Madison Schools Awarded $120,000 in Educational Enrichment Grants

The combined efforts of district teachers and the Madison Education Foundation (MEF) have ensured that students will benefit from $120,000 in teacher-initiated grants. The MEF completed its third grant cycle in June by approving 40 new grants totaling more than $73,000.

“Our dedicated team of educators continues to rely on MEF to provide support for a host of enriching opportunities and innovative teaching tools for Madison’s students,” MEF President, Mary Schaenen said.

Elementary Schools

Madison elementary school teachers have been awarded a variety of grants over the past school year, including document cameras, art class enrichment supplies, therapy balls to enhance the classroom experience and fiction and non-fiction books to augment the reading program for young students.

Elementary Reading Specialists and Special Education teachers were awarded iPads for use in their classrooms. Through several pilots funded by MEF, the Foundation and educators have discovered that iPads are most effective when used in small-group settings where the applications are correlated with specific curriculum objectives. In addition, outside research points to the benefits of iPad use with special needs students.

“One of the benefits of MEF’s pilot programs is being able to fine-tune the usefulness of classroom-enriching resources. Through small-scale trials, the Foundation works with teachers and school district personnel to select the most effective tools for our students,” adds Schaenen.

Digital Microscopes and Memoir Writing at Madison Junior School (MJS)

Seventh grade students at MJS will benefit from the addition of 12 digital microscopes and 12 tablets to enhance their scientific exploration. After piloting two types of digital microscopes, the teachers found that the Dino-Lite Digital hand-held microscope was extremely user-friendly. Students will use the microscopes and the corresponding technology on the tablets to capture, explore and manipulate images, leading to more thoughtful observations and enhanced learning opportunities.

MEF grants present an opportunity for teachers to include enriching components in their curriculum on an annual basis, such as the 7th grade Memoir Writing experience. This creative writing residency is led by a published author and allows students to write about the moments and experiences that make up their lives. Students create a near-final memoir piece to fulfill their class requirement for memoir writing and can choose to have their memoirs published in the workshop’s anthology. Students are further encouraged to submit their writing for publication in various online and print journals.

“The Memoir Writing grant has proven to be a meaningful experience for MJS 7th graders. It is a prime example of the enriching aspect of MEF grants, as it provides a real-world writing experience with a published author for all students,” says Schaenen.

Other grants awarded at MJS include curriculum-enhancing trips to the Papermill Playhouse and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a new kiln for clay sculpting in art, non-fiction books for English and World Language classrooms, FM classroom amplification systems, Chromebooks and many more.

“The impact of MEF grants on our students cannot be overemphasized,” says MJS Principal Nicole Sherrin. “The Foundation is a resource our teachers can tap each year for tools that will help them communicate their lessons in a more meaningful and innovative way. Our school has been awarded almost $145,000 in these grants since the Foundation expanded district wide in 2010,” adds Sherrin.

3D Scanner and Music Technology at Madison High School (MHS)

As technology continues to evolve, MEF grants assist in bringing tech-based enhancements into MHS classrooms. One example of this is a grant awarded to purchase a 3D Laser Scanner for use in Technology and Media classes. The scanner will supplement a 3D printer that is being purchased by the school district and will expose MHS students to the complete 3D engineering design process. Instead of spending countless hours building and designing models of objects, students will be able to use the 3D scanner to quickly capture precise images. This allows for more constructive use of time and places a greater emphasis on manipulation and engineering, which are the more advanced, real-world skillsets.

Another grant at MHS for the Living Elements project has the potential to impact all five Madison schools. This grant will enable the Biology and Environmental Science programs to incorporate adopted reptiles and fish from NJ Reptile Rescue into their curriculums. The reptile and fish tanks will be housed in four different classrooms focused on various science disciplines so that every science student at MHS will be exposed to their presence and care. In addition, students at MJS and all three elementary schools can potentially benefit from the program through presentations integrated into their own curriculums.

Additional grants awarded at MHS include an author visit and writing workshop, music technology resources, document cameras, and robotics club resources.

For a complete listing of MEF grants awarded for the 2013 – 2014 year, please check http://mefnj.org/content/grants.

TV & Video Production Studio

As part of the Spring Grant Cycle, MEF received an application for a TV and Video Production Studio at MHS. The MEF Board of Trustees needed to conduct more due diligence before considering this for approval and after additional meetings and review, the Trustees approved this grant at its August 25th meeting. This transformative grant will allow students to learn on professional grade equipment in upgraded space and can bring modern and exciting curricular and co-curricular opportunities to the high school.

Community Support

“Our ability to fulfill grant requests from District teachers is only possible due to the generosity of the community,” adds Schaenen. “From family and business support at our annual MEF Gala in November to the generosity of our Corporate Donors at our annual Madison 5K in May, we are so very thankful for the generous community support that makes our work possible.”

“We are especially grateful for our ongoing partnership with ConnectOne Bank, formerly Union Center National Bank, in the form of a $5,000 annual grant,” adds Schaenen. “The ConnectOne Bank Enrichment Grant helps further MEF’s mission to award classroom-enriching grants across Madison District schools.”

Save the Date: MEF Adult Gala

Please save the date for The MEF Gala scheduled for Friday, November 14th from 7:30 - 10:00pm at The Madison Hotel. Event tickets will be mailed district-wide the first week of October and are priced at $85, which includes all food and beverages. Tickets will also be available online.

Madison Education Foundation

The Madison Education Foundation (MEF) awards grants to K-12 teachers for initiatives that energize the creative and academic lives of students but are above and beyond the school budget. Since its inception in 2003, MEF has awarded more than $835,000 in grants. MEF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations can be mailed to PO Box 1093 Madison NJ 07940 or submitted online. Visit www.mefnj.org or e-mail info@mefnj.org for more information.