Destiny 2019 Q1

Our Past, Present, & Future Support Is Making a Difference

National Grid employees celebrate National Grid Foundation’s 20th Anniversary

n E ileen Cohen takes the helm at National Grid Foundation. n Employees Celebrate National Grid Foundation’s 20th Anniversary n EarthFirst by FirstWorks D EST I N Y Q1 2019

National Grid Foundation

National Grid Employees Celebrate Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday National Grid Foundation, Happy Birthday to You!

Our Tweeter activity was OVER THE MOON with over

Birthday Tweets National Grid Foundation’s actual 20th anniversary was December 11, 2018 but the staff hosted a birthday party on February 4. Approximately 25 National Grid employees joined Foundation staff in Hicksville, NY and sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed a cake. The festivities kicked off the Virtual Birthday Party where organizations wished the Foundation a happy birthday via Twitter messages.

wishing the Foundation another 20 years of stellar work!

141 Re-Tweets 276 Likes

www.nationalgridfoundation.com

Destiny newsletter is a quarterly publication created to give you a glimpse into the stories of some of the organizations and programs National Grid Foundation supports.

Editor Creative Director Executive Director

Christine Berardi Pamela Focá Edward H. White Jr.

Destiny Newsletter Issue - VI Q1 2019

National Grid Foundation

Eileen Cohen Takes the Helm at National Grid Foundation As a National Grid Foundation Board Member, Eileen Cohen has witnessed how lives have improved and communities have become stronger with the Foundation’s support. Now, she is leading the Foundation after her fellow board members elected her Chairman of the Board succeeding Al Wiltshire who retired in December 2018.

Eileen’s work with the Foundation began more than 11 years ago when a former colleague on another board introduced her to the organization. She soon realized becoming part of the Foundation would complement her personal desire to help educational organizations and at-risk youth. During her tenure, she also has been a member of the executive, audit and investment committees.

For 20 years, what the Foundation does is reinforced by staying true to its mission of creating opportunities to help transform the lives of those in need in our communities. National Grid Foundation continues to be a good neighbor to many in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Eileen has no plans to make any changes in the near future but wants to be aware of some challenges along the horizon as work continues. “National Grid Foundation is a well-oiled machine that is thoughtful in its grant-making,” she said. “Furthering the reach of the Foundation and assistance to the organizations we support, we can align and collaborate with National Grid employees to increase volunteerism.”

Since its inception, the organization has been proud of its diverse board of directors who are respected business and community leaders. Eileen hopes that future new directors will only add new to the board’s expertise and skill-set.

“Some of the challenges that we may face are decisions about investment capital and the impact of our spending,” she said. “These and other questions may cause a shift in grant-making.”

Until Chairman Eileen Cohen and the board need to make any decision affecting National Grid Foundation and how it supports community non-profits, its business as usual. One person, one organization, one community at a time to improve our world. ❧

Photo courtesy of EarthWatch Institute Scott Kania, Chief Executive Officer

National Grid Foundation is excited to showcase Boston based EarthWatch Institute.

Impact of the 2018 Teach Earth Program.

Investing in science and environmental education is paramount if we hope to empower future

generations with the tools they need to combat the greatest environmental challenges our world has faced. Your support has provided opportunities for three teachers from Boston Public Schools to participate in an EarthWatch program.

Teach Earth provides teachers an opportunity to become better science educators through first-hand experience with the scientific process while helping to solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Teachers return to the classroom with new perspectives and knowledge, invigorated and inspired to share the experience of real discovery with students.

National Grid Foundation Fellows

The following teachers had the opportunity to participate in Teach Earth thanks to National Grid Foundation support: To find out more about EarthWatch Institute, Please visit: www.earthwatch.org/education/teacher-fellowships/teach-earth-united-states

National Grid Foundation

JAMES (JAMIE) LYON

BOSTON GREEN ACADEMY, BOSTON, MA

7TH GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER Conserving wetlands and traditional agriculture in Mexico

“It was wonderful working with other teachers. As a new teacher with just one year under my belt, I have recently had a lot of challenges that are still fresh in my mind. This trip was a great opportunity for me to share ideas with other teachers and gain a lot of moral support as I progress along my career path. It was also great that the Boston Public Schools had so much representation on my trip - I plan on keeping in touch with the two other Boston teachers as well as the teacher from Malden and sharing how we are all implementing our lessons that we based on the experience.”

