Amherst Education Foundation Announces 2021-2022 Excellence Grant Recipients
Photo: Amherst Education Foundation
The Amherst Education Foundation (AEF) announced on Monday (5/18) the recipients of its Excellence Grants for the 2021-22 academic year. Totaling $30,000, AEF’s 2021-2022 Excellence Grants are spread throughout the Amherst-Pelham Elementary Schools, the Amherst Regional High School, and Summit Academy.
The Grants
Garden Learning And Ethnic Studies: Using Outdoor Spaces To Decolonize The Curriculum
Lead Grantee: Jennifer Reese
Grant Amount: $3,795
School: Crocker Farm, Fort River, Wildwood, and Pelham Elementary
Description: The Garden Program and the Ethnic Studies Team will collaborate to create new teaching and learning opportunities in grades K-5, focusing on ways to use outdoor spaces to explore anti-racist curricula and pedagogy.
Playground Picture Communication Board
Lead Grantee: Faye Brady
Grant Amount: $3,200
Schools: Wildwood Elementary
Description: The playground picture communication board will serve as an essential learning device, making Wildwood’s recreational area accessible for all and will be designed to promote socialization between those with different communication abilities. The elementary intensive needs program, the Intensive Learning Center (ILC), is located at Wildwood Elementary. Students in the ILC have complex student profiles, with some having limited to no verbal communication skills and their communication is aided by augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) tools. The picture board will serve as an AAC tool that will enable students to learn to communicate with their teachers, peers, and family members.
Restorative Justice Program
Lead Grantee: Jaime Knox
Grant Amount: $3,505
Schools: Summit Academy
Description: Will fund 3-5 staff at Summit Academy to attend trainings through The Center for Restorative Justice at Suffolk University. These staff members will then form a planning team to create a program (building upon some structures and restorative practices already being used), train additional staff, and then train a cohort of students to act as peer mentors, co-led circles, and when possible, students will work alongside staff in restorative conversations. They will also enlist the support of members of their student government to take part in the planning process.
STEM Virtual Tutoring Centre for Grades 9-12
Lead Grantee: Dr. Miki Gromacki
Grant Amount: $10,500
School: Amherst Regional High School
Description: Will create a STEM Virtual Tutoring Center for ARHS students in grades 9-12 to access math and science tutoring outside of school. There will be a combination of paid tutors as well as community volunteers to support individual and small group tutoring sessions.
Strengthening ARHS Tier 2 Interventions By Funding Academic Achievement Center Americorps Member
Lead Grantee: Alyssa Ranker
Grant Amount: $9,000
Schools: Amherst Regional High School
Description: This project will strengthen available academic interventions for 9th-12th grade students at ARHS by securing an additional full time staff member through the DIAL/SELF AmeriCorps Program for the Academic Achievement Center. The Center serves students in “Tier 2” (not special education but not general education) through tutoring and mentorship. They offer one to one attention to increase students’ connectedness, academic success, and self-efficacy as learners and innovative support for students who might otherwise slip through the gaps.
About Amherst Education Foundation:
The Amherst Education Foundation, Inc. is an independent, non-profit organization committed to promoting students’ educational equity, supporting diversity, stimulating excellence and mobilizing broad community support for the public schools of Amherst, Leverett, Pelham, and Shutesbury. Our supporters include businesses, parents and other concerned citizens who share the belief that strong public schools are essential for a thriving community.