The Munster Education Foundation (MEF) approved more than $24,000 in grants to support high-quality education and learning experiences at Munster schools during its monthly meetings in August and September, with just over $9,000 awarded in August and nearly $15,000 awarded in September.
This is the first school year MEF has gone from biannual distribution of grants to monthly distributions to Munster schools, teachers, and co-curricular programs. Educators and administrators throughout the School Town of Munster may apply for the grants, which span an array of initiatives, from foundational academics to whole-child supports, professional development, and co-curricular enhancements at the classroom level, grade level, school level, and even district-wide.
“Last year, MEF nearly doubled its grant-making budget, awarding $40,525 in grants across five schools in the School Town of Munster," said Tricia Shelton, President of the Munster Education Foundation. “While we have worked to increase our budget the past few years, this year, in honor of our 30th anniversary and thanks to numerous generous donations, we are able to triple our budget as we look to spend $120,000 this year.”
Examples of grants awarded during the most recent grant cycle include:
- A $5,000 grant for the MHS Robotics Team, which will enable the team to enter competitions this year and build a robot for competition
- A $4,500 grant for the Munster High School Choirs to commission a new work for the choirs to perform during the 2023 Salzburg Choral Festival, to be held in Salzburg, Austria, next June. Munster High School Choirs are one of just four choirs in the world invited to perform during this event
- A $1,500 grant for a CLASS Education Impact Leadership Development Program, which will support “Eads Leads” student leaders in making an impact at school as peer leaders
- A $1,999 grant for a CLASS Education Impact Leadership Development Program and training materials at Elliott Elementary, where about 40 4th and 5th grade students will take part in the program through an initiative known as “Elevate Elliott”
- Nearly $1,500 in funding for four Nikon COOLPIX B500 16.0 Megapixel Digital Cameras for the WWMS Yearbook Staff
- And more
Since 1992, MEF has been a nonprofit organization supporting innovative and experiential learning in the School Town of Munster through partnerships with educators, parents, businesses, and the greater community. Donations to MEF from individuals, businesses and philanthropic organizations fund grants awarded to Munster schools. For more information, visit www.munstereducationfoundation.org.