New Fund Established to Expand Support for Student Enrichment Programs
The Community Foundation of Middlesex County (CFMC) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Essex Elementary School Student Enrichment Fund at CFMC to carry on the work of the Essex Elementary
School Foundation (EESF). Since its inception in 1996, the all-volunteer EESF group has worked with the administration and staff at Essex Elementary School to support supplemental enrichment programs that would not otherwise be available through traditional funding from the school system budget. After much discussion and consideration, the EESF board of directors made the decision at their September meeting to dissolve the Foundation and partner with CFMC by establishing the Fund at the Community Foundation to ensure that the organizational mission and program growth is sustained for generations to come.
Over the years, EESF has embraced Essex Elementary’s strategic vision to engage all students in a rigorous and collaborative educational program. They have equipped classrooms with state-of-the-art teaching tools and technologies, supported teachers in their focus on individual learning, instituted world culture days, and hosted authors and illustrators who inspire all. Recent initiatives include the transformation of a classroom into a STEM Learning Lab and the opportunity for students to hone their math skills in a summer enrichment program.
“All of us who have been involved in the Essex Elementary School Foundation have been honored to enhance elementary education in our local community,” commented Chet Kitchings, Chairman of the Essex Elementary School Foundation, “Enriching all students’ experiences is a sound investment, and transitioning to a designated fund at the Community Foundation is the next logical step. I encourage everyone in our community to donate to, and help grow, the Essex Elementary Student Enrichment Fund at the Community Foundation. It is an investment in our future.”
Now, family members, friends, neighbors, and businesses who have long supported the EESF enrichment programs can have an even greater impact by contributing through the Essex Elementary School Student Enrichment Fund at CFMC. Donations of any size, when pooled with support from other like-minded CFMC donors, maximize grants awarded each year.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Essex Elementary School Foundation and grateful for their passion for and commitment to our local youth,” CFMC President & CEO Cynthia Clegg stated. “Through the Fund, the Community Foundation, along with generous donors, looks forward to carrying on the tradition of education excellence by enriching the lives of not only students but everyone in our community.”
For more information or to donate to the Essex Elementary School Student Enrichment Fund, visit the Fund page HERE; or contact CFMC at info@middlesexcounty.org or 860-347-0025. The Community Foundation of Middlesex County, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 1997 by a group of local business owners and community members dedicated to helping improve the quality of life for all through support of vital nonprofit programs and services throughout Middlesex County. CFMC is accredited with Community Foundations National Standards™, the nation’s highest and most rigorous standard for philanthropic excellence.