2007 ING Unsung Heroes® Top Winners First Place Award Announced ING is pleased to announce the final Top Award of 2007 for the ING Unsung Heroes program. Jonathan Felix of 68th Street Elementary School, CA received the First Place Award of an additional $25,000 during a surprise presentation ceremony at his school on September 6th, 2007. This brings his total grant to $27,000. Previously, the Second ($12,000) and Third Place ($7,000) awards were handed out to Scott Bendler, Susan Larson and Carrie Tracy of Lincoln, NE and Heather-Lee Baron of Union City, PA respectively. You can read all about the Top Winners' projects in the 2007 Winners section. ING Unsung Heroes Top Award Winners Each year, three Top Winners are selected from the 100 $2,000 finalists to receive additional awards of $25,000, $10,000, and $5,000. To find out more about the previous years' Top Winners and their award-winning projects, click on the links below.
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996
2007 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (2007) Jonathon Felix 68th Street Elementary School Los Angeles, CA
"Write On!" is a project-based program developed by Felix that integrates writing, English, photography, technology and web design into the teaching curriculum for his third-grade students at 68th Street Elementary School. The students use technology to research, write, edit and create a library of books which are then made available as e-books online. They learn how to use a digital camera, download and edit photographs, create and print pages and publish and upload their books on the Internet. In the past, the students have done all of their work using only one computer, however, with the funds from ING, they will have the proper technology and software to continue producing their e-books. The technology used in "Write On!" is designed to give the children leverage to express their creativity. According to Felix, the skills that the students learn during the process are invaluable. He hopes that each student will learn that they are bigger than their circumstances and that their ideas have the power to create wealth. Each book that the students produce is sold to their family and friends and, with the ING award, not only will Felix's students benefit, but the entire student body and many students for years to come. Felix resides in Los Angeles.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (2007) Scott Bendler, Susan Larson, and Carrie Tracy Bryan Community High School Lincoln, NE
"Life Stories: An Intergenerational Project" is a program developed by Bendler, Larson and Tracy that promotes youth development through service learning. Students at Bryan Community High School are paired with elder partners from the community based on the elders' hobbies and interests. The students meet with their partners weekly to build positive relationships and gather information from the elders. Each elder provides photographs that represent their life along with a written description of each image. Students then modify the written descriptions into scripts from which the elder, in his or her own voice, records their life story. Using iLife software, each student creates an iMovie that results in a documentary-style film about the elder's life. The goals of the program are for students to apply technology, critical thinking, and communication skills, learn the importance of volunteerism and develop a sense of empowerment. The "Life Stories" project has changed opinions and eliminated stereotypes from both the elders and the students. According to the teachers, by airing the students' documentaries on a local public access channel, the students have come to realize the powerful effect of storytelling using media and are making great strides in bridging the generation gap. Bendler is a resident of Lincoln.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (2007) Heather-Lee Baron Union City Middle-High School Union City, PA
Baron's winning idea, "LITERATE", is an early literacy outreach program to provide a blueprint for high school students at Union City Middle-High School who want to help young children learn to read. Each year, Baron will work with 15-25 incoming freshmen to give them intense instruction on emergent literacy education. Under her tutelage, the students will learn how to teach reading strategies and skills to socially disadvantaged families with young children throughout the district. The project's goals are to provide participating students with real-world teaching experience while developing their social skills and self confidence. The project will also help parents better understand how to aid in their children's learning. Students in the program will reach out to specific segments of the community – particularly teenage mothers attending the school – by employing a variety of reading strategies to improve overall literacy. Tools at their disposal will include literacy games, educational toys, word games, CDs and books. With this type of early intervention, Baron believes, she can help create an entire generation of young readers who are more prepared than ever to enter kindergarten. Baron is a resident of Edinboro.
