dierks, Mt. Olive School District: Wildlife Wonders: Gayle plans to observe, experience, explore, and study the unique wildlife in their natural habitats on the Galapagos Islands, as well as the rainforest along the Amazon River in Ecuador. Upon her return, she will enrich and expose students by video and presentations to the wonders of the wildlife and vegetation in South America.

Barbara Ervin, Newark Public Schools: The Effective Implementation of Lesson Study in Mathematics: Barbara will engage in a project entitled, The Effective Implementation of Lesson Study in Mathematics project that will further her goal of improving classroom instruction at her school. She plans to visit Japan along with Jo Ann Gilmore to learn more about the lesson study method of professional development by observing classes and auditing university teacher preparation classes.

LaShawn Gibson-Burney, Newark Public Schools: An Intimate View of Japan’s Culture & Academic Practices: LaShawn will be part of a team of two who plan to travel to Japan where they will research the rich culture and its impact on education. Her partner, Berthenia Harmon-Carolina, a principal in Elizabeth, New Jersey, will join her as they observe and experience the cultural differences in the daily practices of the Japanese educational system.

Felix Gil, Summit Public Schools: Equity and Diversity in Schools — Finding a Place for Everyone: Felix aims to help make education in his community more gender balanced and multi-culturally equitable, through the facilitation of a yearlong series of discussions with community members—teachers, school administrators, parents, and city residents—using the “SEED Project” model of seminars focused on schooling and culture in a diverse society.

Jo Ann Gilmore, Newark Public Schools: The Effective Implementation of Lesson Study in Mathematics: Jo Ann plans to travel to Japan with Barbara Ervin from the same district so that they may learn from qualified practitioners. The goal is to effectively use the Implementation of Lesson Study in Mathematics project in her classrooms. This will be initially accomplished through focused professional learning with the mathematics coach and instructional staff.

Berthenia Harmon Carolina, Elizabeth Public Schools: An Intimate View of Japan’s Culture & Academic Practices: Like her partner LaShawn Gibson-Burney, Berthenia believes that sustainability begins with the administrator and flows throughout the organization, whether it is in leadership or an initiative. Prior to their journey to Japan, they will frame questions for use in guiding their inquiry of the cultural traditions that sustain the Japanese focus on education. During their travel, they will analyze their cultural traditions as well as the systems that support its educational competency.

Christopher Lommerin, Plainfield School District: Comfort Zone: An Educational Book: Last year, while on a Fulbright exchange to the Czech Republic, Christopher began to write a documentary-style book about two educational systems, the United States and the Czech Republic. The spirit of this book evokes educational leadership philosophies, methods, visions, techniques, environmental factors, cultures of schools, and his personal experiences in education and in life. With the Dodge Grant, he plans to finish the book, have it professionally edited, publish it, and distribute it—free of cost—to New Jersey administrators (one per district).

Pamela Moore, Millville Public Schools: Pamela looks forward to traveling to Cape Cod in an attempt to rejuvenate herself as a leader. She will accomplish this through nature walks, art classes, self exploration, photography and reflection. She will share her experiences and art portfolio with her students and teachers while she continues her artistic pursuits.

Nicole Moore Samson, Shamong Township Schools: Connecting to Kenya Stella Nwanguma, Collingswood School District: Both Nicole and Stella feel that President Barack Obama’s familial ties to Kenya serve as a platform and opportunity to expose their students to the culture, land, people and traditions of this country. Through their travel experiences, they plan to enhance their global perspective and provide students with an appreciation of diversity.

Joseph Ricca, Jr., East Hanover Public Schools: Realizing the Art of Leadership: This exploration, Realizing the Art of Leadership, will allow Joseph, a young novice administrator to continue to learn and grow in his role as a school leader by engagement with colleagues from across the country and some of the preeminent educational thinkers at the Harvard University Principals’ Center Institute in the summer of 2009.

Tracey Severns, Mt. Olive Township Schools: From Sea to Sky: A Journey of Renewal and Discovery: Tracey’s adventure entitled, From Sea to Sky: A Journey of Renewal and Discovery, provides a sixteen-day immersion experience in the Galapagos Islands and the land of the Incas. She will explore the wild inhabitants and volcanic structures of the Galapagos, hike the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, continue to study Spanish in Ecuador and Peru, and visit two community service projects.