Photo of James Lyon, provided by James Lyon

Lesson Plan: Jamie has developed a lesson plan based directly on his EarthWatch experience.

Students will investigate a case study involving the disappearing axolotl salamander endemic to the waters surrounding the chinampas of Mexico City. After exploring the multi-faceted nature of the issue at hand, students will look into possible solutions to the problem from a variety of perspectives and, in the process, consider the concept of “trade-offs.” Students are guided by the question: how have human decisions and actions affected the endangered axolotl in Mexico City?

Dear National Grid Foundation, I’d like to personally thank you for your generous funding for my participation in the EarthWatch Expedition, Conserving Wetlands and Traditional Agriculture in Mexico. This was an incredible experience and a valuable one - having worked with scientists who are invested in solving ecological problems in their own communities in Mexico City, I feel better prepared to work with my middle school students on ecological problems that we have here at home in Boston.

In addition to being inspired by the work, I also had the opportunity to build on my set of scientific field methods. As a general science teacher I have a very large scope of topics and skills to impart on my students - having the opportunity to practice some of these skills with real scientists in real applications is super helpful for my classroom activities.

I am really looking forward to bringing these experiences into my classroom and instilling some of these lessons in my students. Thanks again for your generous donation!

Sincerely, James Lyon

JESSIE AUGER

SARAH GREENWOOD DUAL LANGUAGE SCHOOL, DORCHESTER, MA

DUAL LANGUAGE K-2ND GRADE LEAD TEACHER AND MENTOR, K-4TH GRADE CURRICULUM DEVELOPER Conserving wetlands and traditional agriculture in Mexico

“During this expedition, I was incredibly inspired by [the lead scientist] and her research team. In the face of dire ecological circumstances, they find ways to stay positive and continue working, appreciating every step in the right direction. I realized that I have not provided enough opportunities for my students to first develop a relationship with their natural environment before confronting the problems of environmental destruction. I am now redesigning my curriculum so that my students begin the school year by experiencing and studying the natural environments around our school so that they can observe, learn about, and appreciate their immediate natural surroundings, which in turn will provide the built-in reason to work towards preserving it.”

Lesson Plan: For Jessie’s lesson plan, students will engage in sustained, complex, and successful scientific inquiry through a study of local bird species. While students will spend time in class reading and discussing books about city birds, they will also take their studies outside the classroom by observing bird species on the playground and during a field trip to the Boston Nature Center. Through drawing and writing, students will learn to depict differences in bird characteristics and understand the importance of these different characteristics within a given habitat.

Dear National Grid Foundation, Thank you so much for providing the funding that allowed me to participate in this amazing learning experience. The Teach Earth program in Xochimilco, Mexico was much more than I expected in terms of my own learning and what I will bring back to my students. As a veteran teacher in the Boston Public Schools, I devote a great deal of time and energy to the development of new teachers. I provide professional development to my colleagues, am a resource for ideas and expertise in classroom management and curriculum, and serve on a number of committees to guide my school. This means I don’t often get the chance to be in the roll of learner.

What was most powerful and invigorating for me about Teach Earth was that I was immersed in learning from when I rose in the morning until late every evening as I went about accomplishing a variety of tasks vital to the research on the ancient and delicate freshwater ecosystem in Xochimilco. Through hands-on experiences and well prepared lectures by the team of experts there, I was brought into the fold of citizen scientists. In that capacity, I found myself considering everything from how a simple coffee filter can be employed as an instrument of the sophisticated science of chromatography to the absolute necessity of involving the farmers of the chinampas in the research that promises to help preserve their livelihood and way of life. I felt the thrill of collecting and learning to identify and count different types of plankton. I felt eager to catch on quickly. The work was real and I was accountable, but I could ask questions, rely on others in my EarthWatch cohort, and observe the lead scientists as they modeled how to conduct the research. This is precisely what science teaching should be in Boston Public School classrooms.

