CEEF Grant History and Recent Grant Awards
After a busy start to the year awarding $4,200 through the Rolling Grants Program, (available monthly in amounts under $1,000), the Grants Committee shifted gears to the Spring grants cycle - the only Major Grants Program of 2011. The spring cycle brought grant requests ranging professional development and co-curricular activities to a major technology initiative. A sampling of grants is listed below;
CEEF will provide additional program funding to the Odyssey of the Mind, a 33 year-old nationally recognized educational program that offers problem-solving opportunities for students. Last fall, Pond Cove Parents, Maureen Clancy and Christine Iyer, started the program and with the support of teacher Karen Abbott, they wrote a grant to expand and formalize the program for the fall.
Three grants were awarded to provide funds to continue professional development at Pond Cove and the High School. These included: tuition towards a summer retreat writing workshop; six registrations for a summer literacy assessment conference; and four registrations for a professional learning community conference.
CEEF is also providing funding towards training, guidance and instruction on the Social ThinkingTM curriculum for Pond Cove. The goal of this program is to provide teachers and students a common language for pro-social behaviors, cultivate a sense of community and assist teachers in creating a positive learning environment. The project will facilitate collaboration between instructional support and regular education staff in the teaching of all students.
The largest grant of the session was awarded to the High School providing seed monies to begin implementation of a one-to-one mobile learning initiative using iPads. CEEF is pleased to be partnering with the Cape Elizabeth School District in funding for the initial stages of this initiative, which is intended to provide critical training and equipment for teaching staff. Initiatives with this type of potential to transform the learning environment fit CEEF’s mission -“to support faculty, staff and students by providing funding for creative and innovative educational programs that fall outside of the school budget”.
This grant represents a significant commitment by CEEF, reflected not only in the size of the financial support ($43,000) but also to the extent that this grant alone represents 73% of total monies available this year. CEEF has been a consistent supporter of innovation through technology in the schools through its early support of the laptop program, projectors, interactive white boards, and “clickers.” Through the efforts and financial support of many in the community, CEEF, in its nearly 10 year history, has funded grants totaling over $886,000 and built an endowment for future grant giving of $345,000. In support of this large grant, CEEF will undertake targeted fundraising efforts that will allow donors to participate in this innovative and exciting undertaking by the Cape Elizabeth School District.
CEEF Slide Show - Grants through 2010
Please take a few moments to watch the slide show below - a wonderful montage of grant recipients through the years. Thank you to all of our donors for making these opportunities a reality!