WOBURN – Superintendent Matthew Crowley is pleased to announce that Woburn Public Schools was recently awarded a three-year $60,000 grant to benefit a new social and emotional learning (SEL) initiative at Joyce and Kennedy Middle Schools.
The Winning Home Foundation, Inc. awarded the funding to the Woburn Community Educational Foundation (WCEF) and it was then awarded to Woburn Public Schools. The District will be given $20,000 in funding per year through the grant.
Funding will go toward the Caring School Community initiative, a comprehensive, research-based SEL program that builds assets in young people that lead to stronger relationships and overall achievement in school, family and community life. This program is designed to help foster a positive learning environment in which students feel heard, known and cared for.
“We have found that it is not rare for students to struggle with anxiety, depression, grief, uncertainty, and loneliness, and these factors can hinder a student’s learning experience,” Superintendent Crowley said. “We want our students to know that we are here for them and this grant will give educators in our middle schools additional support to address students’ academic and social-emotional needs. On behalf of the District, I thank WCEF and the Winning Foundation for this generous grant and all the support they have provided to our community over the years.”
This generous gift brings the total investment from Winning Home, Inc. in Woburn Public Schools to $120,000 in just seven years.
“This important investment by Winning Home will help address the mental health needs of Woburn students at an integral point in their development,” WCEF Executive Director Maureen Willis said. “By helping our middle schools build Caring School Communities, Winning Home will be supporting the overall health, wellness and success of a generation of Woburn students. We are grateful to the board of Winning Home for its interest and investment in this important program.”
About Woburn Community Educational Foundation
The Woburn Community Educational Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and supports educational programs and initiatives that empower teacher creativity and drive innovation in the classroom.
About Winning Home Foundation, Inc.
The Winning Home Foundation was formed through the sale of land assets of what was locally known as “Winning Farm for Children”. The sale process produced cash assets for long-term investment, and preserved approximately 50 acres of the farmland as permanent open space. Winning Home, Inc. remains true to the spirit and intent of its benefactor by working “for the benefit of children who are economically, socially, physically, emotionally or mentally handicapped or disadvantaged and their families.” Since its conversion from a landowner to a charitable trust, Winning Home has made grants over $5 million to area charitable organizations.
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