2006 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (2006) Scotty Herrell Clinton Middle School Clinton, TN
Herrell's "Extreme Makeover: Middle School Edition" service learning program will teach students at Clinton Middle School how to use engineering principles for civic purposes in their community and beyond. The project will help improve the homes of those touched by tragedy through the application of carpentry, landscaping and design skills by his students. Participating students will complete projects after school, on weekends and on breaks. Students will also aid in the selection of makeover applicants, showing their involvement throughout the entire process. Key learning skills will be addressed over the course of the program as students apply math, science, and pre-engineering principles to their design and construction ideas. In the future, Herrell would like to expand the program so they can purchase a dilapidated house and fix it up from start to finish and then sell it to a low-income family for a reasonable amount. He then wants to donate the proceeds to continue training centers in the area. Not only will Herrell's program redesign homes for those in need, it will redesign students into community change-agents ready to makeover the world. Herrell resides in Powell.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (2006) Brian Smithers Open Meadow Middle School Portland, OR
Students often study the environment in science classes but rarely have the opportunity to personally impact it. Smithers' program, "Waste Not, Want Not: Making Vegetable Bio-fuel from Waste Vegetable Oil", gives at-risk participants in grades sixth through eighth, a chance to develop a usable alternate fuel. This past year at Open Meadow Middle School, his students began making small batches of bio-diesel in the classroom. After developing a processor to handle the production of larger quantities of the bio-diesel, the students made 135 gallons of the fuel. The idea behind the project for the 2006-2007 school year is to make enough fuel to replace all of the school's unleaded fuel vehicles with those operated by diesel fuel. Smithers and his class want to reduce the amount of fossil fuels that the school consumes. He and his students will also examine ways to sell the surplus fuel. This will demonstrate the importance of scientific innovation and its economic benefits. Smithers resides in Portland.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (2006) Michael St. Pierre South Lafourche High School Galliano, LA
St. Pierre developed "Computer Architecture Learn & Serve" to help salvage old computers and computer parts. Students at South Lafourche High School refurbish donated computers and parts and put them back into working circulation in classrooms, libraries, and community-based programs as well as homes of children in such programs as ESL (English as a Second Language) and special education. While participating in the project, students learn hands-on skills that prepare them to take the A+ certification right out of high school. They are learning a skill that can prepare them for a salaried job as a computer technician after finishing high school. St. Pierre resides in Cut Off.
2005 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (2005) Peggy Carlisle Pecan Park Elementary School Jackson, MS
As an ExCEL teacher, a program specially designed by Pecan Park Elementary School, Carlisle provides project-based activities that directly impact her students learning capabilities. By developing the “Kenyan Project,” Carlisle helped her students understand the people of Kenya, their culture, resources and environment. She has also helped her students develop an understanding of free enterprise by allowing them to focus on economics and help Kenyan children. Her students came up with several products to sell which generated $650 worth of income for Kenyan schools. Carlisle resides in Flowood.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (2005) Carol Burch Hannibal High School Hannibal, NY
Knowing that energy issues are becoming increasingly important and that today’s students are the future engineers of tomorrow, Burch came up with the “Wind or PV (Photovoltaic): What Should it Be? program to help raise students’ awareness of energy education. In the program, physics and environmental students will become hands-on researchers and engineers of two types of renewable energy generation systems for possible implementation in the school district. The students will research, design and construct a wind turbine, a device that will receive energy from the wind and convert it to electricity. The goal is to make science more relevant and improve the students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills. Upon completion of the project, the students will collect data comparing wind power versus solar power generation for the school and present a summary to the Hannibal Board of Education for funding. Burch lives in Red Creek.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (2005) Alan Crawford & Kathleen Dyer Rio Grande City High School Rio Grande City, TX
Crawford and Dyer’s culturally relevant project idea, “Voices of the Valley,” will incorporate rigorous academic development, student-directed investigations, and critical thinking skills as an impetus to self-reflection.  Over 260 students will conduct interviews with local members of their community about their immigration experiences.  High scholar students will follow a 5-step writing process to transform the interview transcripts into a vivid and well-written one-page narrative which will result in a 2,300-page book of the students’ writing to evoke community pride.  Crawford and Dyer agree that the traditional curriculum often lacks characters and experiences to which their students can relate. The program will create high-level literature that explores the collective consciousness of the Mexican-American identity and address English language learning needs of the school’s migrant students through its intense translation component. Crawford and Dyer live in Rio Grande City.
