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The Birch School/Maker Rings Chosen for National Educator Innovator Award

November 20, 2014

Rock Tavern, NY –– The Birch School, a small independent school in northeastern Orange County, is one of fourteen schools across the nation to be awarded a LRNG Innovation Challenge Grant from the National Writing Project (NWP) to develop, pilot, and share promising strategies to strengthen connected and deeper learning. The LRNG Innovation Challenge is a new program sponsored in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation and John Legend’s Show Me Campaign.

LRNG is a new initiative that invests in forward-looking schools and teachers to design innovative projects that take advantage of new technology to support students’ creativity.

“The LRNG partners were impressed by The Birch School because of their teacher-led commitment to ensuring that young people become the problem solvers of the future”, stated NWP executive director, Elyse Eidman-Aadahl. “We are pleased to support their innovation and sharing their story with schools across the country.”

The Birch School plans to use the new funds to support their work with students to create peer-based learning communities that encourage trust and mutual support. “Our small size allows us to take an experimental approach to student directed and project based learning,” said co-founder and Principal Teacher Ed Helbig.

The new project, called “Maker Rings”, will challenge students with opportunities to produce work that reflects what they are learning. A key component of the project is designing and building a portable technology resource center stocked with tools for creation and “Making”. This “Pop-Up Maker Space” will include hand tools, craft and electronics projects, computer coding demonstrations and a 3D Printer. The Birch School plan is to have the students demonstrate and share projects at local events and festivals in hopes of inspiring other young people to become “Makers” themselves. Their teacher team will share the curriculum they develop through the network of LRNG learning communities and on their project website, www.MakerRings.com.

“This funding will provide the resources that allow us to develop new ways of learning for students of the 21st Century. We are honored to be chosen by LRNG, and be recognized by national foundations as innovative educators.” said Kate Fox, co-founder and Director of The Birch School.

Funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Show Me Campaign, and individual donors, the LRNG grantees will develop, pilot and share promising teacher-powered strategies and solutions to strengthen connected and deeper learning for the widest range of young people. To learn more about LRNG and the grantees, visit

Innovation Challenges

www.TheBirchSchool.org