A group of teachers at Sowams School in Barrington recently won a grant from Rhode Island Foundation through a program designed to encourage classroom innovation statewide.

Jenny Gaynor, Katie Carey, Susan Fagan, Jamie Greene and Cara Sanchez will use the $1,000 grant to introduce students to journalism. The Sowams School children will see first-hand, how reporters research and write their stories.

“Evidence-based writing is a crucial skill for our students to master,” said Ms. Gaynor. “This is an important skill that will remain a constant throughout their educational career.”

Working with local reporters, the teachers will lay a foundation in the research and publishing process. More than 60 students are expected to participate in the project. The grant will enable teachers to buy reporter’s notebooks for every student and technology to broadcast their news reports to the school community.

“We will empower children to write articles on current event topics that are relevant to their life and community. The elements of choice and ownership will increase student engagement and productivity,” said Ms. Gaynor.

Launched by philanthropists Letitia and John Carter in 2013, the Spark Grants program was open to Barrington schools for the first time. Previous rounds had been limited to urban school districts such as Central Falls and Providence.