Instructure Awards $110,000 in Canvas Grants to the K-12 and Higher Ed Community

Company announces winners of the 2015 Canvas Grants aimed to fuel innovation and openness in education

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Apr 02, 2015, 10:00 ET

SALT LAKE CITY, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Instructure, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company and creator of the Canvas learning management system, today announced the winners of the 2015 Canvas Grants, which empower educators to develop innovative programs and improve education. A total of 16 winners in K-12 and higher education were chosen, totaling $110,000 in awards given to institutions from across the country. This year the Grants were centered on the "Lossless Learning" theme, which was presented at InstructureCon in 2014.

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"We launched the Canvas Grants program two years ago to show our support for innovation in education," said Jared Stein, vice president of research and education at Instructure. "This year's theme, 'Lossless Learning,' encouraged educators to find new ways to connect technology to the face-to-face classroom, to improve learning and enhance the critical feedback loop."

Since its inception, Instructure has aimed to grow a community of educational innovators who try new things and discover the best ways to help students learn. One of this year's winning projects that personified "Lossless Learning" challenged 7^th and 8^th graders to learn about and determine the possibility of life on Mars. The project used gamification to engage learners and increase motivation while reducing cost, time and technology barriers.

Canvas Grants winners in the K-12 category are:

"First Flight Alaska" by Mark Woodward, teacher at Alaska Digital Academy
"Bike Your Way to Safety" by Kasey Cope, second grade teacher at Pleasant View Elementary, Zionsville Community Schools
"Smartphone Photography: Leveraging the power of social media and smartphone technology to create and collaborate" by Sterling Worrell, visual arts teacher at Hopkinton Public Schools
"Is There Life on Mars?" by Brian McDowell, STEM teacher at Mason County Middle School, Mason County Schools
"Steamboat Makerspace" by Nicole DeCrette, library media specialist at Steamboat Springs High School, Steamboat Springs School District
"Virtual Student Collaboration Zone" by Ashley Turrell, technology director at Indianapolis Academy of Excellence CFA
"Ridley C-A-N-V-A-S" by Jim McCusker, biology teacher at Ridley School District
"Students Learn STEM Through Game Design" by Vanessa Smith, technology teacher at Bret Harte Middle School, Hayward Unified School District
"Digital Citizenship/Literacy Through the Science Classroom" by Tim Smay, science teacher at University High School, Irvine Unified School District
"Losing Less Learning by Making Knowledge Matter in a Maker Lab" by Douglas Ferguson, elementary specialist at Martin Sortun Elementary, Kent School District

Canvas Grants winners in the higher education category are:

"Data Cultures" by Oliver Heyer, associate director of educational technology services at UC Berkeley
"Project Delphinium" by Jared Chapman from Utah Valley University
"Tracing Learning Interaction Paths As A Guide to Design Lossless Learning" at Georgia Tech Research Corporation
"Optimizing Groups for Active Learning" by Andrew Reynolds, instructional designer at Boston College Center for Teaching Excellence
"Learning Paths Tool" by Kenneth Larson and Travis Thurston at Utah State University
"M.O.L.I.E. Meets Canvas and the Open Web" by Mary Kayler at the University of Mary Washington

Canvas is a modern learning management system that sets a new standard for open technology in K-12 and higher education. Canvas services 18 million users from more than 1,200 school districts and universities throughout the world, offering integration with other web services and provides simplified tools for grading and assessment.

About Instructure
Instructure, Inc. is the software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology company that makes smart software that makes people smarter. Its cloud-based Canvas learning management system (LMS) now connects more than 18 million teachers and learners at more than 1,200 higher ed and K-12 institutions throughout the world. Because learning doesn't end after graduation, Instructure also offers Bridge, the modern learning and engagement platform that enables organizations of every kind to engage with employees by measuring and improving employee sentiment, alignment and knowledge in real time. Learn more at www.Instructure.com.

Contacts:
Devin Knighton, Director of Public Relations at Instructure
(801) 722-8187 | [email protected]
Twitter: @devinknighton | www.instructure.com

Jessica Hutchison, Method Communications
(801) 461-9779 | [email protected]

Copyright © 2015, Instructure, Inc. All rights reserved. Instructure, Canvas, and the Bridge logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Instructure, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brands and names may be claimed as the property of others.

SOURCE Instructure