Projects | WJ Denver Chapter #20

Projects – these are some of our most popular projects

The “Dictionary Project” is to assist all third grade students in completing the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by providing students with their own personal dictionaries. The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come.The dictionaries are personalized for the Pioneers, with both the Pioneer logo and the Verizon logo on the cover, with a tag line reading “Partnering To Build Stronger Communities”. The back of the book gives a brief description of who the Pioneers are and what we do. It also includes the website addresses of both the Pioneers and Verizon Foundation.

Project Connect features a series of interactive games that span the curriculum in grades 4-7. Each features free classroom-ready internet access, Windows and Mac compatibility, and availability in English and Canadian French. With each, we provide; A student-friendly user guide with built-in instructions on how to play the game; A facilitator guide featuring detailed step-by-step instructional procedures keyed to content learning objectives and national education standards; A technical glossary and integrated instruction and game simulation approach; On-screen “gurus” that feature the pioneers of telecommunications technology, providing help students can understand.

TelecomPioneers Hug-A-Bears gives comfort to youngsters who are in traumatic or unfamiliar situations. The TelecomPioneers Hug-A-Bears are donated to public safety, fire, rescue and emergency medical personnel. The bears are carried in the cars and trucks of these agencies so that they are readily available to be given to a child in need. Many police agencies have found that a small child will tell the bear what occurred when they are not comfortable talking directly to an adult. TelecomPioneers Hug-A-Bears have even been given to the troops of Operation Desert Storm. TelecomPioneers Hug-A-Bears are ideal for any child in a traumatic situation from age one year through age ten.

TelecomPioneers “Heart Pillows” are distributed to local hospitals and are designed to aid patients recovering from heart surgery. Patients are encouraged to cough to release congestion in their lungs. Prior to the Pioneers “Heart Pillow”, hospitals would give patients rolled up blankets to hold against their chests to ease the pain associated with coughing. The rolled up blankets are cumbersome for the patients to handle. The Pioneers “Heart Pillow” is a convenient, attractive and easy to handle remedy for heart patients with congestion.

The Chapter collects old cell phones. Read on….

Pioneer Playground MAP

The Pioneer Playground MAP is a multi-colored 20- x 30-foot map of the United States painted on elementary school playgrounds to help the students learn geography. It was introduced at the 1994 Pioneer Annual meeting held in Pittsburgh, PA. and was featured on the Good Morning America show, which resulted in many telephone calls to Pioneer groups across the country from schools.This project provides the students with an educational tool to help them learn geography through play. Teachers have said that students learn easier and the learning is long lasting if the student can actively participate and have fun while learning.To complete the Pioneer Playground MAP project, six to eight volunteers are needed. The Pioneers provide the template, paint, rollers and brushes. Just connect the dots, paint each state a different color and, suddenly, there is your country in living color! It takes approximately five to seven hours to complete. A book of facts about each state is provided to the teachers. Several games including a beanbag toss can be played by the students.To date we have painted approximately 225 Pioneer Playground MAPS in the Wm. J. Denver Chapter area.

Our Mapping the Universe (painting a Solar System on the playground) provides an educational aid for teachers in the teaching of astronomy and the universe. We believe that a student’s desire to learn is enhanced through an interesting learning tool. Our goal is to paint a Solar System on every playground next to the Pioneer Playground MAP, to be used by every student and the local neighborhood.The Solar System is part of the curriculum for students in grades 3-5. Planets can be studied in the classroom and then the students can be taken outside to use the Solar System as a visual aid. Flash cards, featuring multiple choice questions about the Solar System, are given to teachers to aid in the teaching and learning process.In keeping with our focus on education, we believe we have created a project that will increase member participation and promote continuous improvement in the education process of our students. Also, through our partnership with the PTOs and PTAs, we have involved parents, along with children and teachers, in a Pioneer education project that will help further their children’s education.