Shrewsbury Education Foundation President, Melissa Hollenback

Melissa Hollenback, President of the Shrewsbury Education Foundation, is always looking for new and innovative ways to help support those employed by the Shrewsbury School System.

It is her mission to help provide grants to classrooms for enrichment as well as basic necessities that are needed.

SEF was started in 1992 after a failed override. It was created in order to fund the schools primarily with enrichment programs by providing grants to the classrooms.

“The process works by having the teachers submit grants on a yearly basis. There is a grant application with a list of criteria that we are looking for. The teachers apply in November and get the money in December. This way, they are able to apply it to that particular year. This cycle seems to be working really well because they are able to see the immediate turn around,” Hollenback said.

These grants can range from enrichment, like digital cameras to basic necessities like books that are part of a curriculum. There has been a more recent trend to request MP3 players and books on discs that can help enhance reading experiences for the younger students and those where English may not be a primary language spoken at home.

“One of our biggest requests is still technology. Digital cameras play a huge role in classrooms, especially in the sciences. It allows the student to photograph the seasons and chronicle specific changes. Because students are also very presentation orientated, media document readers, (similar to an overhead projector) are also requested,” Hollenback said.

With each teacher’s special interest, come different requests for enrichment. For example, a teacher at the Floral Street Elementary School had a passion for the nature trail behind the school. She enjoyed bringing nature into her classroom along with environmental issues. She applied for, and received, a grant for “verneer probes.”

 “This allowed her students to test the soil and take measurements and temperature in a simpler way. This is becoming a gold standard for science classrooms. This is one example of enrichment” Hollenback said.

The money for the grants comes from donations and fundraisers. There are typically eight to 12 grants awarded each year. “In Your Honor” is a way for parents to donate to SEF in honor of a teacher, school aid or someone in the school system who has done a lot for their child. After a donation is made, SEF sends a letter saying that the money has been donated in their name. There has been a St. Patrick’s Day Dance and the Spelling Bee, which has been popular.

“I really wanted to bring in a lot of community involvement. The 2^nd Adult Spelling Bee was held earlier this month in Shrewsbury.  We had more than 15 teams. There were raffles, silent auctions and a cash bar, which will lend itself to be more of a grownup night out,” Hollenback said.

One of the new fundraisers that Hollenback added is the “Ladies Night Out” which was held in March.  This event was very successful and also was a way to give back to the local businesses.

“In January, a big event called the grant awards dinner was held. This was a great honor to those receiving grants as well as the John Collins Award for Excellence, received by teacher, Colleen Kalagher,” Hollenback said.

Hollenback continues to look for volunteers and seek grants out there from corporations. She is committed to the town and is a strong advocate for the organization.

“When I go into a classroom or a school and I see something that SEF funded that students might not have been able to have, I get a feeling of gratification,” Hollenback said.

For more information about the Shrewsbury Education Foundation, visit their website or email info@shrewsbury-edfoundation.org.