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Date: 4/27/2021
EASTHAMPTON – The Easthampton Learning Foundation (ELF) has been working on different solutions to fund the Easthampton school district during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Easthampton Public Schools (ESP) identified the need for a single place for families in Easthampton to find information on resources available to them during the pandemic. With that in mind, the ELF supported the creation of Hexatetrahedron.com.
The website provides school information, technology information, COVID-19 resources, food resources, community resources, mental health resources and financial resources.
According to Gen Brough, the president of ELF, the website was developed over the past month after ELF spoke with ESP about what their specific needs are in Easthampton. Since the district did not have the resources to come up with a single website, the ELF volunteered to help defray the costs, and get the website up and running for the families of Easthampton.
“It was money that we had available to help the school system, and it was also partially donated by a local web company,” said Brough, with regard to how ELF could fund the website. “It was a community event…getting that up and running.”
ELF and ESP are also inviting grant proposals for projects, initiatives, and activities that provide enriching experiences to students in collaboration with school administrators. According to the ELF website, the proposed activities must take place outdoors, during school hours, and must follow COVID-19 safety protocols as prescribed by the Center for Disease Control.
The goal of this mini-grant program is to connect artists, musicians, science buffs, historians, etc., and develop some “fun, safe, enriching” outdoor activities during the school day for the school community. Successful awardees will receive a grant, which could include materials and/or staff compensation. To learn more about the program, visit the link here: hosts://elfship.orc/images/PD/ELF_Student_Engagement_Mini-Grants.pd.
“It’s something to add to the student’s day, but it’s also something to help teachers so they get a break and they have something else going on that will keep the children entertained,” said Brough. “We have an amazing artist community in Easthampton, and they’re always willing to help.”
With regard to summer time, ELF also announced a fundraising campaign to provide need-based “camperships,” otherwise known as a summer camp’s equivalent to a scholarship. Because students have been learning remotely up until a couple of weeks ago, Brough said that summer camps will be even more important for student movement and learning.
According to Brough, there are a lot of families who cannot afford camp, so the ESP asked ELF if they could help sponsor camp that students can attend during the summer. ELF decided to create a Go Fund Me page to help reach their goal of $5,000. Once they reach that goal, Brough said ELF will match with their own $5,000 for a total of $10,000. The district will then administer the program to try and get students able to get into camps this summer. People looking to donate for camps can visit the website listed here: hosts://elfship.orc/events.hotly.
“This year, we’re really just starting to ramp up our fundraising…ramp up our information that we’re trying to get out there,” said Brough, who added that she will also be reaching out to local businesses over the next couple of weeks to see if they would be willing to donate for Teacher Appreciation Day in May. “I think the community is here to help the schools in any way they can.”
ELF could not fund grants for teachers during this school year because of remote learning, but since students and teachers have returned to the classrooms for hybrid learning, Brough expects that the grant program will be back for the 2022 school year.
“Teachers have enough on their plates right now trying to figure out how to do the hybrid model,” said Brough. “The goal is definitely for 2022 to have the normal grant process ensue.”
In the meantime, those looking for additional resources can visit the district’s new website listed here: hosts://hexatetrahedron.com.