MILLBURN EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANTS

We have provided more than $3 million in grants to our district schools over 25 years.

The events of the past year have caused us to rethink what we do and how we do it. While OUR MISSION TO ENGAGE AND EMPOWER MILLBURN STUDENTS BY ENHANCING THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION REMAINS UNCHANGED, we have had to pivot and think outside the box in order to find new ways to use our skills and resources to help our community.

RECENT GRANTS

Fall 2020 – Winter 2021 Virtual Seats Grant

As the district rolled out the hybrid schedule for students, MEF quickly moved to upgrade classrooms with a Virtual Seat so that both in-person and remote students experience as normal a classroom environment as possible.

The Virtual Seat set up consists of a TV on a rolling mount and a wide-angle webcam with a microphone. The Virtual Seat allows the teacher and the students in the classroom to see and hear the students at home and students at home can see and hear their peers in the classroom. This enables the instructor to teach more normally to everyone rather than having to focus solely on their laptop.

At a price of just $450 per classroom, MEF has upgraded 84 classrooms at MHS, 54 classrooms at MMS and 111 requests from the elementary schools (83 full Virtual Seats and 28 webcam-only). Thanks to generous contributions from our community, MEF has committed more than $90,000 to ensuring our children have a valuable learning experience.

Fall 2020 Distance Learning Grants

MEF is working to provide the District, our educators, schools, and especially our children with the guidance, tools and resources needed to provide students with the best possible education in the current environment. This support includes:

• Professional development and resources from best-in-class providers for educators to optimize remote/hybrid learning.

• Guidance and tools to foster humanity and relationships in online/hybrid classrooms.

• Online resources for students to facilitate their learning potential.

• Learning kits for students in Grades K-2 with manipulatives and other tools to enhance their ability to learn at home.

• Physical tools such as document cameras and microphones to ensure teachers are able to provide an optimal learning environment for their students.

Fall 2020 Equity in Community Grant

MEF is providing funding for an Equity Initiative to help the District develop a pragmatic framework of dignity and belonging that will guide successful equity implementation and support anti-bias and anti-racist growth in our community.

Spring 2020 Emergency Distance Learning Grants

Faced with an unprecedented education challenge, the teachers and staff of Millburn were able to turn to MEF for help. MEF sourced and rapidly supplied the tools and technologies our educators most urgently needed. In just a few weeks, we funded over $13,000 in Emergency Grants to improve your children’s remote learning.

Spring 2020 PPE Production Emergency Grant

The MEF worked to address the critical needs of our Millburn first responders and local hospitals by partnering with the Millburn School District to produce and donate much needed protective FACE SHIELDS. Using raw materials, a laser cutter and 3D printers gifted by the MEF, this effort was spearheaded by some of our amazing Millburn faculty (David Farrell, Hilton Seibert, Suzie Michael and Rich Serra), a MHS senior (Dave Shustin) and a Millburn grad (Andrew Chen).