Classroom Teacher Grants through KDP

Educator and Pennsylvania resident James Vendemia has served as a teacher, teacher evaluator, and principal. He holds a bachelor’s in secondary education/language arts and a master’s in educational leadership/school administration. James Vendemia’s achievements include being a two-time member of the education honor society Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), an organization that is an advocate for educators across the country.

Established in 1911, the organization’s primary activities are to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among educators. KDP advocates for teachers by offering classroom grants to member teachers. Through this program, teachers get financial assistance to launch classroom projects. For example, past recipients have used the funding for library creation, field trips, useful technologies, and guest speakers.

Funded by donations from Dr. Judith F. Evans and Mr. Ralph M. Evans, practicing teachers can apply for 50 grants of $150 that can be used to fund creative, impelling projects. Upon project completion, recipients fill out a survey to share how their classrooms were impacted by the grant. 

Tips for Aspiring Journalists Regarding the Handling of Sources

Based in Monaca, Pennsylvania, James Vendemia is an experienced public school administrator who recently served as a K-12 principal and high school teacher evaluator at The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School. Prior to this, James Vendemia taught English and journalism with the Central Valley School District.

Establishing trusted sources, whether on the record or anonymous, is a central component to journalism. Regarding anonymous sources, it's particularly important for journalists to protect their identity and practice good ethics throughout the duration of the relationship. Many jurisdictions have legal protections in place to protect the identity - and safety - of whistleblowers and other confidential sources, and it is the journalist's responsibility to protect the source's anonymity. Ethical journalists should also inform confidential sources of the risks they are taking and provide safe ways in which they can make contact.

In recognizing these risks, the journalist should also determine which threats are the most pressing and outline steps both parties can take for protection. Digital exposure via hacking or other methods is one prevalent risk that can be avoided by face-to-face contact.

Journalists should also avoid getting too close to their sources. This can undermine ethics and allow the journalist to accept inaccurate information without proper vetting. To that end, it's important to remember that some anonymous sources may be promoting a specific agenda.