Grants Awarded 2023-2034
Grant Recipients 2023-2024
WE THE PEOPLE GRANT
With this grant, the Foundation matches amounts donated by outside donors in support of East Brunswick High School students’ participation in the National We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Competition. Among these supporters are East Brunswick High School alumni, parents, teachers, local businesses, and community organizations.
East Brunswick High School - We the People National Competition - Marc Mondry
On January 24, 2024, seniors enrolled in the AP United States Government and Politics course competed in the New Jersey We the People Competition where they earned the right to be named State Champions, thus the opportunity to represent New Jersey at the national competition in Washington DC April 13-15, 2024. This is the 36th out of a possible 37 times that the EBHS students have won this honor. Grant funds will match those funds donated by supporters to defray the cost of their trip to DC.
FIRST LADY OF THE FOUNDATION GRANTS
These grants, awarded during the fall of each year for amounts that are more than a mini-grant, recognize Amy Fisher, a co-founder and past honoree of the Foundation. Amy was instrumental in the Foundation’s successful growth.
Bowne – Munro Elementary School - Choose Love - Nancy Kaboski, Karyn Grant, Michelle Marrone, Jennifer Oranchak, and Wendy Tepper
Bowne’s Climate Committee collaborated to identify resources meant to enhance the social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. In doing so they discovered the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, whose mission is to create safer and more caring communities. Components of this program will be purchased with grant funds, including posters, bracelets and pencils, as well as postcards and stamps that will provide the means for developing a home-school connection.
Churchill Junior High School - Climate Change Composition - Susan Meuse, Mary O’Mara, and Sarah Franchino
The New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Visual and Performing Arts require that teachers provide a process for students to analyze and contrast how art forms are used to reflect global issues, including climate change. With grant funds the orchestra instructors will commission a local professional musician to create an original piece with a theme focusing on climate change. Upon completion, the composer will work directly with the orchestra students to turnkey his interpretation so that they may perform his piece with authenticity at their Spring concert.
Warnsdorfer Elementary School - Multicultural Music Makers - Dr. Renee Saccodato-Dutka
The cultural values and contributions of diverse musicians and genres provide a dynamic avenue for students to explore and learn about others; this encourages socialization and tolerance within an educational environment. With grant funds musical performers, specifically selected to best represent the diverse cultural population within the Warnsdorfer school community and the district, will present school wide assemblies for students in grades kindergarten through fourth, one program per month between January and June.
Special notes:
- From these performances, a library of materials and recordings will be created to be utilized in classroom instruction in subsequent years.
- An additional evening performance by Ball in the House will take place at the Joann Magistro Performing Arts Center. This performance, date and time to be determined, will be open to the entire East Brunswick community. Attendees will be charged $10.00 per ticket. Seniors and students will be charged $5.00. Since Ball in the House will already be paid for their services through this grant, 100% of the ticket proceeds will be donated back to the EBEF. Students who participate in the Warnsdorfer Chorus will be invited to perform with Ball in the House during this evening performance.
East Brunswick High School - Doubt Performance at Roundabout Theatre - Elizabeth Kenny-Stein, Chantal Hagan, and Matthew Janson
One of the most beloved core texts of the AP Literature curriculum is the play, Doubt, by John Patrick Shanley. It raises questions, fosters debate, and hurls students into moral quandaries. Grant funds will allow for the purchase of tickets for 150 AP Literature students to attend a matinee performance of the revival of Doubt produced by the Roundabout Theatre in NYC. As per the ELA Supervisor, “This grant will be a great way to connect the literature study in class with a live theater experience.”
Irwin Elementary School - Little Hands, Big Stories! - Kimberly Dombrowski, Jenna Chesler, Kathryn Donenfeld, Roseann Pancione, Vickimarie Wilkins, and Aimee Ritt
The goal of this grant is to support kindergarten readers as they progress from the earliest reading stages towards becoming independent readers. Multiple copies of updated, culturally relevant, responsive emergent storybooks with rich storytelling language will be purchased for Irwin’s kindergarten classrooms. Since there will be numerous copies, students will be able to take the books home to read and reread with their families, thus building on important home-school connections.
Bowne - Munro Elementary School - Preschoolers Have their Hands all Over This! - Maryann Hyatt
Grant funds will allow for the purchase of a variety of hands-on materials to enhance the preschool curriculum. The new materials will add variety and choice to learning centers and allow teachers and paraprofessionals to work with students one-on-one and in small groups to practice and reinforce important skills that were previously taught.
