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School Committee accepts $32,950 in NEF small grants and endowment awards for district programs
Summary
The committee voted to accept $32,950.35 in Northampton Education Foundation (NEF) small grants to fund 11 classroom projects across elementary, middle and high schools and approved NEF endowment grants including GrowFood Northampton and a Math Recovery certification project for elementary interventionists.
Northampton — At the June 10 meeting the School Committee formally accepted two rounds of Northampton Education Foundation (NEF) funding: $32,950.35 in small grants covering 11 teacher proposals across district schools, and NEF endowment awards to GrowFood Northampton and to fund Math Recovery specialist certification for elementary math interventionists.
The small grants portion included funding for robotics across elementary schools, the NHS literary magazine, a visiting artist series and several classroom‑based projects. NEF co‑chairs Sam Hopper and Jennifer Sanders James described the grants as selected by committee review and supported by community donations and fundraisers; the committee voted to accept the awards.
The NEF endowment grants awarded $29,000 to GrowFood Northampton for place‑based food and farm‑based learning for K–5 students across the district, and $29,000 to expand Math Recovery level‑2 training for interventionists and special‑education teachers to support students in grades 2–5. NEF representatives said the awards will include field trips, classroom lessons, certification training and a planned teacher/family resource website.
Why it matters: Committee members thanked NEF for local philanthropic support and noted that the grants fund supplemental programming and professional development that the district’s operating budget cannot fully cover. Members also praised the community process NEF used to evaluate applications and urged continued collaboration.
Outcome: The committee voted by roll call to accept both the NEF small grants and the NEF endowment grants; NEF representatives said funds will be disbursed after committee acceptance and project leads will be notified.
Ending: NEF organizers invited the public to a grants showcase event the next evening at the Center for the Arts to highlight projects funded by the grants.
