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CHARLOTTE — This year the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation awarded 42 grants to Catholic school teachers in the MACS system to fund innovative, educational programming.

This year's award winners were recognized at a luncheon with Bishop Peter J. Jugis Aug. 16 at the St. Gabriel Church Ministry Center. Here is a list of the schools, programs, recipients and a brief explanation of the programs awarded grants this year:

Charlotte Catholic High School

-- TI-Nspire Technology in the Lab: Terence Jordan and Gwen Freeman. This calculator compatible software replaces antiquated science lab probes and enables students to more accurately collect and analyze lab data.

-- Extension of the MACS Technology Infusion Project: Dana Zimmer and Shawn Panther. Uses a MacBook-compatible printer that complements the Technology Fusion Project started last year.

-- Artist in Residence Program: Stanley Michalski, Tracy Shoff and Alan Kaufman. Professional musicians will spend seven days with band students from Holy Trinity Middle and Charlotte Catholic High schools.

Holy Trinity Middle School

-- Innovations & Interventions with the iPad: Regina Pastula and Maureen Cherry. Students with reading and writing expression disorders as well as those with language-based disabilities will use iPads to gain mastery of reading, writing and critical thinking skills.

-- Thinking Outside the Taco – Adapting for 21st Century Language: Jennifer Cabrera, Socorro Davaz and Anni Carroll. Creates a glog–an interactive visual platform on a Web page with text, audio, video and still images, graphics and data. Enables students to creatively interact with other Spanish-speaking classes at St. Mark School.

-- Let's Get Inspired with Visuals: Maureen Cherry. Uses Inspiration to help students learn to brainstorm, sort and organize their ideas as they are writing.

-- Artist in Residence Program: Stanley Michalski, Tracy Shoff and Alan Kaufman.

-- Stepping Up to Middle School: Molly Sequeira, Regina Pastula, Emily Wenning and Robin Siczek. This skill-based reading program focuses on the individual needs of students in the learning support program and provides continued intervention strategies as they move into middle school.

-- Calculator Inspired Learning: Jeff Prys, Sarah Heck and Todd Wilson. The TI-Nspire Navigator System will be used in Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and Geometry to create an interactive classroom.

-- Planting Seeds of Diversity to Grow Acceptance: Annie Jost and Regina Pastula. Creates an interdisciplinary opportunity between science, religion and language arts to learn about diversity. Students will read the novel "Seeds," plant a diverse garden and learn about compassion, acceptance and patience by relating the novel and science together.

-- Brain Buster Robotics 2: Jacqueline Durrett and Tracy Landschoot. Replaces and enhances the Brain Busters Robotics with 12 new sets of Lego's Mindstorm NXT Robotic systems. This program enables progressive learning for eighth-grade science and technology students.

Our Lady of the Assumption School

-- Read Naturally: Reading for Success!: Vanessa Baker-Truong and Kitty McIndoe. Increases reading level and fluency for students in the learning support program.

-- Chess for Everyone: Sondra Bryn. Utilizes the Championship Chess series as an enrichment program to interested K-6 students.

-- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: Sandra Theresa Brighton. Provides training to a teacher for Level II of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd which will expand the program from ages 6 to 9.

-- OLA Phoenix Science Club: Melissa Ocejo. Starts a science club for grades 4-6.

-- Empowering Writers: Melissa Ocejo. Uses the "Empowering Writers" program to strengthen teachers' skills to empower writers in grades 3-6.

-- Get Set for School: Diana Lambropoulos. Uses the "Get Set for School" curriculum which helps develop core readiness during the preschool years.

St. Ann School

-- Viva el Español: Workbooks A, B & C: Yazmin Jones. Provides workbooks with written and visual illustrations introducing new vocabulary, concepts and phrases for all Spanish classes.

-- Books Alive!: Annemarie Mancusi and Kay Roberts. A Preschool Arts learning program, designed to bring books to life using art projects sponsored by Community School of the Arts.