Linette Shyers, Clifton Public Schools: Soul to Seoul: This is the Journey, This is My Life: Soul to Seoul: This is the Journey, This is My Life describes Linette’s planned visit to Korea, journeying back to the place of her birth. There, she will visit historic sites and learn about its rich culture. She will also visit an adoption agency in Seoul to look through her adoption file in order to uncover information that is significant to her past.

Richard Sternberg, South River Public Schools: A Study of the American Landscape: Richard plans to visit Minnesota and Iowa to study how two small, mid-western towns, conspicuously contributed, (each in its own way), to successes in prototypically classical American principles and values. This experience will afford him the foundation by which he will research and write several articles, and hopefully a book, reflective of what best typifies middle-class American values, perhaps best noted in our most recent primary elections.

Gloria Tunstall, Trenton School District: Chambersburg: A Shift in Culture: The purpose of Gloria’s fellowship is to travel to the Dominican Republic so that she can emerge herself with a culture other than the United States of America. The visit with a Dominican Republic superintendent equivalent will allow her to observe the life/culture of the Hispanic population from the early age to graduation and beyond. She will visit all types of schools, in addition to spending time with Dominican families to see how they live and interact on a daily basis.

Deneen Washington, Newark Public Schools: School Based Mentoring: Deneen will attend the National School-Based Mentoring Conference in Kansas City, Missouri where she will experience and learn about school-based mentoring. School-based mentoring can provide the appropriate level of support and resources needed for inner city youth to be successful. Through a series of activities, she will explore the advantages of school-based networks and explore innovative strategies for recruiting and retaining mentors.

2008 Fellowship Recipients

In April of 2008, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the Foundation for Educational Administration awarded 16 grants to individuals and teams of New Jersey principals.

Below is a brief overview of the projects being pursued by the 2008 fellows:

David M. Aderhold — New Brunswick High School, New Brunswick: As a second-year principal in a school identified under NCLB that needs improvement, David will attend a 4-day program at the University of Virginia on “School Turnaround Leadership.” He will study research-based strategies identified for turning around icw-performing schools.

Pauline Anderson — Walnut Ridge Primary School, Vernon Township: Pauline will attend the “Healthy Communities Healthy Youth Conference” offered by The Search Institute in November 2008, where she will study the principle rationale of Focused Families + Caring Communities = Successful Students. Her focus will be to empower families to become a vital part of their communities and enable children to function as important members of their families, communities, and schools.

Mathew Barbosa — Old York School, Branchburg: Mathew will engage himself in a project that promotes the experience of taking risks, life-long learning, and the art of science through becoming a licensed glider pilot. His project, entitled “Learning to Soar,” will give him the opportunity for personal growth where he will be immersed in the learning process that will serve as an example for challenging oneself, and emphasizing the importance of science in our lives.

Scott Dailey — Ashbrook Elementary School, Lumberton Township, Scott Heino — Bobby’s Run School — Lumberton Township, Janet Horan — Florence L. Walther School — Lumberton Township, Patricia Hutchinson — Lumberton Middle School, Lumberton Township: Janet will develop a program for school leaders that will enable them to create a district-wide, multi-school professional learning community (PLC). This will be accomplished in three phases:

Eloisa De Jesus-Woodruff — Richard Stockton Elementary School, Cherry Hill: As a first generation American, Eloisa has planned a trip to Latin America where she will explore her Chorotega Indian, Costa Rican, and Puerto Rican background as part of an extensive heritage search. Her search will consist of traveling to Costa Rica and Puerto Rico to support self-actualization, and to foster a teacher search in Puerto Rico.

Julio Feldman — Marlton Elementary School, Evesham Township: Julio will reclaim a piece of his identity by returning to his homeland to trace the roots of his childhood, and reconnect with the Jewish community of Cuba. Visiting his homeland will have a major impact on his ability to lead and serve children—by creating lessons that will increase students’ knowledge of Latin American culture and strengthen their foreign language goals.

Danielle Anne Hamblin — Independence Twp. Central School, Great Meadows: Danielle will design and implement a comprehensive intervention plan called “Reach and Recover” that involves the learning community in the school’s mission to educate all. Unique interventions and adult education resources are available to nurture students’ academic, social, physical, and emotional needs. R&R’s goal is to support the varied learning styles, language barriers, and social/emotional challenges of today’s students.

