Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ed Foundation awards mini and major grants to classroom teachers, cites $30,000 in requests
Summary
The district—s education foundation reported distributing more than $10,000 in teacher grants this year, including eight mini-grants and one major $3,000 award, and described fundraising and program pilots that reached more than 1,200 students.
The Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District Education Foundation said it distributed more than $10,000 in teacher grants this year, including eight mini-grants and one major grant of $3,000, and raised more than $13,000 to support classroom projects.
The foundation representative told the Board of Education that six of the district—s seven schools participated in the grant program and that the projects affected over 1,200 students. The representative said teachers requested more than $30,000 in grants this year.
Why it matters: The foundation—s grants supplement classroom materials and pilot programs that the district could adopt more widely. The foundation described grants as intended to "enhance not to replace any curriculum programs" and said it seeks reusable projects rather than one-time purchases.
Foundation-funded projects on display included a Paws for a Cause project at Ravine Drive Elementary School led by Miss Morrissey, which collected donations for Castle of Dreams animal rescue and produced hallway paw-print art; five lending libraries at Regine Drive implemented after an idea from Miss Murray to broaden book access for nearly 400 pre-K through third-grade students; and solar STEM kits awarded to Miss Mazango at Strathmore that let third graders test how sunlight affects small motors.
At Flipwood, Miss Gomez received standing easels for expanded outdoor art lessons; at the middle school, Miss Nelson used materials to support seventh-grade art journaling and wildlife learning; Miss Barr used a "true color" grant to supply materials for an eighth-grade design lab; and at the high school the foundation supported life-skills kitchen items for students in a Reach program led by Mr. Stedman and Miss Bollinger and a Girls in Gloves self-defense program led by guidance counselor Miss Longo.
The foundation also described a major, one-day team-building grant awarded to Principal Bombardier at Floyd (Floyd Road/Floyd Room in transcript) that the principal plans to continue for incoming fourth-graders to ease transitions. The high school additionally received a five-year license to participate in Trout in the Classroom through the New Jersey State Division of Fish and Wildlife; the foundation said students released six rainbow trout from the classroom aquaponics system.
Fundraising highlights included a faculty fundraising event the foundation called the "Battle of the Faculty Design," which drew more than 400 attendees and raised over $6,000 for grants. The foundation said the event will return tentatively on Oct. 23.
The presenter closed by asking for additional volunteers and donations and noted that unused grant funds roll over year to year. For more information, the foundation said it maintains a Facebook page and a website where donors and teachers can learn about grant rounds and application timelines.
Ending: The foundation said it changed the grant timeline this year to run two application rounds so teachers can better time projects for classroom impact and encouraged teachers and community members to apply or donate for the next grant cycle.
