The Community Foundation has awarded $25,459 to support local schools through its Haven Make a Difference Fund, Governors Row Fund and Trust for Public Education Fund. These funds were established by local developers with the commitment to support local teachers and students in the City of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County each year.
Grants are especially important in K-12 education because they directly support efforts in literacy, STEM, technology, curriculum, materials or staffing. The Community Foundation’s Haven Make a Difference Fund, Governors Row Fund and Trust for Public Education Fund funded the following programs this year:
Berkeley Elementary School, $1,000 for professional development for a long-time teacher to become a Reading Specialist.
John J. Wright Educational and Cultural Center, $1,283 to be used by students and teachers for resources about socio-emotional learning.
Lee Hill Elementary School, $2,000 for materials that highlight people of different races, backgrounds and physical abilities in order for students to develop a stronger sense of community in which everyone belongs and for students to see themselves represented in the materials around the school.
Spotswood Elementary School, $1,249 for the Spotswood StoryWalk, an installation of permanent frames containing deconstructed books along an outdoor path to promote and encourage literacy, character development, social emotional learning, and family engagement.
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, $2,000 for staff wellness.
James Monroe High School, $7,062 for a cohort of English learners, students with ACES, and non-traditional learners to make quarterly trips to a field trip experience in the Fredericksburg area. Areas of study will focus on history and culture with special emphasis on environmental/nature studies.
James Monroe High School, $2,070 to obtain water quality monitoring equipment and training needed to implement project-based learning that will actively engage students, enabling them to build knowledge and understanding through hands-on investigation of local watershed and water quality issues.
Lafayette Upper Elementary School, $2,600 to purchase a classroom set of 25 ukuleles and the needed accessories for storage, adapters for students with disabilities, and replacement strings.
Lafayette Upper Elementary School, $1,210 for a gardening program in partnership with Downtown Green Fredericksburg’s Community Green Space to learn from their experienced Garden Education Instructor and experience the established youth gardening curriculum they have developed.
Lafayette Upper Elementary School, $1,575 to purchase licensed handwriting instruction for kindergarten teachers.
Lafayette Upper Elementary School, $210 for instructional materials for English as a Second Language students.
Walker-Grant Middle School, $3,200 to update the library and add a Makerspace for students.