Joseph Jerabek — Park Avenue Elementary School, Freehold: Joseph plans to travel to Mexico to study the Spanish language and Mexican culture. He will then visit the Czech Republic to create a video journal comparing European immigration to the USA following WWII to that of Mexican immigration to the USA today.

Rodney Logan — Ewing High School, Ewing: Rodney will visit his ancestral home in Altenheim, Baden Providence, Germany to discover his ethnic and cultural roots, so he can stimulate his 1200 students to start researching and documenting their own unique heritage. His research will include details of successes and failures in the process so he can teach his students how best to document their own experiences.

Willie Maddox, Jr. — Thomas Richards School, Waterford Township: Willie’s ultimate goal is that through a restorative experience, he will create a visual, audio and oral presentation that captures the beauty and landscape of Puerto Rico. This presentation would be used to enrich World Language instruction and increase self-esteem among a growing Hispanic population (Spanish/Puerto Rican)

EvaMarie Raleigh — Hillside High School, Toms River: EvaMarie plans to explore the vast riches of the Amazon Rainforest and the amazing wildlife native to the four Galapagos Islands. The goal of this adventure is to connect closely with nature and wildlife while experiencing the culture and traditions of this region of South America. She will film the trip and share her experiences with her students to help teach them how to set long range goals.

Michael Richards — Montgomery Middle School, Skillman: Michael set two goals for the summer of 2008. The first is to complete a seven-day, 500-mile bike ride from Rutland, Vermont to Trenton, New Jersey in early July. This event is sponsored by The Anchor House in Trenton, N.J. (The Ride for Runaways), and will highlight the need to stay physically fit. The second leg of this journey is to fulfill a personal goal he set for himself. To hike and backpack the seventy-five miles of the Appalachian Trail that is within the borders of the State of New Jersey for 5 contiguous days.

William Robbins — Montgomery Upper Middle School, Montgomery Township: Through a project entitled, “The Scottish Connection”, William will visit Scotland in an attempt to develop a cultural exchange program between the Montgomery Upper Middle School and the Mid Yell Junior High School in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. This established relationship will not only benefit Montgomery as an educational leader, but will also expand global understanding among the students from both schools.

Fedelia Sturdivant — Wahlstrom Academy, East Orange: Fedelia will take a “fact finding” trip to the Greta Shepherd School in Ghana, Africa, which she hopes will enlighten her both professionally and culturally as a principal. It is her intent to establish a collaboration where students and staff from each continent (America and Africa), will share educational and personal experiences along with opportunities for intellectual growth.

Jamie Turner — Viola L. Sickles School, Fair Haven: Jamie will attend Fierce Inc.’s Train-the-Trainer Institute in July 2008 to become a certified trainer of Fierce Conversations. This certification will help Jamie learn and master her conversational skills, and enhance her leadership of others. By modeling authentic and clear conversation, she plans to develop tools to bring this training to New Jersey school leaders.

Donna Van Horn — Weymouth Township School, Weymouth Township: Donna will attend Lehigh University’s Global Leadership/Counseling Institute, where she will develop proficiency in counseling skills to construct childhood prevention programs addressing:; She will then develop an effective crisis management plan that supports a healthier community.

2007 Fellowship Recipients

Below is a brief overview of the projects being pursued by the 2007 fellows:

Thomas Barclay — Orchard Hill Elementary School, Montgomery Township: Thomas will travel to China to observe educational practices and participate in the local culture. He will undertake this project with two of his colleagues from Montgomery Township School District.

Mary Ann Boyd — Franklin School, Roxbury: Mary Ann will study Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory. Her study will include attending training around Choice Theory and subsequently studying the potential applications to the school setting. Finally, she will collaborate with district teachers and staff to incorporate the tenets of Choice Theory and Quality Schools.

Timothy J. Byrne — Emma L. Arleth Elementary School, Sayreville: Timothy will study the concept of Sensory Processing Disorder and the ways that it can influence child development. He will approach this topic through intensive training at the Ayres Clinic as well as through attendance at other preeminent seminars and workshops.

Kelvin Cherry — Greyhound Academy, Pleasantville: Using the process of action research, Kelvin will explore how countries in the Eastern hemispheres, primarily Japan, China and Thailand, approach students who are considered disaffected or are otherwise non productive in an academic setting. He will approach this project by visiting individual schools in all three countries and seeking to understand the responses of Asian students to academics and discipline.

