CLARION – Students at Clarion Elementary School will have an opportunity to get up close and personal with a variety of birds thanks to a grant from McDonald’s.
On Thursday, McDonald’s general manager Doug Painterpresented a$350 McDonald’sMAC Grants award to Dana MacBeth, a teacher at Clarion Area Elementary School.
MAC Grants are awarded to help middle school teachers “Make Activities Count” for their students.
“I teach science and we used to go to McKeever but it recently shut down,” said MacBeth. “We used to bring in Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Saegertown and we couldn’t do that anymore. I thought we would do our study and then as our final activity bring in Tamarack again.”
MacBeth said Tamarack has birds of prey such as falcons, owls and an eagle.
“It will be hands-on learning,” said MacBeth. “It will be hands-on touching. These are all injured birds that they have rehabilitated.”
MacBeth plans to bring Tamarack to Clarion the spring.
Painter said a panel of judges at McDonald’s selected MacBeth’s project.
“They were looking for hands-on projects,” he said.
The grant program provides financial support so teachers can supplement regular classroom curriculums with activities that a school district’s budget may not cover. The grant also allows teachers to revitalize their classes with fresh and innovative teaching methods.
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