-- Language and Social Skills Centers: Susan Gordon and Kari Moses. Supplements resource materials for the learning support program.

-- BrainPop, BrainPop Jr., BrainPop Español: Lauren Chinchar and Lisa Horton. Incorporates the BrainPop series into all classes by using these interactive lessons, quizzes and experiments to encourage learning.

-- Making the Most of your Smartboard: Katherine Smith. Incorporates Smartboard software into the literacy and math curriculum through student centers which allow students to practice reading skills.

-- Listen & Learn: Siobhan Loendorf. Expands the audio book collection through a subscription to "One Click" audio books and purchases 24 MP3 players for students and faculty.

St. Gabriel School

-- Viva el Español: Addy-Jean Mullis and Michele Snoke.

-- The Classroom Economy: Nicole Warren. A year-long study of economics for third-grade students where they can earn credits and debits while maintaining a class bank and store.

-- Lending Library: Liane Christmas and Anna Maria Strassner. Develops a kindergarten lending library to enhance language arts literacy.

-- Listen Up: Nicole Warren. Implements a listening center for audio books and CDs.

-- Faith on Wheels: Jaimee DeFrancesco and Marion Scherger. Second-grade students follow Jesus through enriching experiences in the "Classroom Prayer Corner" with a better understanding of the Mass, sacraments, religious feasts and vocations within the Church.

-- Witnessing Our Faith: Michelle Boyle, Jean Spegal, Betsy DesNoyer and Denise Heskamp. A faith-in-action program enabling all fourth-graders to interact with residents at a local nursing home.

-- SPARKS Curriculum: Phillip Harrington, Heidi Guerin and Patty Martin-Wong. The SPARKS ("sports, play and active recreation for kids") curriculum is designed to encourage all children to be more active.

St. Mark School

-- Why Am I Here?: Lisa Modzelewski. A program for children aged 6-9 to explore, celebrate and defend the best version of themselves by teaching them to make good choices.

-- Interactive Literacy Centers with Multi-sensory Activities: Janet Batres, Holly Roberts and Laura Mulkeen. Provides activities for first-graders.

-- Calculator Inspired Learning: Jenifer Selzer and Kim Antolini. The TI-Nspire Navigator System will be used in Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and Geometry to create an interactive classroom connecting teacher and student for real-time student evaluation.

-- Journeying Through Advent and Lent with Jothma, Amon and Tabitha: Christina Ostrom. An innovative way for middle schoolers to experience the seasons of Advent and Lent through the lives of three young people.

-- Clifton Youth Strengths Explorer: Kim Antolini. Helps youth aged 10-14 discover and develop the unique talents within themselves.

-- No More Limitations: Renee Birch and Amy Dill. Helps middle school students with disabilities to learn coping skills.

St. Matthew School

-- Zoo-Phonics Language Arts Program: Bernadine Armstrong. This TK program adds a multi-sensory component to teach phonemic awareness, an essential component to reading success in later years.

-- iTeach MACS: Debra Lee, Patty Fischer and Patti Dickson. Provides professional development for teachers to teach with iPads and to buy a data management system for the equipment.

-- Junior Great Books Reading Club: K. Michelle Rogers Kuhn. Helps above grade level third- and fourth-grade readers advance by providing books, more discussion time and critical analysis.

-- SPARKS Curriculum: Phillip Harrington, Heidi Guerin and Patty Martin-Wong.

St. Patrick School

-- The Thoughtful Classroom: Sheila Zagar. The HOTS ("Higher Order Thinking Skills") program will be used to add complexity and novelty to problem and solution finding, and a new way to approach critical thinking skills for grades 1-5.

-- Viva el Español: Yazmin Jones.

-- Making Reading Connections with E-Readers: Kelly Parks and Linda Nagel. Introduces E-Readers to students in the learning support program to improve their engagement and responses to the words they are reading.

-- Projecting the World to our Students: Suzanne Beasley, Becky Jacobson, Crystal Watts and Maggie Menze. Uses Digital Visual Presenters along with Promethean Boards.