As I return to my professional duties at the Sarah Greenwood in Dorchester, it is with a renewed sense of urgency that we inculcate our students with the citizen scientist’s frame of mind and purposefulness.

Sincerely, Jessie Auger

KATHLEEN (KATIE) NEHMER BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY, BOSTON, MA

9TH-12TH GRADE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND PHYSICS TEACHER Conserving wetlands and traditional agriculture in Mexico

“I plan to tell so many teachers about the experience and encourage them to apply. I am also going to tell my students and encourage them to seek out similar opportunities. I would love to one day maybe even bring a group of students on an EarthWatch expedition. I think one of the most important things I can bring back though is my enthusiasm and love of what I have learned. Already I am noticing that sharing this is impacting classrooms outside of my own. It’s incredible to see how one person’s experience can touch so many people, and as teachers, it’s almost impossible to imagine how many people this could add up to over the course of our careers.”

Photo of Kathleen (Katie) Nehmer (center), provided by Kathleen Nehmer

Community Action Plan: Katie has created a community action plan to bring together her students and their local community. Specifically, students will introduce themselves to gardeners in their neighborhood and determine if they’d be interested in participating in a soil analysis project. If interested, students will collect soil samples from their gardens to analyze. Following the scientific analysis, students will make recommendations to the gardeners for improving soil quality. Should a gardener implement these changes, the students would sample the soil weeks later to determine the effectiveness of their recommendations. Katie’s plan includes a list of suggested local garden partners for students to contact.

Dear National Grid Foundation, There are truly no words to adequately thank you for your generosity in funding my EarthWatch expedition to Mexico City. Instead, I will tell you that you have helped to change my life and hopefully, as a result, the lives of hundreds of our students.

Before EarthWatch, I had never had the opportunity to conduct such impactful scientific research. In fact, scientific research felt like something that was inaccessible to me - someone with no experience - and therefore, my students. I am excited to say that this is no longer the case. I not only feel more confident in my science skills, but also have been reminded how much fun doing science can be, and I am so excited to share this with my students!

I hope you know how valuable it was for me to experience this with fellow teachers, especially those in the Boston district. Our group of fellows grew incredibly close over the course of the week and continue to stay in touch. We have shared project ideas, resources, and general support for each other. Together, we are working on providing opportunities for our students that we could never have made possible alone. I feel so incredibly lucky to have gotten to know Jessie, Jaimie, and all of our fellows.

Please do not underestimate the impact of your generosity. I may not have been able to take this opportunity without your help, and because of it, I am already seeking out new opportunities for myself and my students so that we can all continue to grow and give back.

Sincerest thanks, Katie Nehmer

National Grid Foundation

Siena Basketball Teams Visit Local Schools Student athletes and coaches from the Siena Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams visited Capital Region-area schools as part of Siena Athletics’ “Saints in the Community” National Grid Foundation's Hoops for the Stars Initiative.

Team members addressed attendees about several core principles, including the importance of excelling in academics. The team had the kids participate in drills and emphasized good sportsmanship. The Saints signed autographs and presented students with special Siena Basketball memorabilia. ❧

National Grid Foundation

Photo by Erin X. Smithers

EarthFirst by FirstWorks

Gets Rave Reviews

What do you think of when you hear STEAM-based arts learning? Do you conjure images of performers and plays that emulate trees, and fungi, and whooping cranes with American Indian guides that teach students about sustainability, climate change, and the stewardship of outdoor spaces?

If you do, then you know FirstWorks!

