For Immediate Release

Needham Education Foundation Awards Two $15,000 Grants To Support Music, Science In Needham Public Schools

Funds to Expand Music Lab at Pollard Middle School, Add Science Mobile Technology Lab at High School

NEEDHAM, Mass., February 17, 2004 -The Needham Education Foundation (NEF) announced it has awarded two Large Grants totaling $30,000, which will enable the expansion of the Pollard Middle School Music Lab and will fund a second Science Mobile Technology Lab at Needham High School.

Both programs were started with funding from NEF. An NEF Large Grant in 2002 enabled Pollard to replace aging acoustic pianos with state-of-the-art electronic keyboards. This second year of funding will transform the lab from an electronic keyboard set-up to a computerized MIDI lab. The grant, led by music teachers Jenna Davy, Jonathan VanderWoude, and Todd Young, will bring an additional six keyboards - along with six Apple Computer iMac laptop computers, creating 16 keyboard stations, of which eight have access to MIDI technology. With the current set-up, students are able to play the piano with interactive feedback from the teacher. With the addition of computers and new keyboards, students will now be able to compose, record, store and print out music, as well as learn from music and information available from the Internet. Approximately 600 students in a three-year time span will have the opportunity to take advantage of this exciting music technology lab.

And in 2003, NEF funded Needham High School's first Science Mobile Technology Lab, which allows science teachers to bring wireless technology to the students, rather than moving students to computer labs -so they can spend more time on science learning. This year's Large Grant, again led by science teachers Jennifer Woo and Deanna Riseman, will fund 10 additional wireless iBook student laptops, one teacher laptop, one remote desktop, and one cart, effectively doubling the capacity of the lab. The science department will be able to set up two unique carts, one for data collection with specialized probes and one for data analysis and Internet usage. Once up and running, approximately 1,300 students will be able to use the state-of-the art lab for biology, physics, and chemistry classes as well as some senior electives.

"The teachers who spearheaded these efforts are to be commended for their creative and thoughtful grant applications. More than mere equipment purchases, these are inspired applications of technology that allow teachers to teach -and students to learn -in fundamentally new ways," said Judy Safian, co- president of NEF.

Now in its fourth year, the NEF Large Grant program supports one or two-year projects, either schoolwide or systemwide, that are innovative, collaborative, and of broad and lasting impact for Needham schoolchildren. Applications for NEF grants may be made by teachers, staff and administrators in the Needham Public Schools, or by any organization or individual, including students, parents and other members of the community. NEF's Large Grants, each of which may be up $15,000, complement NEF's Autumn and Spring Grant programs, which fund grants up to $3,500 each.

About the NEF

The Needham Education Foundation is an independent, community-based, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to raise and then distribute monies for the enrichment of public school children in Needham, Mass. Its fundraising programs include the annual Spelling Bee Fundraiser, teacher recognition cards, and a year-end appeal. NEF's purpose is to stimulate innovation and excellence by supporting educational programs that are outside normal public funding and to maintain a permanent fund to implement such programs and activities.

Contact:
Catherine Marenghi, NEF co-president
(781) 915-5001
cmarenghi@marenghi.com