2004 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (2004) Joe Charles Apache High School Apache, OK
The students at Apache High School, with the help and guidance of Charles, have built an “Independent Student Theatre” program that allows students to have drama performances at the school. With no auditorium at the school but the desire to start an extracurricular drama program, students secured a sizable room and the permission to transform it into a theater. The students relied upon personal means to provide all necessary materials, labor and time to work on the project after school and on weekends. Complete with seating for 70 people, an elevated stage, dressing room, wardrobe and property storage, technical control room, and a lighting, sound and video-recording system, the Apache High School Drama Group now presents two full productions each year. Participation in drama activities is directly tied to improved academic performance, self-confidence and team work skills. Thanks to the determination of today’s students, future generations of Apache students can enjoy the opportunity to participate in theater activities.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (2004) Theresa Kassuba Southgate Anderson High School Southgate, MI
Kassuba’s “Cyber Citizens” project expands community and student opportunities in technology by creating a partnership between high school students and local senior citizens. Student participants are connected with residents of a nearby retirement community, and work throughout the school year to teach their senior citizen partners how to use computers and the Internet for research, communication and entertainment. Seniors, partnered with students, create their own email accounts and interactive Web sites, and explore the wealth of information available on the Internet. Students are trained in methods to help seniors become proficient with the computer technology and use their skills to access information, conduct research and keep in touch with friends and family. The project is designed to teach students the value of commitment, problem solving, personal relationships and giving back to the community.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (2004) Lizbeth Alfaro Lyle Creek Elementary School Conover, NC
Alfaro’s project, “Partners in Print” helps Spanish-speaking kindergarten through second grade students learn English by providing bilingual reading and math activities for parents and children. Hispanic students and their parents attend monthly meetings at the school library to focus on reading strategies using bilingual teaching and learning tools. Parents are exposed to different strategies and techniques to help their children learn, and the students have the opportunity to check out bilingual books to take home with them. The “Partners in Print” project improves student learning in reading and math as students get extra opportunities to reinforce classroom content through hands-on activities. Along with providing parents a connection to their children’s teachers, the program gives parents access to a support network of other Hispanic families who share the common goal of strengthening their children’s education.
2003 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (2003) Jennifer Wise Dorothy Thomas School Tampa, FL
Wise's "Kids and Canines" project teaches truant, at-risk middle school students the value of commitment, problem solving and giving back to the community. This project pairs at-risk students with a puppy that they train over a two-year period, during which they are responsible for the animal's daily care, training and socialization. At the end of this two-year period, the dogs are given to physically disabled individuals in the Tampa Bay area. Students work with these individuals to pair them with a good canine match, and to help the dogs transition to their new owner. Although parting with the dogs is a sad event, the students take great pride in knowing they are making a significant contribution to their community. In perhaps its greatest accomplishment, the program increases the students' regular school attendance, reading level and math scores.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (2003) David Knight Lancaster High Lancaster, SC
Knight's "Improving LearnTV's On-Site Productions" project is a broadcast journalism class where students work with adults to create programming for the government access channel. Students are responsible for script writing, set design, contacting and arranging for guests, graphic creation and final production, and writing press releases for the local newspaper. Students tape the shows live and produce short public service announcements on topics like parenthood, addiction, teen pregnancy and peer pressure. Students learn to improve their communication and technology skills while benefiting the community through these educational programs.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (2003) Emily Glodowski Oak Glen High School New Cumberland, WV
Glodowski's "ABILITIES Newsletter" project develops friendships and partnerships between students of various ability levels. The collaborative project brings together mainstream students and students with moderate mental disabilities to create a school newsletter using various technology equipment. Adaptive technology and assistive equipment allows students who do not possess the capability to read, write or type on their own to use a computer. The ABILITIES Newsletter enhances the self-esteem of all students, especially students with disabilities, and puts the spotlight on students who often do not receive applause and glory.
2002 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (2002) Perry Lee and Mary Palmer Century Senior High School Bismarck, North Dakota
Lee & Palmer's "Preserving Their Stories" project combines American history and American literature to preserve local history through student documentaries. At the beginning of the school year, 90 students choose a historic event and conduct interviews in their community to capture true accounts of that moment in time. Through use of cameras and videotape, the students get the satisfaction sharing a completed project with contributors and the public. Documentary showings have brought high emotions and a fantastic opportunity to educate all, outside the classroom, about local history. The program plans to take the documentaries and students on the road to set up workshops for graduate credit.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (2002) Linda Rowe Lafayette Elementary School San Diego, California
Rowe's "Signing With Our Friends" program teaches hearing students American Sign Language (ASL) with the assistance of the school's Deaf and Hard of Hearing program students, who make up nearly one-fifth of the student body. This student-to-student program matches deaf classes with hearing classes 2 to 3 times a week during the school year. The focus of the sessions is to teach hearing students ASL skills that can be used on a day-to-day basis with their deaf classmates. With funding, this program can now branch out to a school wide program so all students can take part of this invaluable experience.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (2002) Annette D. Garcia, Jo Coker, Barb Shelby, & Marilyn Teto Kearney Middle School Commerce City, Colorado
The "Lets Go To College" program proposed by four teachers of Kearney Middle School is designed to encourage and support academically capable students who might not otherwise apply seek post-high school education. To accomplish this, the program tutors students for the ACT/SAT exams, helps with resumes and portfolios, and assists with college applications. Through student-parent meetings, guidance counselor interaction and personal support, the program makes a college education a reality for participants.