Martin Dickerson — Walter O’Krumbiegel Middle School, Hillside: Martin will travel to South Africa with the goal of studying educational leadership, AIDS awareness, gender issues and other key educational concerns in the post-apartheid educational setting. Subsequent to this, he will seek to present his findings as a part of the American Educational Research Association’s Annual Meeting.

Anne Facendo — Nut Swamp Elementary School, Middletown, Township: Anne will participate in the 2007 Columbia University 5-day “Writers Workshop”. The goal of participation is to parlay this research-based training into instructional delivery improvement within four district elementary schools.

Toni Ferry — New Egypt Primary School, Plumsted: As a new school leader, Toni will focus on leadership and professional development, as well as on observing various best practice situations across the state. Initially, she will attend the FEA’s Principals’ Center for Educational Leadership, at Princeton University. Subsequently, she will research and observe at several Star schools across the country.

Richard Hueston — Theodore Schor Middle School, Piscataway: Using the framework of Ruby Payne and Mike Schmoker, Richard will attempt to determine if an understanding of the effects of language and poverty can improve teaching and learning in a multicultural learning environment. This research will be used to help staff understand the lens through which community members view education and the hidden rules of class as explained by Ruby Payne.

Susan Kappler — Kittatinny Regional High School, Kittatinny: In order to raise student awareness of the vulnerability of the earth’s environment, Susan will work with a teacher and a group of diverse students to develop an environmental research project to be conducted in the Costa Rican rain forest. The results of the experiment will be shared with the school community.

Susan E. Lacy — Village Elementary School, Montgomery Township: Susan will travel to China to observe educational practices and participate in the local culture. She will undertake this project with two of her colleagues from Montgomery Township School District.

Rodney Logan — Ewing High School, Ewing: Rodney will participate in a one week sea-kayaking expedition in Alaska, where the leadership theme is presented both formally and informally. The goal of this experience is to bring new perspectives to leadership that can then be brought to the school setting.

Greg McGann — Irwin Elementary School, East Brunswick: In an effort to foster a professional learning community, Greg will involve staff in a series of learning activities focused on improving instructional practices and managing faculty resources.

Andrea Orlando- Thomas P. Huges Elementary School, Berkley Heights: Andrea will undertake a project that promotes the experience of self-expression through drawing, painting and the creation of an artist’s book. This project will involve participation in a 2-week immersion program in Umbria, Italy.

Ralph J. Pesapane — Southern Boulevard School, Chatham: The primary intention of Ralph’s project in to develop a music history component to the school curriculum, targeted at children in Kindergarten through third grade. His project will involve traveling to some of the most renowned music festivals in the world, in an attempt to develop curriculum that focuses on the great masters of music and makes them accessible to young people.

Michael Richards — Montgomery Middle School, Lower Campus, Montgomery Township: Along with two other colleagues who will be traveling to China as Dodge fellows, Michael will travel to Beijing, China to attend an International Leadership Conference. Additionally, he will observe educational practices and participate in the local culture.

Scott Rocco — Woods Road Elementary School, Hillsborough Township: As part of a school wide project focused on health and well-being, Scott will lead the school in health living practices by training and competing in a “Tin Man” triathlon. This daunting task is designed to inspire the school community by setting a positive example of health and wellness.

Laura Scheider — Spruce Run School, Clinton Township: Laura will travel to Africa to participate in a safari. The goal of this expedition is to observe wildlife, as well as making cultural observations and gaining insight into conservation education. This experimental educational opportunity will be parlayed into the classroom by assisting student in understanding the need for worldwide conservation efforts.

Gail Schwartz — Spruce Street School, Lakewood and Linette Shyers–School Two, Clifton: Established collaborative partners Gail and Linette will work together to improve language arts literacy in the area of writing. Their project will involve participation in several professional development opportunities, followed by implementing action steps in their respective school.

Tracey Severns — Mount Olive Middle School, Mount Olive Township: Tracy will continue her study of the Spanish language, culture and educational system by engaging in a total immersion experience in Spain. The goal of this project is to bring greater understanding to the needs of parents and students for whom the primary language in the home is Spanish. Her approach is cornered on the belief that only through effective communication can needs be met.