$150,000 to be awarded for education
The Ed. Foundation, a Port Washington-based nonprofit that has been supporting educational initiatives that are beyond basic educational requirements since 2001, is set to award 49 grants to the Port Washington School District for the 2018-19 year. The grants for all five elementary schools, Weber Middle School and Schreiber High School total $150,000, providing funding for cultural dance workshops, computer science programming, before-school exercise, chess, robotics clubs, STEM, a mindfulness workshop, an edible garden and more.
“Our mission is to enhance and expand all opportunities for students in the public schools so it gives us the opportunity to enrich the education they’re already getting,” said president of The Ed. Foundation Mara Silverstein. “What I love about what we do is that it really covers all different disciplines from arts and literature to science and technology. I love being a part of a community that feels so strongly about supporting kids and education and giving opportunities above and beyond the day to day.”
“The Port Washington School District is extremely thankful that it has such strong community partners like The Ed. Foundation,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Mooney. “These grants will help the district expand its ability to give students the best possible learning experience by enhancing programs that help foster motivation, enrichment and creativity. The administration is particularly excited about the multiple STEM grants that we received, as these will help further our initiative to introduce new technology and coding to students of all ages. We also received several grants focused on expanding art programs, which will help our students learn the importance of self-expression throughout their educational journeys.”
Schreiber will receive 10 grants funding programs from the recurring Immersive Problem Solving that will allow students to participate in “Escape the Room” style games and work collaboratively to solve math problems or decipher a code to the new Cabinet of Curiosities program, which will allow art students to observe and examine museum quality objects to satisfy their developmental need for realism in the art classroom.
While Silverstein explained she is excited about many of the grants, both recurring and new, she expressed that it has been a thrill for The Ed. Foundation to watch one of its earliest large grants grow over the years.
“One of our earliest larger donations started a small robotics club and now it’s a big program,” said Silverstein. “It’s expanded into the middle school and that’s exciting. I think that the next bridge is into the elementary schools.”
Weber received eight grants from The Ed. Foundation including funding for portable stereomicroscopes and hands-on environmental studies at the Sands Point Preserve.
“For some kids in eighth grade to hear from a Freedom Rider talk about the importance of activism and the power of protest is very timely and a good opportunity to have the kids exposed to people who have participated,” said Silverstein of the Courage In Activism: Exploring Protest Through Words and Music program, which allows students to hear from Yolanda Beckett and Bernice Simmons and is co-funded by HEARTS.
All elementary schools received funding for homework clubs, Dancing with Fifth Grade Stars and Expressive Elocation, which helps vocally empower and prepare students to present speeches and dramatic enactments.
“From learning how to ballroom dance, to arriving early in the morning to participate in a program that combines physical fitness with music, The Ed. Foundation makes coming to Daly School just a little bit more special each and every day,” said Daly Elementary School Principal Sheri Suzzan.
For more information about The Ed. Foundation, visit www.theedfoundation.org.
