For Immediate ReleaseNeedham Education Foundation Grants Over $22,000 In First Autumn Grants ProgramNEEDHAM, Mass. -- November 25, 2003 -- The Needham Education Foundation (NEF) announced it has funded nine Autumn Grants for the 2003-2004 school year, totaling $22,791. Ranging from $1,600 to $3,500, the NEF Autumn Grants support the NEF's mission of enhancing or enriching the education experience in Needham Public Schools. "We are especially gratified at the enthusiastic response to this inaugural grants program," said Catherine Marenghi, NEF co-president. "These grants touch students throughout the school system -all the elementary schools, the middle school and high school -and represent creative and innovative ways to expand on and complement publicly funded programs." The new NEF Autumn Grant Pilot Program was launched this year to enable grant moneys to be awarded and utilized in the same school year. The program expands upon the NEF's traditional Annual Grants, which has been renamed Spring Grants and will continue to be awarded in late spring. The Autumn and Spring Grants may be up to $3,500 each. The NEF also offers Large Grants of up to $15,000 each, which are awarded in January for the following school year. The funded programs complement many of the goals outlined by the Needham Public Schools, such as improving literacy and language skills, enhancing math and science proficiency, and many important aspects of social-emotional learning: Specifically, these include the expansion of readers and writers workshops at the Broadmeadow School, and a half-day sexual assault awareness presentation to all high school students by Katie Koestner, who has received national recognition for "speaking out against a crime of silence." NEF began when a handful of Needham High alumni celebrating their 50th class reunion in 1990 started a seed fund to pass on their love of learning by underwriting education programs. To date, the NEF has awarded more than $670,000 in grants to support Needham schools. About NEF The NEF is an independent, community-based, not-for-profit organization raising funds for the enrichment of public school children in Needham. Mass. Its fundraising programs include the annual Spelling Bee fundraiser, teacher recognition cards, the Reunion Challenge, and the year-end appeal, among others. 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. Click to see full list of grants.Contact:
Catherine Marenghi, NEF co-president
(781) 915-5001
cmarenghi@marenghi.com |
