TOOL FACTORY AND OLYMPUS LAUNCH A NEW GRANT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION!

Sunderland, VT, October, 23 2006 – Tool Factory and Olympus have launched a new grant program to bring digital cameras and Tool Factory software resources to special education.  10 Winners will receive an Olympus digital camera, $300 in Tool Factory software, plus an Educators Guide to Digital Photography. The application asks educators to tell the story of how they would encourage students to speak, interact, play, and learn using these resources. Over $50,000 in digital imaging grants are given annually to students and teachers from this website: http://www.toolfactory.com/olympus

According to Tool Factory president, Heather Chirtea, “We are proud to extend our grant programs to special education.  We have had tremendous success in the classroom reaching visual learners with photographic activities, because learning objectives become suddenly relevant to their world.” 

Grants will be judged on effective use of identified resources, great story element, and high degree of student involvement. Judges are looking for projects, which provide students new opportunities to learn, create, and even become leaders. Winning projects will incorporate Tool Factory software with Olympus digital cameras for children in special education and inclusive classrooms. All K-12 teachers, special educators, special education schools, and medical centers recommending intervention are eligible to apply. 

Some helpful hints:

1. Visit Tool Factory’s Special Education Product Finder to search for software titles that might meet your individual students needs. (http://www.toolfactory.com/products/sped_search_form)
2. Read through past winning grant applications for inspiration on project ideas and the level of detail necessary in a winning application. (http://www.toolfactory.com/olympus_contest/olympus_teacher.htm)
3. Have fun!  Judges will be looking for inspired ideas that will engage groups of students. 

The judges prefer projects that involve a whole class or a group of students working inclusively towards an educational goal. In fact, the grant encourages interaction between any populations of special education students and mainstream students. Applications are accepted from schools and centers in the US, its territories, and Canada. Parents are unfortunately not eligible to apply for their children, and adult education programs are not supported by this grant.  For more information please visit:

http://www.toolfactory.com/olympus

Deadlines:

January 5, 2007- 5 Grand prize winners, and 5 second prize winners.

June 8, 2007 - 5 Grand prize winners, and 5 second prize winners.
 

ABOUT TOOL FACTORY

Tool Factory is a woman-owned, Vermont-based business with the goal to make a difference in US education by providing superior academic software. The catalog offers over 150 titles, including a suite of digital imaging products designed to maximize the use of digital photographs in the classroom. Teachers, students, and parents join the Tool Factory staff in testing products to ensure that they are easy to navigate, fun to use, and beneficial to the learning process. Tool Factory is now combining many of the special education and mainstream products to better serve the inclusion classroom. Tool Factory works together with Olympus America to develop digital imaging programs for educators.

Media Contact: Jennifer Sweeney
Tool Factory Inc., 3336 Sunderland Hill Road, Sunderland, VT 05250
Telephone: (802) 375-6549 Ext. 201 Fax: (802) 375-6860
Email Address: Jennifer@toolfactory.com
Orders: orders@toolfactory.com
Website: http://www.toolfactory.com