FROM STAFF REPORTS

CALERA–Lindsey Irvin, a third and fourth grade teacher at Calera Elementary School in Shelby County, was one of six Alabama teachers awarded the Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship by Alabama Humanities Foundation in a special ceremony Oct. 6.

Named for the late daughter of Gov. Bob and Patsy Riley, the scholarships seek to recognize elementary school teachers whose classroom projects enhance the learning experience for their students.

Irvin’s proposal is “Akridge Arboretum Church Bell Project,” which is aimed at promoting “civic involvement, community pride and an opportunity for historic research,” she said.

It centers on building a structure to house a historic bell once located in a tower of Calera Presbyterian Church, adjacent to the city’s park project, Akridge Arboretum. The students will research and collaborate in the design of the structure.

“It will bring a piece of history back to our city,” Irvin said, and give her students a “one of a kind experience.”

Thanks to these $1,000 scholarships, teachers are able to purchase ‘extras’ for their classroom to better reach and teach their students.

Known for her passion for teaching, “Jenice would have loved that she is connected with each of these projects,” Patsy Riley said at the presentation. She called AHF’s role in facilitating the scholarship program “an honor” for the family. “What a difference this organization makes in thousands of people’s lives each and every day.”