At the Needham School Committee meeting on February 24, 2026, the Needham Education Foundation (NEF) announced the recipients of eight grants totaling $27,971 in its Winter 2026 grant cycle.
Awarded grants include:
Rock the Blacktop: A Community Public Art Project at High Rock – High Rock
Students at High Rock Middle School will participate in the design and painting of three colorful pavement murals, offering a hands-on opportunity to learn about the power of public art and its ability to bring community together. A Community Paint Jam will invite families to help with the painting. Throughout the project students will gain insight into the creative process of designing, creating, and installing artwork that not only expresses their voices, but also reflects and enhances the character of their school and neighborhood.
— Awarded to Charly Nanda, Parent; Tova Speter, Needham Community Artist, lead artist/muralist; Jimmy Odierna, High Rock Assistant Principal
Pollard Robotics Upgrade – Pollard
Nine sets of LEGO’s newest Computer Science & AI robotics kits will be purchased for the Pollard Middle School Robotics Club to replace equipment no longer usable due to the sunsetting of the related software. The new equipment will expand design and coding possibilities, enabling more complex and creative projects. The equipment will also provide the opportunity to integrate robotics into the engineering curriculum. This is a Repeat grant from Spring 2011.
— Awarded to Mark Healey, Science & Engineering Department Chair, grades 6-8; Nathaniel Marcum, 8th grade science teacher and Robotics Club Advisor
Developing a Multi-Purpose Restorative Justice and Student Connection Space – High School
A welcoming, schedulable space will be created within the library at Needham High School to support restorative justice and student connections. Restorative justice offers a student-centered approach to resolving conflict. This project addresses the need for more spaces in the school to hold restorative justice circles, with the added benefit of providing a welcoming space to support the well-being of the school community, and to support student creativity in after-school club meetings.
— Awarded to Kelly McDaniel, Teacher Librarian; Jennifer Maw, Library Program Specialist
Empowering the NHS Generative AI Committee: PD for AI-Aware Teaching and Learning – High School
Twelve teachers on Needham High School’s Generative AI Committee will attend the AI in EDU Summit, a premier gathering of educators, researchers, and edtech professionals committed to shaping the future of learning through artificial intelligence. The teachers are working to support NHS students, faculty, and staff in thoughtfully and effectively integrating AI tools into the classroom so that students understand how to learn effectively with AI tools (AI-Inclusive) and how to critically evaluate AI and create original work (AI-Resilient).
— Awarded to Joshua Yankell, Technology Integration Specialist; Laura Brinkmann, English Teacher; Chris Gosselin, Director of Instructional Technology and Innovation
Sensory Supplies for Self-Regulation – Needham Preschool
To improve Needham Preschool students’ self-regulation, attention, and focus on learning, sensory supplies will be purchased for the classrooms including floor chairs and wobble cushions, weighted lap pads and blankets, sensory socks, noise-canceling headphones, chair bands, fidget tools, and sensory oral toys.
— Awarded to Elizabeth Dean and Rebecca Shusterman, Occupational Therapists
Seed City Raised Bed Replacement – Broadmeadow
Existing garden beds in the Broadmeadow Elementary School garden will be replaced with sustainable, ADA-accessible raised beds to extend the life of the garden and increase accessibility to the often-used space. This is a Repeat grant from Fall 2010.
— Awarded to Kellie Noonan, Parent; Mackenzie Schneyer, 2nd Grade Teacher; Heather McCarthy, 5th Grade Teacher; Elise Morgan, Needham Science Center
Sit, Fidget, Success! – Broadmeadow
Broadmeadow Elementary School grade 3–5 classrooms, specials (Art, Music, Spanish and Media), and the Connections Program will have 75 Bsmaht fidget seats to help students who need movement to focus, regulate, and engage in learning. The Bsmaht seat is a discreet classroom tool with pockets containing fidgets that are clipped in, to allow purposeful fidgeting without disruption, helping students remain seated, attentive, and emotionally regulated during instruction.
— Awarded to Chanit List, Assistant Principal; Dyanna and Matt Cotter, Parents
Playaways for the Mitchell Library Collection – Mitchell
Students at Mitchell Elementary School will have access to 60 Playaways in the school library. Each Playaway is a standalone audiobook player for one fiction or nonfiction title, and they offer a portable, screen-free option that is easily accessible for all students. Audiobooks help students develop listening comprehension skills, explore texts beyond their reading level, and connect with different cultures or experiences in a meaningful way. This is an Express grant from Newman and Broadmeadow.
— Awarded to Jennifer Guardino, Librarian