2001 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (2001) Cathleen Hightower Benjamin Franklin Senior High School New Orleans, LA
Hightower’s "Techmobile: A Tool for Teaching and Learning" project makes an impact on K-12 students as it introduces and integrates technology into different classrooms. In an effort to bridge "the digital divide," Techmobile, a mobile laptop computer lab, brings technology-enhanced learning to students and teachers in elementary and middle schools throughout Orleans Parish. The Benjamin Franklin students who oversee the lessons undergo intensive training to become effective tutors and target strategies for incorporating computers into the classroom. As it makes technology available to hundreds of students who may not have access otherwise, the project develops teaching and teamwork skills and builds rapport among varied age groups.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (2001) Jody Hodges Aledo Middle School Aledo, TX
Hodges’ "The Wild Side and Living Museum" project involves K-8 students in an innovative study of science and nature. The Wild Side is a garden, planted and maintained by middle school students, complete with a pond, bird feeders, and nest boxes. Visiting elementary school students tour the garden and proceed inside to the Living Museum, a classroom converted to a habitat of more than 50 live animals (ranging from parrots and iguanas to tarantulas and millipedes). Puppet shows, written and performed by seventh graders, explore animal behavior and environmental issues. The standard science curriculum is supported and expanded through hands-on projects, research, and active involvement in the garden and museum.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (2001) Sloan Holmes West High School Bakersfield, CA
Holmes’ "Positive Youth Development Program" is a health advocacy project that improves the overall well-being of students at West High and surrounding elementary schools. The campus-wide project involves various activities: health fair, the creation of a tobacco- and drug-prevention mural, campaigns to promote healthier diets, a performing arts festival, and a suicide prevention program. The project also includes trained Student Health Advocates and the creation of the Tobacco Prevention Puppets, aimed at K-2 students. As the West High students enhance their school environment and build relationships with teachers and each other, they improve general health knowledge and develop strong feelings of connection and belonging.
2000 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (2000) Jennifer Williams Skyview High School Nampa, ID
Williams' "Project Van Go" provides schools and rural communities with free hands-on workshops in art education. The outreach program is aimed at students, parents, and other teachers in remote areas, bringing art into the lives of many who would otherwise not have the exposure. Workshops may involve mask-making, murals, weaving, pottery, and batik. Lessons also include historical background and analysis of finished work. In addition, Skyview students travel as assistants, gaining the experience of engaging in the creative process with those in other towns and states.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (2000) Christian Wilkens Greenwood High School Greenwood, MS
Wilkens' "Wetland Ecosystem Research" project works in conjunction with the Biology I unit at GHS and focuses on the development of laboratory and fieldwork skills. Students visit a local wetland once a week to conduct individually designed research projects. Among other activities, they interpret topographical maps, survey local flora and fauna, and perform soil and water analyses. This active involvement increases scientific knowledge and proficiency. By having students discover - with guidance - major concepts for themselves, the project reclaims science from textbooks and builds enthusiasm for classroom study.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (2000) Kimberly Carson Locke Hill Elementary San Antonio, TX
Carson's "Challenge Lab" is an enrichment/acceleration program that implements "curriculum compacting," an approach which eliminates review for students who have already mastered appropriate skills. To determine mastery, students take a pretest before each math and English unit. High-achievers attend the Challenge Lab, where they complete enrichment courses aligned with their skill levels and participate in special activities that further abilities and confidence. The benefits of confident, self-motivated students are felt throughout the school and community. The project also places special emphasis on offering technology training for future vocations.
