Only Milken Family Foundation award winners - such as Centennial's Kristie Smart - are eligible for the grants. Smart, a 2006 winner, applied for a grant for a project for second-graders involving the creation of Georgia History Museum at the school.
According to a posting on the Milken Foundation Web site, each region of the state will be represented through the use of artifacts, interactive displays, plant life and artwork. The students will act as tour guides for their peers, responsible for researching and writing their own scripts.
In addition to learning about the habitat of a specific region, youngsters will learn about environmental challenges and preservation efforts. They will paint a mural, produce a brochure, and design a Web site.
Smart's was the only Festival of Youth grant awarded in Georgia.
Smart received her $25,000 Milken Family Foundation check in a surprise ceremony at the school last October. The check was presented by state Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox and Centennial Principal Susan Gilliam. (See accompanying photo).
http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/9/86127