By Deborah Drew

Based in Providence, Rhode Island, FirstWorks’ mission is to build community – culturally, economically, and educationally – through arts and education programs that enrich the fabric of Rhode Island through world-class performing arts and education programs. As

the leading strategic arts partner for the City of Providence, FirstWorks has collaborated with more than 90 community organizations on projects that highlight diverse artists and reach diverse audiences. Central to its mission is a powerful, accessible, and equitable arts-

National Grid Foundation

integrated learning program benefiting low-income students in grades K- 12 in over 30 underresourced Rhode Island schools in communities that include Providence, Central Falls, Newport County and Pawtucket through a multi-tiered approach covering school-time performances and arts-related activities.

Last year, with Foundation support, FirstWorks launched EarthFirst-- programming that links arts with environmental-learning and awareness. The season kicked off at PVDFest – Providence’s multi-day signature festival on the city’s plaza and celebration of creativity – with a Foundationsupported “Cycle Sonic” performance that promoted energy-efficiency, environmental stewardship and exercise through an inventive and unique bicycle performance. Later in the year, FirstWorks premiered two additional creative and enchanting environmental performances: Pilobolus and Ajijaak.

Pilobolus

Before an audience of approximately 1,000 students, the Pilobolus dance company performed Branches -- tied to the natural sciences and a strong STEAM resource – entirely scored using natural sounds with videos interspersed through the interpretative, innovative dance. The show features performers who are talented contortionists that imitated trees, tree movements and trees’ interaction with surrounding species. It also taught students about the troupe’s name: Pilobolus, which is a fungus that can shoot its spores great distances. Certainly, a lesson in force and acceleration, as a start, but also a lesson about spreading the seeds of expression through movement.

Ajijaak on Turtle Island

A second EarthFirst performance featured the work of environmentalist and visionary puppet artist Heather Henson (the youngest child of legendary puppeteer Jim Henson) and IBEX Puppetry.

Their presentation of “Ajijaak on Turtle Island” tells the story of a young whooping crane who must undertake her first migration alone after being separated from her family. Her journey is disrupted by environmental, industrial, and mythical impediments, but, the indigenous communities she meets help and inspire her. This performance incorporates Native American rituals and contemporary ceremony to reflect our connectedness with the environment.

To find out more about FirstWorks, Please visit: www.first-works.org/education/student-matinees/

National Grid Foundation

Adelka Polak, Henu Josephine Tarrant, and Joan Henry. Photo by Richard Termine

While the spectacular performances teach science, nature, culture and environmental stewardship on stage, FirstWorks goes the extra mile and provides teacher resource guides to further reinforce the powerful educational messages. The resource guides are chocked full of materials for ageappropriate classroom experiences that range from science experiments, to math challenges to drawing and coloring arts exercises. And it doesn’t stop there: For older students, inclass leadership and critical thinking exercises are hosted and lead by FirstWorks-sponsored performers.

According to Ed White, executive director for the Foundation, “FirstWorks is to be commended because they understand that engaging students in an academic, yet creative way that uses arts-intensive, in-school experiences, goes a long way to communicate compelling ideas of social responsibility, global interconnectedness and the need for energy efficiency and awareness.”

“Arts-integrated learning is a key strategy for battling truancy, boosting graduation rates, and increasing academic subject skills,” explained Kathleen Pletcher, Executive Artistic Director for FirstWorks.

A Special Honor

As FirstWorks celebrates its 15th Anniversary this spring, it is honoring Foundation Board member, Hon. Angel Tavares, as one of its “15 Founding Pillars” for his pivotal contributions to the non-profit organization. “We couldn’t have reached this milestone without his incredible support during his time as Mayor,” said Pletcher. “We are so honored to have worked together with Mayor Tavares on a project that introduced Rhode Island audiences to Muslim artists; the landmark Our Town grant which launched the FirstWorks Festival On the Plaza, and now, our EarthFirst programs with the National Grid Foundation.” ❧ FirstWorks performances have reached more than 500,000 people since its inception in 2004.

“The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

National Grid Foundation thanks Save the Harbor for all the great photos and birthday wishes!

Search #NGFTurns20 to view organization's birthday wishes to the Foundation.