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July 3, 2009

Grant comes through for Magnolia Grove

special to the star



Magnolia Grove School (MGS) recently received two grant awards to enhance the educational experience for students receiving treatment at Bradley Sanders Adolescent Complex. The Phil Hardin Foundation awarded MGS $12,000 for the "Software for Success" program and the Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Organization presented the school with a $500 mini-grant for an outdoor classroom.

The Phil Hardin Foundation partnered with the East Mississippi State Hospital (EMSH) Friends Organization, who contributed $4,000 towards the proposal, and EMSH to fund the $20,000 project, which includes three software programs, three printers, cabling and supplies. The software package will provide computer assisted instruction to MGS students in the core academic areas of reading, language arts, writing, math and science, as well as career tech and life skills. The programs are research based and adapt to different learning styles by incorporating auditory, visual, and tactile learning.

Gayle Butler, computer instructor at MGS said that the software program will be beneficial for all the students. "By offering individualized computer-assisted instruction based on targeted needs, along with classroom instruction, students will be able to progress at their own pace, building confidence and proficiency whether they are to return to their home schools, obtain their GEDs, or prepare for college or the work force." Butler said.

Funds from the KAB grant will be used to construct an outdoor classroom on the MGS campus that will include birdfeeders, birdhouses, a bird bath, and assorted plants and trees that will attract a variety of butterflies, birds, and insects.

MGS staff hopes to inspire the students to be excited about learning by using nature as a learning lab. Special outdoor classroom lessons/projects will allow students to leave the regular classroom setting and work individually and collectively on the same lesson fostering students' self confidence, personal responsibility, group commitment, and pride in their work. "We want to encourage our students to develop an appreciation for nature and learn the importance of being good stewards of the environment," said Carla Dean, science instructor at the school.

Wayne Litton, Magnolia Grove School Principal, credited the community organizations for their investment in the school. "We would not be able to provide these programs without the support of the Phil Hardin Foundation and the Keep America Beautiful Organization," Litton said. "We especially appreciate the support of the EMSH Friends Organization for their financial support of the software project and the many other projects that they sponsor for the hospital."

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