A partnership between community members and Rapides High School is meeting needs for a second year - this time in the form of nine high-tech microscopes.
The Rotary Club of Lecompte added funds to a $1,500 Rotary District 6190 grant to purchase nine microscopes for the Rapides High science lab. They were delivered Tuesday to a very excited Amy Lewis, who teaches environmental science and Biology II at the school.
Club President Paul St. Romain credited Lewis' concise grant application for securing the district funds and cutting costs where she could. Her initial request covered six microscopes, but they were able to purchase nine for nearly $2,000.
'Headquarters said it was the best request for a grant they had,' St. Romain said. 'And by ordering through school channels, we got a discount. ... (Lewis) squeezed every bit of juice out of that turnip.'
Rapides High science teacher Amy Lewis discusses slides and features of the new microscopes purchased for the school through funds from the Rotary Club of Lecompte.(Photo: Courtesy/Rachel Humphries)
The funds also covered an instructor scope for Lewis that features an LCD screen, USB port, chip to save slides and projector that allows the class to see the same slide at the same time. Lewis said the new features provide greater efficiency and cooperation in teaching.
Lewis said equipment replacement is a continual need for schools due to changing technology and constant use. Rapides High's science equipment was no exception. Lewis guessed the school's 15 microscopes were at least 20 years old.
'Most are missing parts or are not working correctly,' she said. 'We'll use (the new ones) several times through the year.'
Rapides High student Julio Gomez looks through one of nine new microscopes for the school's science lab.(Photo: Courtesy/Rachel Humphries)
That starts immediately as students are working on an introductory lab this week. They will build toward a spring lab that has students growing their own bacteria in petri dishes.
The Rotary Club of Lecompte, which comprises 12 members, raised $3,500 for 25 new textbooks and teaching materials for Rapides' welding and carpentry classes last year.
'Y'all may be small in numbers, but you pack a big, big punch,' Rapides Principal Jeff Hickman said.
The partnership between the club and school is becoming a tradition, with St. Romain already looking forward to the next donation.
Rapides High students (from left) Lucas Lima, Luz Rubio, Jule Tiedemann and Victor Pires try out new microscopes on Tuesday. The new equipment features the latest technology and was purchased through funds from the Rotary Club of Lecompte and its supervising district headquarters.(Photo: Courtesy/Rachel Humphries)
'Next year, we're anxious to see what the need list is,' St. Romain said.
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Entities 0 Name: Lewis Count: 6 1 Name: Rotary Club of Lecompte Count: 4 2 Name: St. Romain Count: 3 3 Name: Humphries Count: 3 4 Name: Amy Lewis Count: 2 5 Name: Rapides High School Count: 1 6 Name: Luz Rubio Count: 1 7 Name: Julio Gomez Count: 1 8 Name: Victor Pires Count: 1 9 Name: Jeff Hickman Count: 1 10 Name: Rapides High Count: 1 11 Name: Paul St. Romain Count: 1 12 Name: Jule Tiedemann Count: 1 13 Name: Lucas Lima Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1B6DvJp Title: Neeru Khosla is out to save the U.S. public school system with free software. Here's how she's succeeding Description: CK-12 co-founder Neeru Khosla and Clever's Tyler Bosmeny are out to save the American public school system. And they're doing it with free software and tools. Khosla, of course, is the head of tech-centric education non-profit CK-12, co-founded and backed by her billionaire husband, venture capitalist Vinod Khosla.
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