The BEF is pleased to support the creation of a Digital Music MIDI Lab at WMS, enabling the 10-year-old digital music program at the middle school to remain at the forefront of innovation. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is...
The BEF funded a pivotal aspect of the newly established French American Exchange program, allowing forty-two Brookfield 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students, along with five chaperones, to embark on an enriching journey to France. This trip included a...
Whisconier Middle School was the recipient of a grant for the Emotion Into Art program. Emotion into Art is an extremely unique combination of speed painting and an inspirational speaking performance. It is a nationally recognized show with the...
The Brookfield Education Foundation funded a grant request from the Brookfield Library for a program featuring Brendan Slocumb, author of last summer’s One Town One Read – The Violin Conspiracy – for two innovative and thought-provoking presentations. At a presentation at the Brookfield...
The Brookfield Education Foundation funded a grant request from Jennifer Pink (on behalf of 2nd grade teachers) at Candlewood Lake Elementary School to support a book study of a series by the author Andrea Beaty. The selected books emphasize...
The Brookfield Education Foundation funded a grant request from Willian Chen, Troop 5, Brookfield, to launch an origami program at the Brookfield Craft Center as part of his Eagle Scout project. The program involves a 5-day class where students,...
The Building a Culture of Community and Literacy with the Power of Storytelling project will offer a series of in-school presentations and breakout sessions for Brookfield students in 5th-8th grades, and one community-wide event, with acclaimed author Sherri L....
The Brookfield Education Foundation funded a grant, championed by Jackie Whiting, Technology Integration Specialist, to offer Book Creator to all Brookfield Public School students and teachers. Book Creator is a potent tool for publishing student work, including fiction and...
The Brookfield Education Foundation awarded a major grant for ongoing storywalk programming. Championed by Debbie Brooks, Head of Children’s Services at The Brookfield Library, this reusable Storywalk will be available to the entire community for years to come. This...
The Sprout Early Learning Backpacks grant was brought to the BEF by the Brookfield Library. Research shows that learning begins at birth; this grant supports early literacy in our community through backpack kits. Thes kits contain books, accompanying materials...
This grant, championed by special education teacher, Nicole Forstrom, will provide a mentor structured program incorporating music, movement and social interaction between students. Special needs students at WMS will have the opportunity to learn from other students in areas...
Championed by Jennifer Rocca at BHS, the Brookfield Education Foundation has funded the “One Town, One Read” author visit of the book My Dear Hamilton. The book is a work of historical fiction but is based off of the...
A Brookfield High School student, through a grant funded by the Brookfield Education Foundation, will create a String Ensemble that will initially exist through the current concert band program as a supporting section but also as an individual chamber...
A BEF mini-grant will allow the Brookfield Library to present “Inside Emily Dickinson: Her Poetry and Her Life”. Created and performed by actress Ginger Grace, this inspiring biographical portrait is based on the letters, life stories and poems of...
The Brookfield Education Foundation awarded a major grant to Whisconier Middle School’s “Summer Experiences Through Reading”. Championed by Library Media Specialist Sue Crean, this amazing program will give struggling and reluctant readers a positive summer reading experience by linking...
One of the Brookfield Education Foundation’s most recent grants was for the Whisconier Middle School World Drumming Program. Through this initiative, grant champion and WMS music teacher Leah Grace is both creating a stimulating music experience and introducing her...
The Brookfield Education Foundation awarded a major grant to Whisconier Middle School’s “Summer Experiences Through Reading”. Championed by Library Media Specialist Sue Crean, this amazing program will give struggling and reluctant readers a positive summer reading experience by linking...
Grant champion and music teacher Margaret Fitzgerald was awarded a BEF major grant to fund a program spread across the music departments of Center Elementary School, Huckleberry Hill Elementary and Whisconier Middle School. The Music Department will receive funding...
Students at Whisconier Middle School will find searching for books at the school library easier, thanks to a BEF mini grant funding a dedicated book search area. Championed by 21st Century Skills teacher Sue Crean, the project both facilitates...
