By Sarah KuperThis past Valentine's Day, a group of educators organized one of the largest Valentine exchanges in the state. The party was thrown by Birmingham Homeschoolers and it was an opportunity for area home school families to get together, have fun and be creative. Kristy Trent is the coordinator for Birmingham Homeschoolers. She home-schools her four children … [Read more...]
Knight School: Former Teacher Turns Chess Club Into a Weekly Chess Party
By Rae Patterson David Brooks is widely known in the Over the Mountain community as “Coach Brooks,” founder and head of the chess academy called The Knight School. The Knight School has won more than 20 state championships, and it is all because of Brooks’ revolutionary fun approach to chess. Brooks has parlayed his method of teaching chess using puzzles and other fun … [Read more...]
Hoover Elementary Teacher to Speak at Birmingham TEDx Event
By Sarah Kuper Growing up, Al Elliott dreamed of making his living teaching kids to ride bikes."But the older I got the more I realized that wasn't a real job," Elliott said. Now, the Green Valley Elementary teacher is an educator, a filmmaker and a rapper. Elliott will be speaking at the March 12 TEDx event in Birmingham. He was chosen because of his work in film … [Read more...]
Money on the Table: Volunteers Needed to Help High School Seniors File for Financial Aid
By Sarah Kuper Any parent or school administrator knows that one way to get teenagers to sit up and pay attention is to offer free fast food. At least, that is what leaders at Alabama Possible are hoping will motivate Birmingham high school students to think about their future. Alabama Possible's "Cash for College" program is partnering with Taco Bell to give away free meals … [Read more...]
Granting Education: Vestavia Hills School Foundation Celebrates 20 Years of School Support
By Emily Williams Rising from humble beginnings, the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary at its annual Dinner and Diamonds fundraiser. A founder of the original campaign to create the foundation, Sharon Lovell has seen two children and one grandchild through the Vestavia Hills City School System and has two more grandchildren … [Read more...]