Local Elementary School to Share $100,000 Grant from Catholic Schools Foundation

WALPOLE – Blessed Sacrament School announced today that it will share in a $100,000 grant provided by the Catholic Schools Foundation (CSF) designed to help the school plan and launch a new, innovative curriculum to benefit area elementary school children. The funding, which will be shared with Trinity Catholic Academy in Brockton, will allow Blessed Sacrament to enhance the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum with key lessons from religion and the arts.

“Through this grant, our two schools have been given an amazing opportunity to create an innovative and interactive new program,” said Jim Spillman, principal, Blessed Sacrament School. “Throughout our country, there is a big push for improved STEM education in our schools. As Catholic schools dedicated to the education of the whole child, we can take it one step further and look at the STEM subjects in the context of our faith, while also integrating an arts component into this collaborative curriculum.”

The collaborative effort between Blessed Sacrament School and Trinity Catholic Academy received the funding through CSF’s Prize Grant program, which recognizes and funds innovative education and management programs at schools across the Archdiocese of Boston. The two schools were chosen because they are the first area schools to design a STEM curriculum that fully integrates religion and the arts. The new initiative, dubbed STREAM, will promote national Common Core competencies and broaden student access to local scientific and cultural resources.

“Enhancing access to fields like science and engineering, while also providing a strong foundation in faith formation, are essential elements in ensuring our students are equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st Century,” said Mike Reardon, executive director, Catholic Schools Foundation. “Our goal is to provide schools with the resources and encouragement they need to provide innovative education opportunities tailored to the communities they serve.”

About Blessed Sacrament School

Blessed Sacrament School is an accredited and commended Catholic, co-educational, Pre-Kindergarten through grade 8 school in the Archdiocese of Boston. Located in Walpole, Massachusetts, Blessed Sacrament School serves 400 students from over 16 towns.

About Catholic Schools Foundation

The Catholic Schools Foundation changes lives by providing families with demonstrated financial need an opportunity to give their sons and daughters a quality education, focused on Christian values and character formation at Catholic Schools located throughout the Archdiocese of Boston, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender.