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Date: 9/21/2022
BELCHERTOWN – With the new school year underway, the Belchertown Education Foundation was able to bring some exciting news to the Belchertown schools and students.
Every year the nonprofit foundation awards schools with grants based on available funds from community donations and fundraisers from local businesses through the Student Success Grants Program. This year the foundation was able to award four grants totaling over $10,000. The four grants will help fund an outdoor classroom at Chestnut Hill Community School, kinesthetic seating at Belchertown High School, alternate seating for the SAILS program at Swift River Elementary school, and biotech equipment at Belchertown High School. Belchertown Superintendent Brian Cameron invited the Education Foundation to share the mission and impact of past grants as well as announce the new grants, at the convocation of teachers and staff in August.
The mission and purpose of the Student Success Grants Program is to help schools with fiscal restraints they may be facing and “support Belchertown public schools in providing an enriching educational experience that supports the academic, artistic, and athletic pursuits of Belchertown’s students as they develop into well-educated and well-rounded young adults.” The foundation has been in existence for five years now and have been able to award over $70,000 worth of grants to schools. The foundations make sure that all the funds raised stay local by only supporting projects in Belchertown Schools.
Belchertown Education Foundation President Heather St. Germaine said she is appreciative of the donations from the community. “Through the generosity of local individuals and businesses who have donated to the Education Foundation, we are fortunate to support innovative projects in Belchertown schools that would otherwise go unfunded,” she said. “This year’s grants will bring exciting experiences to students and help them stay focused on their learning. We congratulate the teachers who invested their time and energy into the grant application process and who received funding this year.”
At Chestnut Hill Community School, the grant will be used to transform a concrete slab behind the library into an outdoor learning classroom, with seven benches that convert to tables, a retractable crank awning and a mobile whiteboard. Studies have shown benefits to students’ mental and physical health when learning outside, and outdoor learning can improve behavior and academic motivation.
Belchertown High School will be able to provide kinesthetic seating such as a treadmill desk, pedal desk, exercise ball and more, intended to support neurodiverse students who require frequent movement breaks throughout the school day. According to the Belchertown Education Foundation, research indicates these seating options help students to increase focus and attention on learning. The goal is that fewer breaks from learning will be taken as students can move while they are learning.
The grant will be used for a similar project at Swift Elementary school as it will be used to support six adjustable wobble stools and six bean bag chairs to maximize the students of the SAILS program. The purpose of this grant project is to improve the physical space and resources of the SAILS Program to support students’ social, emotional, and learning needs.
Another grant at Belchertown High School will fund the purchase of state-of-the-art gel electrophoresis equipment to provide more students with hands-on STEM experiences in the field of biotechnology. This equipment purchase will provide AP Biology students opportunities to use the equipment and to present demonstrations to younger peers. Hands-on scientific experiences such as these encourage students to consider careers in a variety of STEM fields which is important since Massachusetts has more demand for STEM jobs than almost every other state.
The Belchertown Education Foundation shared that donations are needed to continue its innovative work and may be made at any time at BelchertownEducationFoundation.org. Those interested in corporate sponsorship, or in dedicating time and talents on a committee or the Board of Directors, may email info@belchertowneducationfoundation.org.