The Penelope Project: Fun-ded!!

"You win some, you lose some." That's what I told myself at the beginning of this school year. I was bummed because I hadn't yet heard about a grant I'd written way back in May. The grant instructions said we'd know by July, and in mid-August, still nothing.

The grant was going to fund The Penelope Project, an experimental archaeology lesson plan to build large-scale warp-weighted looms for the students to weave on. This community weaving project would create woven sunshades for our campus that any students could contribute to. In addition to the looms, the grant was written to include outdoor furniture so that the students could sit outside, read, weave, and enjoy the cooler weather of fall and winter. 

As I checked the status of the grant online and found nothing, I was beginning to put aside my dream for this year. There's always next year, I told myself. Even though we weren't funded, we can still have FUN.

But then something unexpected happened. During my school's parent night, I set up stations in my classroom for parents to visit. One of them was about the Penelope Project and specifically asked for woodworking skills to help build the looms we need. A full week later, I got an email from a parent volunteering her father. When I emailed her back with specifics, I then got a very long, detailed email with specifications and research from the woodworker himself! He thought he could figure out how to build an ancient Roman/Greek warp-weighted loom, and he was ready to go. He even offered to build us a more permanent loom meant to stay in my classroom for future lessons on weaving in my Roman Technology class.

The very next day on Friday afternoon, before I'd had a chance to return his email, I went to the copy room to prepare some paperwork for Monday. When I looked up at my mailbox (yes, we still have physical mailboxes), I spotted a letter in it. When I opened it, I was shocked to find a letter stating that the Penelope Project had been funded. We got the grant after all! Enclosed was a check in the amount of $2025.00. Thanks to Baton Rouge's Academic Distinction Fund for their generosity.

As we prepare for this project, I can't wait to dig more into the ancient technology of weaving. Years ago, when I wanted my students to learn this ancient skill, I taught myself with YouTube videos on small hand-made cardboard looms and even took a class from a modern weaving artist. It's become one of my favorite little side hobbies. But modern loom weaving is very different from large-scale fabric production weaving. I'll be looking for resources from the experts out there. Can YOU help? It's gonna be FUN!