$42K In Grants To Fund New Morris School District Programs

MORRISTOWN/TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Morris Educational Foundation has awarded three new grants totaling $42,050 for programs serving students in the Morris School District, according to a June 10 announcement from the organization.

The grants were approved at the Monday Morris School District Board of Education meeting and bring the foundation’s grant funding for district students this school year to more than $189,000.

The Morristown-based foundation said it funds staff-requested programs, resources, and experiences that are not covered by the district’s operating budget or local tax dollars. The latest grants will support kindergarten classroom learning, cultural arts programming across all 10 district schools, and a peer leadership initiative for students moving into middle school.

One grant will support “Bringing Learning to Life: Dramatic Play for Kindergarten Knowledge Units,” a program piloted at Woodland School. According to the announcement, the materials will help kindergarten students strengthen oral language, vocabulary development and social-emotional skills through developmentally appropriate dramatic play experiences.

A second grant will provide funding for cultural arts programs in all 10 district schools. The foundation said the money will help schools continue performances and initiatives intended to spark curiosity, fuel creativity and support student learning.

The third grant will support the FMS Falcon Flight Crew Peer Leader Program. According to the foundation, the funding will allow eighth-grade peer leaders to attend training at YMCA Camp Bernie to help incoming sixth graders feel welcomed, build positive connections and develop life skills during their transition to middle school.

“Even in these final weeks of the school year, we're focused on what's next for our students," said Ann Rhines, MEF Grants Chair and former Morris School District teacher and Board of Education member. "Initiatives like these help students discover new interests, build confidence, strengthen relationships, and deepen their engagement with learning. Thanks to our community's generosity, the MEF is able to support opportunities that might not otherwise be possible and that positively impact all 5,700 students.”

The foundation said its classroom grants this year have also supported STEM experiences, arts residencies, cultural enrichment performances, wellness initiatives and other projects across the district. The organization is inviting community members, alumni, families, and local businesses to donate.

The Morris Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporation that supports more than 5,700 students in all 10 schools in the Morris School District, according to the announcement.