2015-2016 Excellence Grants

AEF is thrilled to announce $29,500 in funding for three grants to support Amherst-area teachers, students, and public schools. The three projects funded for the 2015-2016 school year are:

Amherst Preschool Playground at Crocker Farm Elementary School ($14,950)
This project addresses the need for appropriate playground equipment tailored to preschool children, in a program that serves special education and regular education students from across the Amherst public schools. The funding will enable purchase of multi-purpose “Outlast Blocks,” wheelbarrows, and storage sheds to support imaginative play and physical exercise for our youngest students.

iPads for the Recording Classroom at Amherst Regional Middle School ($8,550)
This project will purchase 21 iPads with music education software to support three new music courses: Intro to Music, Songwriting and Composition, and Drumming. AEF is delighted to provide 21st-century music technology that will expand students’ access to music education, composition, and performance.

Greenhouse Construction at South East High School Campus ($7,500)
This project will support construction of a greenhouse at the alternative high school of the Amherst Regional Public Schools, for hands-on education in sustainability. Teachers and students at the South East Campus will practice sustainable gardening and food production, and will connect their efforts to a variety of other sustainability work at other schools across the school district.

“These grants build on previous funding of robotics equipment, immigrant family outreach, science books, summer school programs, digital photography equipment, and much more, to help make our kids' education more engaging, enriching, and fun.”
AEF Allocations Committee chair Andy Churchill

“This coming year our public schools will be dealing with significant budget cuts. At AEF we recognize this challenge as an opportunity to recommit ourselves to our founding aim of promoting equity in our schools. All of these projects promote equitable access to excellent education for our students, regardless of their economic environment.” AEF Co-president Amy Brodigan