"I strive to create a classroom climate where children are respected and achievement is honored," says Victoria Smith, a third-grade teacher at Spring Hill Elementary School in Huntington. As chairperson of her school's Multicultural Council, Mrs. Smith guided a district-wide training program to introduce hundreds of educators to strategies that foster community pride and awareness. Since its inception five years ago, the program has increased family and community involvement at Spring Hill Elementary School by 70%. An extensive volunteer network that is also organized by the program provides students with tutors from the community and functions as an academic support resource for the school. Mrs. Smith's membership in AIMS (Activities that Integrate Math and Science) has given her the opportunity to work with and train teachers throughout West Virginia and Kentucky on the development and instruction of a content-integrated curriculum.
