PWEF Grants Help Students in Port Washington

This year, students in the Port Washington school district will glean lessons from way beyond the classroom.

Music students from grades 4-12 will work with the Dallas Brass Band. At-risk and ESL students will be linking math ideas to real world-scenarios though a program called "Connecting Community to Curriculum."

And there's more. All students in the district will learn in an outdoor classroom environment at a refurbished Guggenheim Preserve. And young elementary students attending will have oppporunity to build cognitive, social and fine motor skill through a mobile Smart Table Interactive Learning Center.

These programs and more are made possible through the Port Washington Education Foundation. Celebrating its tenth anniversay, the foundation aims to "support initiatives that enhance and expand educational opportunities beyond the basic educational needs" for all Port Washington public school students.

This academic school year PWEF has awarded 30 grants to enhance learning opportunities at every grade level. The programs will be announced at the PWEF awards ceremony on Oct. 13 at 3:30pm at .

It can be difficult to raise funds in a struggling economy. Yet the organization, as it broaches its second decade, remains committed.

Just ask Amy Bass, PWEF’s founding president and president emieritus.

“As the Port Washington school district budget becomes tighter, I am thankful that we have a solid education foundation in place to offer supplemental funding to our school district in these tough economic times,” said Bass, a graduate of Port schools.

In the last decade, the foundation remains dedicated to its cause, officials say.

“It is hard to believe ten years have passed since a small committed group met to explore the possibility of an education foundation in Port,” said PWEF president Claudia Rouhana.  

”In fact, many of our original steering committee members continue to work diligently for the PWEF as if it was ‘Day One,’" she added. "The community response to our mission has been phenomenal and our teachers continue to inspire us with their creativity.”

This fall the foundation will unveil its revamped website, PWEF.org. Check back with Patch for special events pertaining to PWEF’s tenth anniversary.

The PWEF continues to seek donations, grants and government assistance in order to distribute funds to selected programs and resources. Grant applications are available to all Port Washington community members online.