Parent Teacher Magazine Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools January 2014 | Page 7

Lansdowne IB Elementary receives $50,000 Jimmy Johnson Foundation grant
The grant will enhance outdoor learning opportunities for all students
Lansdowne IB Elementary has received a $50,000 Jimmie Johnson
Foundation/Lowes Toolbox for Education Champions Grant. The grant will
provide the school with new opportunities to integrate outdoor education
into the existing inquiry-based curriculum. It
will strengthen the school’s momentum in linking
outdoor education with science, environmental
awareness, skills for healthy living and social
responsibility.
“This grant will enable us to bring things into
the school which fit nicely with the International
Baccalaureate program,” said Principal Brian
Bambauer. “All the students in all grade levels will
benefit from this award.”
The $50,000 will be used to add a WeatherBug
weather station and the related software. This
will allow the students to track local weather with
real-time information. They can also use historical
weather information from WeatherBug to compare
and contrast weather patterns. Lansdowne
students will also have the ability to access other
WeatherBug stations worldwide.
“This support from the Jimmie Johnson
Foundation will enable our staff to engage students
in state-of-the-art learning activities,” Bambauer
said.
In addition to the WeatherBug station, the
school will purchase a laptop cart. The cart will give
teachers the opportunity to travel within the school
to do inquiry-based lessons with their students.
Lansdowne began working in its garden area

in 2011 with one kindergarten class
and then expanded the next year
to include all students. The school
received
a $2,000
garden
grant
in 2012
from the
Whole Kids
Foundation. In 2013, it received an additional
$5,000 from the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education
Grant. The produce from the garden is donated
to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.
Chandra and Jimmie Johnson launched the
Jimmie Johnson Foundation in February 2006.
Johnson, the five-time Sprint Cup champion,
drives the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet in NASCAR’s
premiere series. The mission of the foundation
is to assist children, families, and communities
in need throughout the United States. The
foundation has committed more than $6.1 million
to various charities.

For additional information
on the Jimmie Johnson
Foundation, please visit www.
jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org.

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Parent Teacher Magazine • January/February 2014 • 5