CFEE Trivia Night Fundraiser: A Success for Cranford Schools

At its second annual Trivia Night on February 25, the Cranford Fund for Educational Excellence (CFEE) raised more than $20,000 to support innovative approaches to learning in the Cranford public schools.

The CFEE awards grants to teachers who want to bring advanced resources into their classrooms to inspire and engage students in new ways. Last year, the organization awarded more than $16,000 in grants directly to teachers for 8 initiatives that benefit children at all levels—from kindergarten through high school—across a range of subjects, from the sciences to literacy to music and art.

The event was held at the Cranford Community Center. Approximately 30 teams of roughly 10 people apiece competed to answer questions about sports, history, science, social studies, and other topics. The 2017 Champions are the Cranford Newcomers Club #1, captained by Abbie and Chris Signore. The 2017 Team Spirit Award went to Nibbles and Bytes, captained by Jennifer & Robert Wukovits.

Speakers included one of this year’s grant recipients, Colleen McDonald, Music Teacher at Bloomingdale Avenue School and Livingston Avenue School. Colleen was awarded a CFEE grant for fourth- and fifth-graders to learn instrumental performance on the ukulele, a user-friendly instrument that’s well suited to developing a love of music making. Ms. McDonald shared video clips of the students sharing their love for the course and demonstrating their newfound skills. Ms. McDonald discussed the long-term impact of the CFEE grant saying, “If it inspires a few students here and there to get their own ukulele and practice it on their own, that is really exciting to me. I feel very lucky to have these instruments, and we’re very grateful to CFEE.”

Applications for the 2018 CFEE grants are due on March 15, 2017. To view photos from the event, apply for a grant, and learn about the Cranford Fund for Educational Excellence and the impact of its grants, visit www.cranfordfund.org.