Applications for the Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools’ second round of grants for the 2026-27 school year are due today, Oct. 14, with $50,000 available to fund projects that enhance learning experiences for students across the district.

By Mia Jaworski

The Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools. Courtesy image

The foundation funded 27 projects with approximately $46,000 in its first grant cycle, supporting initiatives ranging from science experiments and literacy programs to cultural activities, creative arts and hands-on learning experiences.

It plans to award another $50,000 in its second grant cycle.

Founded in 1997, the nonprofit raises money to support innovative classroom projects that promote academic excellence and give students educational opportunities that school budgets might not otherwise allow.

Since its founding, the foundation has awarded more than $2.1 million in grants to hundreds of classrooms across all 16 West Hartford Public Schools.

Twice a year, the foundation invites certified district teachers to apply for grants to fund innovative classroom programs. Reviewers assess each application’s educational merit, creativity, innovation, alignment with the curriculum and potential to improve student learning.

The foundation uses a blind review process: Reviewers do not know which teachers or schools submitted the applications. This approach allows them to judge each proposal on its merits, regardless of who submitted it or where the project would take place.

The second grant cycle follows the foundation’s first round of awards for the 2026-27 school year.

Those grants fund projects such as digital sensors at the district’s middle schools, where students use the technology to measure the gases involved in photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Another project brings a Greek mythology artist-in-residence to Morley and Whiting Lane schools, where fourth-graders explore heroes, gods, goddesses and monsters through poetry, masks and mime.

Other Cycle 1 grants fund music and cultural programming at Aiken Elementary School, sensory bins for special area teachers, author visits and writing workshops at the high schools, an American Sign Language lab at Hall High School, soapmaking at Sedgwick Middle School and a student innovation project using Cricut technology.

The foundation also supports literacy instruction, animal visits, nature immersion, historical field trips, Chinese cultural activities and inclusive theater experiences.

A Webster Hill School prekindergarten student pets a snake during a Westmoor Park visit funded by a Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools grant. Courtesy photo

At Webster Hill School, a grant funds visits from Westmoor Park that bring live animals, including snakes, into the school’s three prekindergarten classrooms throughout the year. The program gives students hands-on opportunities to explore nature while developing language, social-emotional and scientific inquiry skills.

A full list of the 2026-27 Cycle 1 grants is available at fwhps.org/grantsawarded. Teachers can find application instructions for the second grant cycle at fwhps.org/page/grant-instructions.

“We are excited to support this new batch of grant ideas that will bring unique and often hands-on experiences to help everyday lessons come to life throughout the school year in West Hartford schools,” said Foundation President Jillian Feldman.

The foundation will also host two annual community events this school year. Its third annual free movie night will feature “Toy Story 5” from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 13 at Morley School, with pizza served at 5:30 p.m. The event is available to those who register.

The Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools Free Movie Night poster. Courtesy image

The Hearts and Smarts Trivia Challenge fundraiser will return to West Hartford Town Hall on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027.

The events help bring the community together in support of the foundation’s work. Additional details about the events are available through the foundation’s website.

The Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donor support to fund grants and educational opportunities for district students. Donations can be made on the foundation’s donation page.

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