Teachers receive $74K in Cobb Tank Grants

More than a dozen teachers and their students recently stepped before a panel of Cobb Tank judges to pitch their ideas on how to advance student learning at schools across the Cobb County School District.

The judges voted to fund every project pitched to them with a total of $74,000 in grants.

“Through the Cobb Tank grant competition, we were able to provide much-needed funding to support the dreams of dedicated educators who are passionate about going above and beyond for their students,” explained Dr. Sally Creel, STEM and Innovation supervisor, in a CCSD statement.

Cobb Tank, the brainchild of Cobb Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, is modeled after the popular TV show “Shark Tank” where a panel of judges, dubbed “sharks,” determine which projects to fund.

Cobb Tank is designed to encourage teachers to take a step beyond the pages of a textbook and try new ways to help students succeed.

This year’s judges included Cobb’s Teacher of the Year Fred Veeder; Assistant Superintendent Christian Suttle; Powder Springs Elementary Principal Debbie Broadnax; McCleskey Middle School sixth grader Javan Campbell; Mark Justice, director of education and community relations at Cobb EMC and Dr. Roeisha Worthy, assistant professor of Environmental Engineering at Kennesaw State University.

• In addition to the trio of bunnies, teachers pled their case for funds to support sensory gardens at Keheley Elementary School, Kemp Elementary School and Lost Mountain Middle School.
• Lassiter High School teachers advocated for $8,255 to support a sensory and calming room at the school.
• Envisioning a classroom where students work at their own pace with the support of a teacher, Pebblebrook High School teacher Kenya Sailor explained to the judges why they should fund her concept for a "T.E.A.M. Player classroom" to increase student success.
• With the funds that teacher Michelle Yoo secured, Keheley Elementary School students will be on their way to creating a video production classroom.
• Maria Braswell hopes to spark the creativity and writing bug in students at Teasley Elementary School with the use of her grant funds. Braswell isn't only looking to boost her students' engagement inside the classroom but also thinks that her plan to increase students' interest in writing will lead to higher test scores and their future success.