Recognizing the importance of hearing and being heard in the classroom, the Be Heard | School Grant program was established in 2009 by the Calypso School First Foundation (CSFF), and the 2010 Be Heard School Grant program will award three K-12 institutions school-wide classroom voice amplification systems.
In its inaugural year, the Be Heard | School Grant program awarded more than $120,000 worth of classroom voice amplification equipment to schools in three states.
Last year’s winners — Lawrence Central High School (Indianapolis), Holly Grove Elementary School (Holly Springs, N.C.) and McWhirter Elementary (Webster, Texas) — praised the program for improving communication between teachers and students.
“Since receiving the Be Heard | School Grant last year, our teachers have reported more attentive listening and eager participation in the classroom,” said Margaret Knox-Ingle, technology specialist for Holly Grove Elementary School. “I believe sound systems should be standard equipment in all K-12 classroom settings.”
With school budgets tightening and classroom audio needs still underserved in a majority of districts, Calypso will again equip up to 35 classrooms in three K-12 institutions with voice amplification systems.
“After receiving more than 200 applications for last year’s grant, we were even more convinced of the need for this integrated, transformative technology in the classroom,” said David H. Parish, Ph.D., president of Calypso Systems. “Classroom voice amplification is perhaps the simplest and most cost-efficient way to improve teaching and learning, and we are proud to continue the Be Heard | School Grant program again in 2010.”
A growing portfolio of independent research supports the performance improvements in classrooms where voice amplification systems are used, including improved attention, increased motivation and fewer special education referrals.
As a former university professor, Parish developed the Be Heard | School Grant program specifically to “level the playing field” across all types of schools and student populations when it comes to classroom amplification and acoustics.
“There are many academic studies showing the effectiveness of classroom voice amplification, most notably the Mainstream Amplifications Resource Room Study (MARRS) that began in 1979 and continued in various forms through 1994,” Parish said. “Even among last year’s Be Heard winners, we have witnessed the benefits of classroom amplification first-hand in the form of better student engagement and improved teacher-student communication. We want educators across the country to be able to realize that type of success in their own classrooms.”
Applications will be accepted between Feb. 8 and April 30, 2010, with winners announced May 18, 2010. For more information about the Calypso School First Foundation and to apply online for the Be Heard | School Grant, please visit http://www.calypsosystems.com/grant-apps.