Bowne Munro Elementary School, Central Elementary School, Chittick Elementary School, Frost Elementary School, Irwin Elementary School, Lawrence Brook Elementary School, Memorial Elementary School, and Warnsdorfer Elementary School - Bringing World Read Aloud Day to Our World- Meryl Becourtney and Lauren Staats
World Read Aloud Day (February 7, 2024) was celebrated in classrooms throughout the district’s elementary schools. It was a day dedicated to promoting literacy through read alouds, storytelling, creativity, and knowledge. Students at all grade levels participated in a variety of activities. Grant funds will support this celebration of reading through the purchase of books with a variety of multicultural themes.
EAST BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1989 MEMORIAL GRANT
The East Brunswick High School Class of 1989 generously funded this grant, matched by the East Brunswick Education Foundation, on the occasion of their 25-year reunion, in memory of classmates that have passed away.
East Brunswick High School - Empowering Scientific Discovery: State of the Art Electrophoresis Chambers - Jessica DiBenedetti and Jennifer Post
The goal of this grant is to acquire state-of-the-art electrophoresis chambers to enhance the research capabilities and educational opportunities for biology students. The new equipment aims to elevate the precision, efficiency, versatility of molecular analysis, and provide students with hands-on experiences using up-to-date science equipment. Ultimately, the aim is to advance scientific discovery, contribute to academic excellence, and prepare the next generation of future scientists for success using the latest technology.
DR. DAVID LLOYD KABUS FOUNDATION MEMORIAL GRANT
On an annual basis, the Kabus Foundation provides a significant donation that will be matched by the East Brunswick Education Foundation. To highlight Dr. Kabus’ love of the sciences, especially in his high school years, this grant is directed to the East Brunswick High School’s Science Department for programs, equipment and/or materials that advance learning, research and progress in the sciences. Dr. David Lloyd Kabus graduated from East Brunswick High School in 1981. He was valedictorian and won the Bausch and Lomb Science Award.
East Brunswick High School - Bringing Anatomy to Life: Fostering Engaging Learning Experiences with Varied Anatomical Models in Human Biology Education - Jessica DiBenedetti and Marilyn Edge
The goal of this grant is to enrich the learning experience for students enrolled in the Human Biology elective; through the acquisition of a diverse set of anatomical models students will provided with tangible, hands-on opportunities to explore and understand the intricate structures of the human body. The prototypes will serve as invaluable educational tools: fostering engagement, improving retention, and promoting a deeper comprehension of anatomical concepts among our high school students.
VENU MADHAV BANDARU MEMORIAL GRANT
The family of Venu Madhav Bandaru, East Brunswick High School Class of 1989, has generously funded this grant, matched by the East Brunswick Education Foundation. This grant is directed to the Science or Math Departments at East Brunswick High, Churchill Junior High or Hammarskjold Upper Elementary Schools.
East Brunswick High School - Empowering STEM Education with Pocket Lab Sensors - Jessica DiBenedetti and Steve Vendome
The project aims to integrate cutting-edge technology into the STEM curriculum, providing students with real-world, hands-on experiences in physics and data science. PocketLab sensors offer a versatile and engaging platform that aligns seamlessly with course objectives. Twenty rugged multi-senor probes that can attach to almost anything and 2 STEM preventing concussion kits will be purchased with grant funds and utilized in six different science courses to collect a wide variety of data.
MARIO “CHIC” DE CAROLIS MEMORIAL MUSIC GRANT
This annual grant has been funded by donations from the family and friends of Mario “Chic” DeCarolis, who devoted his life to teaching music in the East Brunswick community for over 30 years. In his memory, this grant, matched by the East Brunswick Education Foundation, will fund special events, guest musicians, and other projects that benefit East Brunswick music students.
Hammarskjold Upper Elementary School, Churchill Junior High School, and East Brunswick High School - 15th Annual Night of Jazz Concert - Michelle DaGrosa
The 15th Annual Night of Jazz,” featuring the Garden State Jazz Orchestra, will take place on April 3, 2024 in the Jo Ann Magistro Performing Arts Center. In addition to the Garden State Jazz Orchestra, the evening will consist of performances by the HUES Jazz Band, the CJHS Jazz Ensemble, the EBHS Jazz Ensemble and the EBHS Jazz Choir. The evening creates a “comradery” and vertical articulation among students in the secondary schools studying the performance of jazz and learning the techniques of jazz improvisation.
BLUE RIBBON GRANTS
These grants are awarded annually (usually in January) for grant requests between $2,500 and $7,500 for special projects or events of enduring value.
