Grants

Each year, AEF raises money from the Amherst community to support strategic initiatives in our schools.
The applications period for the 2027-2028 school year will open in December 2026.
Email amherstedfound@gmail.com if you have any questions.

2026-2027 Excellence Grant Awards

In its 32nd year, the Amherst Education Foundation (AEF) is thrilled to announce a total of $27,648 in grants have been awarded in support of programs spread throughout the Amherst-Pelham School District. Please see below for details on our funding of the following projects: Look Up: The Bell To Bell Solution at Summit Academy, AIMS and Building Blocks Makeover, ARHS Table Tennis Club, Decodable Comic Books, and Personal Fitness--Cardiovascular Infusion

Look Up: The Bell to Bell Solution at Summit Academy
Lead Grantee: Jess Nardizzi and Diane Chamberlain
Grant Amount: $4,094
School: Summit Academy
Description: This program will support Summit Academy in creating a secure, device-free environment for the duration of each school day. The funding will be used to train teachers in implementing the no-device policy, to purchase materials to properly secure phones, and to acquire devices for listening to music as a tool for self-regulation. Citing current research about similar policies, the grant’s collaborators hope that this project will increase student engagement with curriculum, have positive mental health outcomes, and result in overall better academic gains.

AIMS and Building Blocks Makeover
Lead Grantee: Shyanne Jackson
Grant Amount: $8,994
School: Amethyst Brook
Description: In preparation for the Fall 2026 opening of Amethyst Brook Elementary School, Special Education Teacher Shyanne Jackson will purchase evidence-based instructional materials, social-emotional learning resources, executive functioning supports, flexible seating, and self-regulation tools to outfit three specialized education classrooms: AIMS, Building Blocks, and a Transition Classroom. These intentionally designed spaces will foster self-regulation, academic engagement, and social participation for students in these settings. They will also serve as models for future classroom design across the district.

ARHS Table Tennis Club
Lead Grantee: Atticus Robbins
Grant Amount: $4,740
School: High School
Description: Featured in December in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, the ARHS Table Tennis Club has become a popular activity and community-builder at ARHS for students in grades 9-12. Atticus Robbins, the club’s founder and advisor, plans to purchase three new tables and more equipment with AEF funding, enabling more students to participate. The funding will also support a stipend for club leadership and training from professional coaches. Atticus is excited for more students to share in the health benefits of ping pong. Besides developing eye-hand coordination, balance, and the ability to strategize, playing ping pong is also a great stress reliever. With AEF funding, more students will be able to take advantage of these health benefits while having a great time.

Decodable Comic Books
Lead Grantee: Peter Nolan
Grant Amount: $750
School: Wildwood Elementary
Description: Wildwood teacher Peter Nolan will print a series of decodable comic books that he has developed for English learners and students with special needs in the early elementary grades. The engaging comics challenge students while providing practice with vowel combinations, digraphs and trigraphs, sight words, and academic vocabulary. By pairing visuals with new vocabulary, the comics remove barriers and make reading more accessible and exciting for a variety of learners.

Personal Fitness-Cardiovascular Infusion
Lead Grantee: Jordan McCarthy
Grant Amount: $9,070
School: High School
Description: This grant provides access to cardiovascular fitness equipment for ARHS’s Foundations of Personal Fitness and Strength and Conditioning courses. Physical education Teacher Jordan McCarthy will purchase 18 cardio exercise machines, including treadmills, rowing machines, stationary bikes, and ellipticals. The new equipment provides the opportunity to introduce students to new fitness concepts and skills (e.g. heart-rate monitoring, intensity zones, endurance training) and allows teachers to offer a range of fitness options to meet a variety of student needs.