Impact

To date, we have invested more than $400,000 in grants to our schools, reaching every school in the district and every area of the curriculum. Since 1991, WEF has funded grants to teachers that strengthen and enrich students’ academic experience but fall beyond the school district budget.

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SCHOOLS SUPPORTED

All Westfield public schools receive funding via WEF initiatives.

$400,000

grants funded

We’ve provided $400,000 funding since our inception.

$150,000

recent efforts

We’ve funded $150,000 of grants in the past five years alone.

During 2022-2023, WEF funded grief education for Westfield School District Administrators, 6th-12th grade school staff, and district-wide school support staff, led by Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss. WEF also supported the Choral department’s fundraiser to restore the 100 year old Steinway Piano at Westfield High school.

During 2020-2021, WEF funded nearly $40,000 to sponsor the Racial Literacy Initiative, impacting all schools in the district.

In 2019-2020, WEF funded improvements to the design and engineering classrooms at each of the intermediate schools. Historically, a significant portion of our grant making has focused on funding various technology tools to integrate into instruction. Schools across the district have received Makerspace materials, Chromebooks, iPads, computers, printers, interactive projectors, document cameras, and camcorders to support student learning.

Highlights of previous grants include:

STEM

• Competitive robotics teams (Edison, Roosevelt, WHS)

• Foutan board circuits to support science instruction (WHS)

• Tremor Table to extend an earthquake unit in middle school science (Roosevelt)

• District-wide STEM Initiative: Review and Revision of Science Curricula to Transition to the New Flashmasters devices to support math learning (Franklin)

• Next Generation Science Standards (all K-5 schools)

• Makerspaces (McKinley, Tamaques, and Roosevelt)

RACIAL LITERACY INITIATIVE (2020-2021)

• In-depth professional development for administrators, supervisors, and K-12 teachers, including instructional resources, expert-led workshops, and ongoing support to ensure that developmentally appropriate lessons and conversations about racial literacy are embedded into the curriculum at every grade level

• Funding for community learning nights at the elementary, intermediate, and high school levels to engage parents in these important conversations in partnership with our schools

• Funding for diverse and culturally responsive texts for all K-5 classrooms as part of their racial literacy work

• Learn more about this effort here

HUMANITIES

• Editing suite for the Blue Devil News (WHS)

• Nook readers for cognitively impaired students (WHS)

• Newsela Pro service to support digital annotation of differentiated informational texts (Edison)

• Team to compete in the annual High School Fed Challenge (WHS)

• Listening center materials to support literacy (Wilson)

• Chromebook class sets for project based learning in social studies (Edison, Roosevelt, WHS)

  
  

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

• Renovations to the design and engineering classrooms (Edison and Roosevelt)

• TV Studio upgrades including new iMac computers and video production equipment (WHS)

• Upgrade and expansion of the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface Lab) (WHS)

• Band room acoustical treatment (WHS)

ARTS

• Contributing to the restoration of a 100 year old Steinway piano (WHS)

• Supplies for an artist study project (Jefferson)

• Hot wire styrofoam cutter to explore sculpture (Roosevelt)

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

• Grief education training for educators and parents

• Provide stress reducing experiences such as yoga and meditation (WHS)

• Wiggle stools to enhance student focus (Tamaques)

• Project Adventure curriculum materials to support social-emotional learning (Washington)

• Outdoor classroom (Roosevelt)

Have a grant suggestion for innovative learning? Share your ideas!