CELEBRATING SUCCESS! Thank you to all who bid online, attended our event and contributed to its success! Thanks to you, we have more funds for grants this year than ever.
Salem Education Foundation Exceeds Donation Target!
Salem Education Foundation provides $45,000 to Salem Public Schools
Funds a City-Wide Anti-Bullying Campaign in honor of Stephen O’Grady
“No child should be afraid to go to school. No parent should worry about their child’s safety. With this universal approach to anti-bullying, our schools will have a systematic approach to addressing this problem while being ahead of the curve with regard to new legislative requirements.” John Keenan, State Representative and SEF Board Member.
Steps to Respect and Second Step are award-winning, research-based curricula from the Committee for Children that help children in grades K through 8 develop social-emotional competence and provide specific training in building friendships and responding to bullying. School adjustment counselors from every district elementary and middle school in Salem submitted this grant that ultimately gained the honor of being named for Stephen O’Grady. Each year the Salem Education Foundation chooses one award for an individual or group who provide opportunities for leadership development and/or activities that involve student leadership within the Salem Public Schools. This award is presented with the hope that the spirit of Stephen O’Grady, school and community leader, will continue to inspire the youth of the Salem Public Schools. In the words of Stephen’s sister, Beth “you could not have picked a better award to remember him by, thank you SEF.”
According to the author of the application, Laurie Mendoza from Carlton School, “the adjustment counselors plan to share the curriculum resources next year and provide lessons for targeted grades in their buildings. Embedded in the instructional design of the lessons are activities that foster emotional intelligence, self-management, and social skill.”
When asked about this grant proposal being chosen to honor her son, Theresa O’Grady said: “The award means a lot to me because Stephen was so active in everything. He loved kids of all ages. I think it is wonderful that the Foundation does this, it gets teachers interested in doing more if they know they will have some financial support. I know many teachers who take money from their pockets… this gives them incentive to do more.”
Mrs. Theresa O’Grady with Laurie Mendoza representing the K-8 School Adjustment Counselors, recipients of the Stephen O’Grady Award from the Salem Education Foundation.
In total, the Salem Education Foundation awarded 60 grants in the areas of Arts, Music and Culture; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Leadership Development and Citizenship; Family Involvement; Health and Wellness; World and Social Studies; and Literacy and Language Arts. “Despite the difficult economic times, we had amazing support from the community,” said SEF President Sarah Morrill. “Thanks to a record number of sponsors, we were able to exceed our donation target and fund more innovative programs than ever in our 15 year history.”
Starting in September, students will be building and learning in outdoor classrooms; participating in a city-wide “pop” art project; learning about Salem’s history through walking poetry, dance programming and interactive workshops; and designing and building wind turbines – all thanks to the generous donations of local businesses and individuals who know that a good school system is critical to community wellness.