Pathfinder Ranch 5th Grade Science Camp (2024-2025, 2023-2024)
Gerald Ford Elementary School 5th Graders have had the unique opportunity to attend Science Camp at Pathfinder Ranch Camp in Mountain Center, California for many years. Many of our students have never been away from home. This experience promotes a wonderful opportunity to gain some independence before heading off to middle school. The opportunity to take the classroom outside is such a great learning experience for all children. Watching them thrive during these classes is such a rewarding experience for all. They love experiencing classes such as survival skills, orienteering, astronomy, catapult building, freshwater ecology, energy, geology, hiking, permaculture, horseback riding and canoeing. With the help of the Anderson Foundation, we will be able to make this trip possible for all of our students, and close the inequality gap between those who can afford it, and those who cannot. With the help of this grant every student will have the opportunity to attend, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Gerald Ford Elementary School-44210 Warner Trail, Indian Wells, CA 92210
Contact: Jana Miller or Sandra Urrutia, Fifth Grade Teachers (760) 772-4120
Email: Jana.miller@desertsands.us or Sandra.urrutia@desertsands.us
Drum Circles for Social-Emotional Learning (2021-2022)
This grant provides green, cleanable drums, along with an evidence-based curriculum, to assist in welcoming students back to school in a post-Covid environment . Drumming offers a non-verbal means of self-expression and engagement that can be useful in addressing trauma (van der Kolk, 2014). UCLA has developed an evidence-based and trauma-informed program that integrates activities from group drumming and group counseling to build core strengths such as focusing and listening, team building, leadership, expressing feelings, managing anger/stress, empathy, and gratitude. Engaging the students in active music-making engages large areas of the brain, which quite literally crowds out stress, grief, and pain. It also keeps us in the present moment (Tramo, 2001). In addition, repetitive rhythm promotes the relaxation response (Crowe, 2004) and can bring calm and centering through contained energy release.
Contact: Yvonne Bluto
Email:Yvonne.Bluto@desertsands.us
Instruments for All (2017-2018)
Gerald Ford Elementary School, located in Indian Wells, serves a diverse population of almost 800 students. The 2016 – 2017 school year was the first year that every student at the school received music instruction. We are fortunate to have a very supportive Parent Teacher Club (PTO) that has provided the funding that enables us to offer music, art and reduced class sizes in PE. However, the PTO has not been able to support the funding that would provide enough instruments for every student to utilize while in class.
The Anderson Children’s Foundation Grant will provide a new strategy for full, active participation in music making. The goal of the grant is to increase student investment, motivation, and achievement through full active participation in music. This will be accomplished through this grant by providing students with instruments such as ukuleles, Orff xylophones and metallophones, and drums.
