An Overview of The Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence

 The Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence (WFEE) is a nonprofit organization that offers financial support opportunities for the Winchester Public Schools (WPS) system. It has donated over $5 million since its establishment in 1992 by a group of local citizens and with the generous support of business partners, fellow community members, and families. Emphasizing leadership and innovation, WFEE provides three main types of grants on an individual and group basis: education, professional development, and student innovation.

Education Grants financially support innovative educational programs that directly engage students and influence many of them. Professional Development Grants provide funding to innovative educators who seek to advance their practice. They can participate in courses and national conferences and enroll in university-sponsored seminars that would be impossible to cover with existing school funding. Both types of grants also aim at promoting collaboration among different grades and schools, as well as educators, staff, parents, and community groups, for the good of the entire school district. Prospective applicants can submit their proposals in the fall and winter.

By contrast, Student Innovation Grants proposals are welcome all through the year. Any student attending a Winchester public school who has a suggestion on how to improve the learning process and make it more meaningful is eligible to apply. Some additional requirements include being supported by at least one educator and not requesting grants exceeding $1,000.

In 2019, WFEE also launched a grants program seeking to kindle a spark for global learning in students from elementary schools. It does not require a separate grant application. Instead, prospective applicants must add relevant information in specific fields of their Education or Professional Development grants application forms.

From Winchester teachers and counselors through administrative and other personnel to parents, grant ideas can come from various sources. Teachers may also seek financial support for organizing events with renowned educational professionals to exchange experiences and learn best practices.

Comprising WEEE’s Trustees and local independent educational professionals unrelated to the WPS, the foundation’s Grants Committee reviews each grant proposal following rigorous evaluation criteria. The Committee looks for educational initiatives that contribute to a richer teaching and learning experience that simultaneously boost teachers’ professional development and students’ growth. Initiatives that align with and augment the WPS’ ultimate goals and objectives while stimulating creativity, collaboration, and leadership and resulting in lasting improvements in the system.

In addition to its grant programs, WFEE organizes numerous fundraising events, learning initiatives, and funding campaigns. Some examples of the first include Just Bid, a quick online auction; Town Day Road Race, covering a 2.5- or 5-mile route that participants can choose to walk or run; and Hats Off for Education, WFEE’s flagship event, featuring cocktails, snacks, dancing, and live auction.

In response to the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic posed to the 2020-2021 school year, the organization undertook two initiatives: virtual Authorfest and WFEE Academy. Being present in the Winchester community for over three decades, Authorfest meets students with book authors and illustrators, allowing them to learn more about creating books. Targeted at elementary students, the online WFEE Academy encompasses an array of learning topics, such as science, sharks, magic, and circus performance.

As for funding campaigns, in 2017, in partnership with the WPS, WFEE completed one that targeted technology integration across all classrooms in the district. Named powerED UP!, it funded the purchase of hardware, such as student devices, software, and professional development.

Finally, WFEE delivers the Sarah Swiger Award established in honor of Sarah Swiger, a member of the Winchester School Committee, an active community member, and an education advocate who passed away in 2014. The annual award recognizes educators who have demonstrated outstanding care, compassion, and kindness in their work and gained both students’ and colleagues’ admiration.