Middletown City School District

Providing healthy food access year-round: One hundred percent of Middletown students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. To help students and their families combat hunger during summer months and holidays, the district plans to purchase a food truck that can provide healthy meals year-round.

Developing maker-learning frameworks to focus on developing creativity: The district’s Middie Maker Design Framework focuses on teaching the design process, utilizing the next generation of science standards, incorporating the ISTE standards, designing projects with a focus on computational thinking, and supporting the “creative genius” in each student.

Designing flexible learning spaces: Recognizing that diverse learners need a variety of spaces to learn and grow, Middletown schools design and develop learning spaces that facilitate creation, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Fostering innovation through coaching support: The district created 12 Innovation Specialist positions to support educator and school capacity to promote innovative practices. These specialists focus on maker learning, digital content, personalization, and digital integration, and will be trained to give teachers feedback on how best to use emerging digital tools and strategies as part of their “Middie Modernization Movement.”