Fourth graders at Huckleberry Hill Elementary School have added a creative layer to their literary productions thanks to a mini-grant from the Brookfield Education Foundation. Championed by teacher Lee Morgan, the grant allowed for the purchase of costumes and...
A major community grant will provide an opportunity to learn about both Brookfield’s past and contemporary American craft with the creation of a piece of monumental public art. Headed by the Brookfield Center, under the guidance of artist-in-residence Peter...
A mini-grant has allowed the funding of the Brookfield Library’s “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” project. This early literacy, self-paced program encourages parents to read to their children from infancy throughout the toddler and preschool years, helping to develop literacy...
Center Elementary School was the recipient of a major grant for the Library iPod Program. Headed by CES librarian Joyce Zaldo, the project provides funding for 20 iPods and 50 audiobooks, allowing emerging readers audio feedback as they read....
A mini grant will enable Center School teachers to help regular and special education students meet or exceed grade level expectations in reading through the Seeing Stars program. This project teaches children how to visualize the identity, number and...
A mini grant to Huckleberry Hill Elementary will fund a consortium of reading staff, special education staff, and a representative from the university community to promote the exploration of new ideas and promising practices in fluency assessment, materials and...
A major grant by the BEF has been awarded for the creation of the Brookfield High School Writing Center. Championed by BHS teachers Michael Smith, Erin Dillon, Liz Spencer, Trish O’Connor, and Carol Zinser, this project will allow individualized...
The Brookfield Library has received a mini-grant to fund a presentation by columnist, oral historian and three-time Iditarod participant Karen Land. This program will explore the history of the Iditarod Dog Race, as well as the culture and will...
This literacy initiative will bring the entire school community together around the presentation of several different cultural versions of the story “Cinderella”. Using a blended curriculum of literacy, art, music and theater, the program aims to promote text comprehension,...
This mini-grant provided funding for the Brookfield Senior Center’s “Sharps and Flats” musical group. Under the direction of coordinator Rita Zullo-Lubinhis innovative group looks to enhance music education and appreciation for the entire community. Click here to enjoy a...
This multi-sensory method of teaching reading and writing skills helps provide the foundation for life-long literacy for all students. This major grant enables the implementation of the Wilson’s language basics foundations program at Center Elementary School. Grant requested by...
The five surrounding towns of Candlewood Lake will participate in a “one book, one lake” summer program, using A Walk in The Woods. The project will involve outreach to community organizations including scouting groups, the Historical Society, the Senior...
Students can hear books by using a device called Playaways. These small machines are similar to books on tape. Grant requested by, Maureen Fitzpatrick, Huckleberry Hill Elementary School
Children will earn items for the Brookfield Food Bank by reading books. This will allow students to maintain or improve reading skills during school vacation months, while learning how their efforts can directly benefit others. Grant requested by Mary...
The Brookfield Education Foundation will contribute matching funds to renovate the Brookfield Historical Society Blacksmith Shop. This renovation will be part of a major renovation of the Gurski Farm property. The blacksmith shop will house year round education programs...
In memory of our fellow board member, the first Joseph E. Baker Memorial Grant has been awarded for the creation of a collection of books pertaining to flight and aviation. These books will be available, in age-appropriate formats, at...
Funding was provided to two third grade classrooms for the provision of male-oriented reading materials, with the goal of narrowing the gender gap in reading skills that becomes evident in third grade and continues through high school. Grant requested...
Twenty-eight volunteers – senior citizens, parents and high school students – will enhance the learning of developing readers and writers. Each trained volunteer will spend an hour a week inviting one child into the world of books and written...
Two actors from the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Artist-in-Residence program will hold a ½ day workshop for 5th and 6th grade humanities students. Students will explore the social and historical contexts for Shakespeare’s plays in a learning environment similar to...
The IRIS scanning pen for enhancing special reading instruction will help students who struggle with reading. Grant requested by Tamara Priestley and Laurie Iovanno, Whisconier Middle School
All Brookfield High School students read the book The Old Country, by Mordecai Gerstein, during the summer of 2005. This mini-grant contributed to bringing Mr. Gerstein to Brookfield, where he led discussions and activities designed to engage the entire...