TOOL FACTORY AND OLYMPUS ANNOUNCE SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANT WINNERS

Sunderland, VT, August 14, 2007 – Tool Factory is pleased to announce the winners of the second bi-annual Special Education Grant. Five grant winners will receive one Olympus digital camera, Tool Factory’s Digital Camera Guide for Educators and $300 in Tool Factory Software of their choosing! Five runner up winners will also receive classroom resources. There was a great deal of participation with more than 100 entrants!

Five Grand Prize Winners

• Debbie Sheppard     Idioms Galore!         Lugoff Elementary School, SC
• Jennifer Morrison      Thanksgiving Feast    Beaty Warren Middle School, PA
• Natalie Oatts Operation DIBELS Benchmark Caldwell County Primary School, KY
• Diana Whitlock Expressions through Technology     Vinson Middle School, WV 
• Laura Giovanetti Bam! Let's Kick It Up a Notch! We're Ready to Read! Cooperative Educational Services, CT

Read the winning grant applications here

Five Runner Up Winners

Each will receive $200 in Tool Factory Software:

• Ann-Bailey Lipsett, Kelley Barz Ann Colton Exploration Through Digital Photography Annandale Terrace Elementary School, VA
• Judith Gentile Calling All Public Attention, to promote Good Character Wilcoxson, CT
• Dena Deen Mulligan Stew Coffee Middle School, Douglas GA
• Katrina Tonneas Small Group Instruction/Therapy Fairview Elementary, OH
• Julie Warr The WAR (We Always Recycle) Project  Potter Street Elementary School, GA

Tool Factory and Olympus would like to thank all participants in our Spring 2007 Special Education Grant and congratulate the  winners!  Both companies strive to make a difference in education through the use of digital cameras and educational software. The most inspired stories and comprehensive lesson plans are now available on the newly launched Digital Wish website.

More Grant Opportunities on Digital Wish

Tool Factory and Olympus have just launched a grants/fundraising initiative for technology at http://www.digitalwish.com. Teachers who register and submit a lesson plan to Digital Wish, will automatically qualify for 43 new grant opportunities.  There’s a searchable library of lesson plans, loads of fundraising ideas, a grants database, a technology "Wish List", and a school locator. Your local school is probably already in the system!
 
Please register your school, tell your story, and make your technology wishes public on http://www.digitalwish.com. Next month we'll be adding an online donation feature to Digital Wish that will allow anyone to make a donation to your classroom's cart, or purchase items off your wish list (like a wedding registry).

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 educational software. The catalog offers over 150 titles, including a suite of digital imaging products designed to maximize the use of digital imaging 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. 

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

ABOUT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC.

Olympus Imaging America Inc. is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering award-winning products for consumer and professional markets.
Olympus is committed to enhancing education by bringing the benefits of digital technology to all subject areas at all grade levels.  Olympus provides complete digital solutions for the classroom including digital cameras for visual learning and digital voice recorders for podcasting.  Visit Olympus at: http://www.olympusamerica.com/oai_consumer.asp