Tolland Education Foundation Gives Out $24,000-Plus In 2021

TOLLAND, CT — The Tolland Education Foundation Thursday announced that it has granted a total of $24,625 to teachers, paraprofessionals, staff members and club advisers in the Tolland Public Schools for 2021.

Tje TEF also announced it has surpassed the $350,000 mark for donations since its inception in 2004.

"Through the generosity of Tolland residents and businesses, TEF has been able to help inspire innovation and creativity to enrich academics and build life skills for our youngest to our oldest students of all abilities in town," TEF President Linda Byam said. "Donations have enabled us to be a consistent resource for our educators and to show up for them in meaningful ways, even at times when world events have prohibited many of us from showing up physically."

TEF is a non-profit organization managed by an all-volunteer board of directors and funded exclusively by donations. During the coronavirus pandemic, TEF pivoted its traditional approaches to grant giving by expanding its menu of grant opportunities by bringing back its TEF ROCKS and mini grant offerings, and by adding Teacher Appreciation Week, Favorite Teacher and Deserving Educator campaigns.

In 2021, 55 mini TEF grants were awarded across all public schools in Tolland, reaching students from the town's youngest to its oldest and of all abilities in preschool through grade 12 and beyond to the Tolland Transition Academy.

Ten TEF ROCKS were hidden around town, found and presented to TPS educators by their students to turn in for TEF grants. Ten educators were awarded grants as part of a random drawing of favorite teacher and deserving educator nominations submitted by current and former students and family members. And three Birch Grove Primary School teachers received grants to help fund a STEAM exploration area, LEGO science starter packs, and the start of a community garden.

This month, two traditional TEF grants were awarded to two Tolland Middle School classrooms to fund a hands-on historical artifacts library as well as a sampling of standing desks to experiment with non-traditional seating/learning experiences for students.