WALTHAM, Mass. –June 16, 2009– The Waltham Education and Beyond Foundation (WEBF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building excellence in education for Waltham public school students, announced today that it will award $22,000 in grant funding to Waltham public school teachers and programs for the 2009-2010 school year. These resources were collected through the 2nd Annual “Educate Your Palate” fundraiser and other donations.
Due to extreme budget cuts to the Waltham public school budget, the foundation fervently wants to ensure that a solid base of funds are readily available to keep programs and curriculum available to the students.Grants will be awarded in September, 2009.
On September 19, 2009, the WEBF will be holding a “Quack for Education” Duck Race along the Charles River in Waltham. Rubber ducks are numbered and sold for $5.00 each before they are dumped into the river while the recipient retains a corresponding numbered ticket. The owner of the duck that crosses the finish line first is the grand prize winner. Monetary awards are given for second and third place ducks, while ducks finishing fourth through tenth place may take home a gift certificate from a local merchant. Funds generated from the duck race will go to the Excellence in Education Grant Program to fund teacher/parent grant proposals. Ducks will be sold through various local merchants and schools, and the goal of this next fundraiser is to raise between $5,000-$10,000.
The “Educate your Palate” evening has transformed into an opportunity to highlight educational programs such as Culinary Arts and Photography. The annual event not only raises substantial funding but enables the culinary arts students at Waltham High school to gain hands-on experience with preparing and serving a catered meal. It also serves as an occasion for the photography department to showcase student work. This fundraiser, held at the Robert Treat Paine Estate in Waltham, benefits the WEBF Excellence in Education Program (EEGP), which is the cornerstone of the Foundation’s efforts to provide meaningful and enriching educational opportunities in the Waltham Public School System.
Included in the $22,000 available funds is a grant from the Sally Elizabeth Peters Enrichment Program.This program was made possible by a personal donation from Dr. & Mrs. Alan Peters in memory of their daughter Sally and includes a $5000 grant per year for the next five years.
“We’re so fortunate to be able to implement programs that both complement and expand the standard curriculum,” said Tom Dusel, president of the Waltham Education and Beyond Foundation, and president and CEO of Hobbs Brook Management. “We are providing our community the opportunity to creatively enhance their own learning potential across the entire Waltham school system. It’s a wonderful feeling to know how much hope and excitement this is generating throughout our schools.”
For the 2008-2009 School year, the WEBF funded the following programs:
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Peer Tutoring Center at Waltham High School to benefit under-achieving students
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New PASCO equipment for physics classes at Waltham High School
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‘Bringing Home the American Revolution’ for 3rd and 5th graders at MacArthur Elementary, expanding curriculum to further teach students about Massachusetts’ role in the American Revolution
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‘Two of Kind’ Songwriting Workshop for 2nd graders at Stanley Elementary, which focuses on science and weather curriculum and will help students improve writing skills
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Elementary Honors Band after school program to help elementary level students improve their music skills.
For more information, please visit www.waltham-ebf.org.
About the Waltham Education and Beyond Foundation
The foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides help to students and teachers of Waltham’s public schools. Formed in July of 2007, the foundation raises money to help develop programs not funded through tax dollars. Largely supported by sponsors, teachers apply directly for grant money to fund their initiatives. The program offers small grants up to $1000 for projects typically benefiting a single classroom, and major grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 to benefit a larger number of students.
About Hobbs Brook Management, LLC
As both owner and operator, Hobbs Brook Management, LLC is committed to providing its tenants and their employees with a reliable and fully functional business environment.For leasing information, please visit www.hobbsbrook.com.
Media Contact:
Susan Shelby, CPSM
Rhino Public Relations
(978) 468-1528
susan@rhinopr.com
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