YR-C Section 1/24/2014 4:34 PM Page 3

Yukon Review s Saturday Jan. 25, 2014 - page 3C

Education trust reps see grants in action at YPS sites

By Jim Powell Staff Writer Representatives from a group that has helped two Yukon elementary schools acquire new technology equipment for their classrooms and provided specialized professional development for teachers visited those schools on Tuesday. Officials with the Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust dropped by Lakeview and Skyview Elementary schools so they could see youngsters using the technology they had received by way of a grant from the trust. The OETT was established in 2001 as a result of an agreement between former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson and AT&T Oklahoma at a time when the telecommunications company was transitioning to a modern form of regulation. As part of the agreement, AT&T contributed $30 million to establish the trust. The organization usually

n Skyview, Lakeview elementaries benefit

receives 60-80 applications each year and is able to fund from 15 to 22 schools across the state of Oklahoma yearly. Over 170 grants have been awarded in 10 years and this year the number will probably go over 200. Schools acquire the technology and teacher instruction through a two-phase grant process. Phase I provides school principals or superintendents with information to help them understand how important technology is and how to incorporate it into their schools. Once the leadership buys into the process, the more likely they are to keep supporting it. In Phase II the schools file applications for the grants that are reviewed by residents of the community who then make recommendations to the OETT trustees. The grants are reviewed through a blind process so that no one knows what schools have applied. Recipients of the grants receive $40,000 for various equipment and $25,000 to provide teachers instruction on how to use it. Each school designs their own program and requests the specific kinds of equipment that could be anything from iPads or Smart Boards to TVs or digital cameras. OETT works with the Kay20 Center, a statewide education research and development facility which promotes innovative learning through school-universitycommunity collaboration, and they provide training for the teachers in the schools to incorporate the new technology into the learning-teaching process. The key difference with the OETT program and other technology grants is it not only provides the equipment, but trains teachers on how to use it. Each year teams from

A representative from the Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust watches as Lakeview Elementary 5th grader Tyler Goodson uses one of the new electronic de vices received by the school through a grant from the trust. Tyler is in Britnee Lessers class at Lakeview. (Photo by Jim Powell)

OETT go back to schools that were awarded grants as many as 10 years ago and find they all are still using the equipment and theyve used it continuously over that time.

Hospital earns Certified Healthy recognition

As part of an effort to create healthy places in Oklahoma to live, work, learn and play, the Oklahoma State Department of Health, along with the Oklahoma Academy, The State Chamber, and the Oklahoma Turning Point Council has announced the annual award winners for the state Certified Healthy Oklahoma programs. This year, 979 applications

n ICVHnamed in business, restaurant categories

were submitted from groups throughout the state, and 755 award winners received the Certified Healthy status in the categories of Certified Healthy Businesses, Certified Healthy Restaurants, Certified Healthy Schools, Certified Healthy Campuses, and Certified Healthy Communities. INTEGRIS Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon was among several INTEGRIS facilities honored in the Certified Healthy Businesses category and the Certified Healthy Restaurants category. The Oklahoma Certified Healthy Business Program recognizes Oklahoma businesses that provide health and

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wellness opportunities and are working to improve the health status of Oklahomans. To be certified, businesses must meet specific criteria, including providing employee health screenings, workplace health and nutrition education, opportunities for physical exercise activities, management support for healthy workplace environments, tobacco use prevention activities, and sharing wellness activities within their respective communities.

Awards will be presented for sweetest and best chocolate. Booths will showcase a variety of chocolate tastes everything from a chocolate fountain and double-chocolate sundaes to cookies and ice cream. There will be white chocolate, dark chocolate - and everything in between to tempt both sweet-tooth and taste-bud. People love chocolate, Yukon Parks & Recreation Director Jan Scott declared. Its fun seeing all the different variations. The popular Chocolate Festival is one of Yukons most elegant, classy events, Scott noted. Everybody who comes is so excited; theres a different atmosphere than our

other events, she said. Its a nice, fun, short Saturday afternoon activity. The annual Chocolate Festival serves as a fundraiser for both a certain park venue and Yukons busy public library. The popular festival has afforded funding for new roofs, wheelchair-accessible picnic tables, handicapped ramps, and swings at Freedom Trail Playground. Proceeds also will be used to upgrade playground equipment and install new signage; and help start a new butterfly garden. The Yukon library has used Chocolate Fest profits to start a digital magazine subscription program. Future revenue will help pay for a refurnished young adult section. Organizers urge families

to attend the Feb. 8th affair. The reasonable $8 ticket price allows you to sample six tastes - and helps you give back by funding several worthwhile community projects, Schieman said. Ticket holders will get to sample favorite chocolate goodies offered by local businesses and organizations. Well also sell to-go boxes so people can take samples home, Schieman noted. And as if all that wasnt enough, keepsake Yukon Chocolate Festival T-shirts will be on sale for $10 each. Limited booth space is available; participants are asked to bring small food taste samples for 250 servings. Anyone interested in hosting a booth to offer their chocolate tastes should call Schieman at 354-8232 or Scott at 350-8937.