The Foundation will kick off the 2023-2024 school year with a commitment of $70,000 in grant money.

By Ronni Newton

The Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools has announced a commitment to awarding $70,000 of grants for the current school year – and through the first grant cycle, which ended in May, a total of $36,990 has already been awarded through 23 grants, all of which are used to “support educational projects, programs, and initiatives that enhance and enliven the classroom experience for all West Hartford Public School students.”

The remainder of the funds will be awarded during the fall. The Foundation has switched to awarding grants in two cycles in order to provide teachers with more flexibility in the process, including the implementation of programs early in the school year.

In addition, three grants of $500 each were also awarded by the Foundation to the 2023 Teacher of the Year finalists.

All grade levels – elementary, middle, high school, and post-secondary – were represented in the most recent award cycle, and all 23 of those grants were named for businesses or donors that contributed $1,000 or more to the named grant program, or provided sponsorship at a level of $1,500 or more.

The Foundation noted that grants awarded include:

• Mythology – Up Close and In Person
• Land and Sea, Them and Me
• Education Outreach of Coral Reef Ecosystems
• Biotechnology and the Genome Generation
• Books About Anti-gravity Are Hard to Put Down
• Hip Hop in Motion
• Scribble Feelings: Little Spot Inspires Me To Express Myself

For a complete list of grants, or more information about a particular grant, please visit our website www.fwhps.org.

Foundation Co-Presidents EJ Greenspan and Deena Samberg-Shefsky said in an announcement that they are looking forward to the new school year and are excited about seeing the “Grants in Action” and continue successful fundraising efforts.

“Our public schools thrive with support from our community, Greenspan said. “With assistance from Foundation grants, our West Hartford Public School teachers are able to introduce new and exciting programs to their classrooms that would otherwise not be funded by the school budget. By raising more money the Foundation will be able to award more grants, which we can infuse into the district to ensure that our West Hartford Public School system remains one of the strongest in the state.”

The Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools is a 501(c)(3) organization. Since its founding, the Foundation has provided nearly $2 million in grants to teachers and schools at all levels – from Pre-K through grade 12 as well as post-secondary programs.

To learn more about the Foundation or to make a donation, visit fwhps.org and follow on Instagram @foundation4whps and on X @foundationWHPS.

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