Makerspace, Coding and Robotics Grant Proposal

Dear Dr. Canuel and the ERLC Selection Committee,

Thank you for providing us with the opportunity, through your 2016 ERLC Educational Technology
Innovations Summit Grant, to further enhance student learning here at Archbishop Joseph MacNeil
(AJM) School. It is our hope, with some additional funding, we can continue to offer new, engaging, and
enriching STEAM focused/ Design Thinking teaching and learning experiences for our students and staff.

Given this is our second year spearheading our own Makerspace, Coding and Robotics initiative; we
continue to see, develop and discover the endless literacy, numeracy and thinking skills that can be
developed when students are given the opportunity to “Ideate” and “Create” through our Makerspace,
Coding and Robotics platforms.

This year at AJM we have seen:

• Whole school participation in “Hour of Code” (800 + students)

• Struggling students flourish in our Makerspace and extra-curricular “Evil-Genius” Coding club
• Early Learning students introduced to and whole-heartedly engaged in Coding and Robotics
• Gr. 3-6 students and teachers continue to build capacity and gain an understand and
appreciation for all that Computer Science and Robotics has to offer
• Our Junior High Computer Science Option students working directly with Elementary students
on cross-curricular, multi-grade, coding, integration, and real-world application inquiry projects

With your assistance, we would like to further develop our program by purchasing additional materials
and tools to help a broad-range of students, spanning three divisions, access and experience the physical
manifestation of code through modular robotics.

Thus far, we have accessed and utilized Dash and Dot, Kibbo, and Cublettes as part of our Makerspace,
Coding and Robotics program. Moving forward, we would now like to further build momentum by
purchasing and integrating Sphero SPRK and BitsBox.

Product information:

http://www.sphero.com/sphero-sprk

https://bitsbox.com/

The $1000 you are so graciously offering could go a long way to help get these “Transformative” tools
into the hands, hearts, and minds of our AJM students! Thank-you very much for your time and
consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind Regards,

Keri Cyr

Learning Coach/JH Teacher