Smart boards and social studies mini-units looking at Lexington’s history are among programs and initiatives supported through the Lexington Education Foundation’s grant awards for the 2011-2012 school year.

In total, the LEF, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting innovative education in the Lexington Public Schools, has awarded $342,101 in grants, an increase of 11 percent since last year.

“We feel very gratified by our community support,” said LEF Co-President Mary Ellen Allesandro. “It’s wonderful to see that there are so many members of our community recognizing the importance of education and providing the support for our students to receive a high level of education.”

This year’s grant awards include $280, 233 in program grants, $29,368 in summer fellowships, and $32,500 in school community grants.

Program grants involve classroom and curriculum projects and professional development; summer fellowships help teachers attend courses, seminars and workshops and community grants fund smaller-scale educational initiatives and community-building activities at each individual school, according to an LEF press release.

“Our mission to support innovative grants in all of the schools is a way for the schools to test out new technology items, to test out new teaching methods,” said Allesandro. “In addition to providing the hardware, we also support the training to make sure that is successfully implemented.”

Among the 21 grants awarded, teachers and students will benefit from:

• Fourteen interactive whiteboards, including teacher training to ensure whiteboard expertise
• A Scientific Weather Monitoring System to enrich the ninth-grade earth science curriculum
• Elmo Document Cameras, allowing English teachers and students to analyze student writing in front of the class
• "Lexington Then and Now" social studies mini units, helping students explore local history to celebrate our upcoming 300th anniversary