Public schools across the nation are facing escalating challenges to providing outstanding education. Whilst balancing funds and taxpayers’ concerns, CEEF finds its role to support the Cape Elizabeth school district and the teachers ever more important. This was never clearer than in this fall’s cycle of grant applications. We had 21 grants asking for a total of over $92,000. Tough decisions had to be made and as always, the teachers and administrators who applied for these grants continued to impress us with their efforts to aim high and achieve new goals. As rapidly as our world is changing, education needs to be able to change and adapt with it. It was with this in mind that CEEF showed a strong commitment to support the School Board’s aim to bring Cape schools’ technology in line with other high-performing schools.
Our children are swiftly moving beyond us in their use of technology. In these times, purchase orders are frozen but we can still aim high and reach new heights in technology through CEEF-grant funding of initiatives like the 6th-Grade podcasting, Technology in the Elementary Classroom and Science for the 21st Century.
Numerous teachers remarked on the unique ability of CEEF to get funding initiatives into the classrooms quickly. Often ideas and opportunities do not always happen a year in advance, with the added challenge of having to ask for it to be incorporated into the shrinking school budget. Through CEEF, grant ideas are presented and, if agreed upon, can be seen in the classrooms within weeks. This very flexibility is something that cannot be underestimated in helping our schools continue to move forward.
Since CEEF’s inception in 2001, with the generous support of our community we have been able to award a total of $728,442.61 in grants.
Thank you for your support. As you imagine the future of our schools please think of supporting CEEF so that we can continue to help our schools achieve their vision for the future.
Claire Depke
Chair, CEEF Grants Committee
Please click here to read about each grant awarded in the fall of 2009.