Lawrence Brook Elementary School - Making it Visual: Providing Posters to Enhance Academic and SEL Programs - Aanika Boylan, Hetika Rasania, Colleen Cwiek, Kristina Hoover, and Rachel Weitzenkorn
Funds will allow for the replacement of a timeworn poster printer with a new more effective and efficient model. As per, Rachel Weitzenkorn, LB’s Interim Principal, “This will be an invaluable addition to our educational resources, greatly enhancing teaching and learning throughout all areas of the curriculum, for every student in our diverse school community.” It is important to note that the vendor agreed to apply a $3,055.00 credit for the return of the old printer.
Lawrence Brook Elementary School - Swing into Learning - Matthew Facendo, Andrea Ford, Jaclyn Moore, Lori Polhamus, and Amanda Davino
This project will enhance the curriculum for students with diverse learning needs by providing state-of-the-art specialized equipment that goes above and beyond the current curriculum to reduce interfering behaviors by enhancing sensory regulation. This includes emotional self-regulation, as well as bodily self-awareness.
EXCELLENCE GRANTS
These grants are awarded annually for special projects for amounts between $500 and $2,500.
Central Elementary School - Flexible Seating for Flexible Minds- Corina Aresta
When a learning space evolves, student work improves. Grant funds will go towards the purchase of a variety of seating options with the goal being to create a comfortable learning environment; an environment that will allow students to have more control over their learning and to take part in deciding what is best for them.
Warnsdorfer Elementary School - Reading is for Everyone! Warnsdorfer’s Read Across America Celebration - Rachel Solomon and Monica Moreira
The goal of this grant is to enhance literacy learning and foster a love for reading during a school-wide Read Across America celebration. Funding will make possible a visit by children’s book author, Beth Ferry. As she shares her written works, Beth, a New Jersey native, will also promote an awareness that reading is an integral part of students’ daily lives, instill in them a passion for literacy, and model that they too can be authors.
Lawrence Brook Elementary School - Building Cultural Connections Through Food - Kristina Hoover, Daishanea Kemp-Jackson, Ereeny Gebraeel, and Samantha Best
The goal is for students to see that although religions, traditions, and appearances may be different, food is one thing that connects us all; that while we all come from different backgrounds, heritages, and cultures, it is important for students to see that we are more similar than they may think. Food is something that links the entire world together. Grant funds will allow for the purchase of a variety of books featuring diverse traditions and their related foods. The books will be shared throughout the school community as the kick off for Lawrence Brook’s annual Multicultural Week.
PARTNERSHIP GRANTS
These grants are awarded monthly. Applicants must have at least one additional funding source that covers at least ⅓ of the total amount being requested.
Hammarskjold Upper Elementary School, Churchill Junior High School, East Brunswick High School-Butterfly Effect Kindness Initiative Partnership Grant - Edith Weinstein and Katherine Merton
This partnership with The Meghan Schulman Foundation will make it possible for The Butterfly Effect Project to not only continue for a third consecutive year but to extend beyond CJHS to both HUES and EBHS. This project provides a unique and creative way for students to engage in meaningful service projects that help others. Each building will provide one hundred $50 grants to students whose kindness projects are accepted for participation in the program.
East Brunswick High School - EBHS Chorus/Orchestra Festival Disney Competition in Florida - Arvin Gopal and Adam Good
The goal of this grant is to match the funds donated and raised by the EBHS Chorus and Orchestra Program for the upcoming Festival Disney competition in Orlando, Florida in March 2024. This performance opportunity fulfills many of the National Core Arts Standards for creation, performing, responding and connecting. Other benefits include collaborating with ensembles across the country or gaining perspective by seeing how other schools operate their programs. Traveling together can build a choral/orchestra program through shared artistic experiences. Touring can generate publicity for a school performing arts program, which helps in recruiting and retaining members.
East Brunswick High School - Winter Guard - Michelle DaGrosa
Winter Guard combines the use of flags, sabers, and other equipment with dance and other interpretive movements. The team performs indoors to recorded music using equipment, props, and tarps. EBHS’s Winter Guard’s initial success has led to increased membership and more competitions. Thus, there is a need for high-quality uniforms, additional equipment, stage props, backdrops, and a very important and costly expense…a performance floor. Matching EBEF grant funds in partnership with a generous donation from Rongsun Pu and Guodong Chen will support this new extracurricular program as its participants work towards becoming one of the district's most successful teams.
Click HERE for list of Mini Grants