Amgen awards $115,000 to Conejo Schools Foundation

Amgen awards $115,000 to Conejo Schools Foundation

By Joann Groff This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Conejo Schools Foundation has accepted a significant grant to benefit science programs in Conejo Valley Unified School District. This year, the organization is focusing on the advancement of science and technology in CVUSD.

A $115,000 grant from Amgen will help fund continuing education for science teachers at the middle- and high-school level.

The most interesting aspect of the grant, according to Diane McKay, executive director of CSF, is the opportunity it will provide for Conejo schools to work with four local colleges: California Lutheran University, California State University Channel Islands, Moorpark College and Pepperdine University.

The program will bring science students from the colleges to assist teachers with lab lessons.

"The budget will allow us to hire students who are planning to teach science or are taking higher science classes, to do most of the lab setups that teachers typically have to do while instructing," McKay said. "This way, lab students get to be in a classroom and figure out, 'Do I really like this?' And teachers know everything's being set up by qualified lab tech, and they get to do what they do best-teach."

Teachers and members of CSF got together Monday to coordinate the 15 hours that will be available every week at each high school.

"We can't ask college students to be flexible-they have classes," McKay said. "They need this to fit into their schedules."

The grant will also be earmarked for substitute teachers so they can attend conferences and other meetings with colleagues.

"Because our budgets have been cut, teachers get to go less and less," McKay said. "This is so they can all get together and see that they are teaching off the same piece of music."

The grant is effective for the rest of this year and next. McKay said the CSF is "really excited" and she thinks the "science teachers are pretty happy, too." She also stresses that the foundation is looking for more support.

CSF also accepted a grant from the Alliance of the Arts to host the AllDistrict Band Festival for a fourth consecutive year.

For more information about the Conejo Schools Foundation, visit www.conejoschools.com.