1999 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (1999) Alice Tennison LaCueva High School Albuquerque, NM
Tennison's "Student Mentorship Program in Education" project is designed to take a proactive approach to the projected loss of teachers in the future. Students are paired with teachers and follow them throughout the day, helping them teach and monitor recess and lunch periods. In addition, students help prepare lessons for the school's daycare program and also formed a chapter of the Future Educators of America, which they hope to expand through out the state. Members of the school's chapter of the FEA are also organizing conferences and mentoring programs for elementary and middle schools.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (1999) Catherine Kelly Walnut Street School Woodbury, NJ
Kelly's "Hollywood Kids" project gives students with learning disabilities a chance to write and star in their own movie. The students work after school and on weekends to write, film and edit a movie. The movie then premieres for the students and their parents. The project helps the students gain confidence in their skills and develop other important ones.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (1999) James McCarter Central Middle School Kokomo, IN
McCarter's "Space Lab & Mars Room" project gives students a chance to participate in their own space mission. Students apply for and train for specific jobs related to a space mission and then conduct this mission in a model space station and space shuttle. The program encourages students to become more involved in school activities and math and science classes.
1998 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (1998) David Schleper Kendall Demonstration Elementary School Washington, D.C
Schleper's "Shared Reading Project" was designed to improve the literacy skills of deaf students by emphasizing the impact parents have on their children. Because 42 percent of the students live in homes where English is not the primary language, one of the main goals of the program is to successfully teach all the students both English and American Sign Language.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (1998) Beth Davis Jack D. Gordon Elementary Miami, Florida
Davis' program "Kids 4 Kids" involved a variety of outreach programs by elementary students to homeless children, children in protective custody, and children afflicted with HIV and AIDS. Outreach efforts ranged from providing backpacks with basic school supplies, becoming pen pals with children living in shelters, and developing activity packets for hospitalized children in conjunction with holidays to serving as ambassadors to a local news station on topics related to children's issues.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (1998) Mark Grishaber St. Patrick High School Chicago, Illinois
Grishaber's "Ultimate Road Trip" project gave students $20,000 in an imaginary checking account which they used to buy a car and finance insurance and other expenses. In addition, they were given an imaginary credit card for other expenses. Students then "drove" their car around the country, visiting specific companies. To earn money, students were asked specific questions about company websites, with correct answers earning them play money. The program taught students money management and economic principles which will become lifetime skills for them.
1997 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (1997) Bonnie Bailey Hazel Valley Elementary Seattle, Washington
Bonnie set up an after-school tutoring and homework center within a low-income apartment complex that enhanced elementary students' ability to succeed in school and provided outreach activities for their families. The project provides easy access for family involvement in learning, resulting in a lower crime rate in the neighborhood and opening doors for educational and financial opportunites for residents.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (1997) Christine Moore-Goad Orchard Park Elementary Kettering, Ohio
Christine's project is a hands-on weekend science field trip for students and their families. The project involves a variety of creative activities that make learning fun for the students and get parents more directly involved in their child's education.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (1997) Jerry Lege Hogan Senior High Vallejo, California
Jerry's HI-TEC Math Project combines a core curriculum emphasizing real-world applications with modern technology. Students are able to get a sense of what certain professions are really like and receive valuable training in the use of computers and math-related software tools.
1996 top of page
	$27,000 First Place Winner (1996) Debrah Fordice Audobon Elementary School Dubuque, IA
First place winner Debrah Fordice, Dubuque, IA created an innovative language arts program that paired 6th graders with local nursing home residents. The year-long project culminated with the completion of student-written and produced biographies of the residents.
	$12,000 Second Place Winner (1996) Catherine Ney Christiansburg Elementary School Christiansburg, VA
Second-place award winner Catherine Ney, of Christiansburg, VA, developed a program that involved problem-solving activities derived from children's literature. The goal of the UNITES (Using Literature to Unite the Curriculum) project was to use children's literature to make connections among mathematics, science, technology education and other areas to enhance learning in elementary students.
	$7,000 Third Place Winner (1996) Stephen Simmons Charles H. Milby High School Houston, TX
Third place winner Stephen Simmons of Houston, TX created the I.M. S.M.A.R.T. program (Integrating Mathematics and Science at Milby through Alternative-fuel Research and Testing) in which high school students integrated math and science concepts into the design and production of an alternative fuel vehicle.