Plain Dealing High School Teacher Wins CenturyLink Grant

A STEM teacher at Plain Dealing High School got a big check this morning from CenturyLink, and this wasn't the first time a PDHS educator has done this.

Sara Brakeville was awarded $3,650 for a project titled "Project 3D -- Digitally Design and Develop." The prize money will be used for a new 3D printer and materials for her Auto CAD (Computer Assisted Design) class, which will better enable students to incorporate science, technology, engineering and math into their hands-on curriculum.

This is the second year in a row a Plain Dealing High teacher has won the CenturyLink grant, and Brakeville is one of only two educators in the state to receive it.

"We were excited to see the innovation and creativity in this year's grant applications," said CenturyLink Operations Vice President Karen Crabtree in a Bossier Schools news release. "It's encouraging to see teachers' enthusiasm for bringing new learning tools and techniques into their classrooms, and we are pleased to be able to help expose students to more educational technology in their daily school lives."

Brakeville is eager to replace the older 3D printer currently used in her classroom. According to the news release, the supplies cost $700 for the one she uses now and produce an inferior product.

"It's very outdated, so we're catching up with modern-day technology," Brakeville said. "You can't make robotic parts with this machine, but with the new one, we can make our own robotic parts."

Brakeville's grant comes from the CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation's Teachers and Technology grant program. It awards schools in CenturyLink's service areas on behalf of teachers who have "developed specific plans to innovatively implement technology in their classrooms."