Since 2015, WCEF has gifted more than $200,000 directly to Woburn educators to support innovative new programs in the Woburn Public Schools.  This year, given the challenges our schools face under COVID-19, the WCEF Board decided to forgo the competitive Educator Grants Program and instead turned to school administrators for guidance on how best to support Woburn educators and their students who may be struggling to learn under a hybrid instructional model.  Through these discussions we learned this:  A primary challenge to remote learning is student engagement.  The solution:  livestream instruction in Woburn Middle Schools and High School.

WCEF is pleased to announce a $20,000 grant to the Woburn Public Schools to support livestream education in the district’s Middle Schools and High School.  These funds will purchase specialized classroom speakers that enable educators to teach students in their classroom with remote students also in attendance, without the need to sit at a computer or remain in one place during instruction.  WCEF is proud to partner with the Cummings Foundation to address this important need in our schools.  

“Our middle and high school educators are facing a real challenge with student engagement,” explains Woburn Superintendent of Schools Matt Crowley. “These speakers will support livestream instruction, which gives remote students the opportunity to ask questions and get help from their teachers on days they are not in the classroom. Educators are more accessible, and students are held more accountable.”  He continues, “These speakers will improve the learning experience for middle and high school students while the schools remain on a hybrid schedule under COVID-19, and will also have utility when our schools return to a more normal, traditional classroom setting.” 

In addition to this $20,000 grant to support Woburn Middle and High Schools, WCEF will also announce grants for the district’s elementary schools in early March.

WCEF is a volunteer-led nonprofit that raises support for the Woburn Public Schools through community fundraising activities, like our Winter Raffle, open now through February 12^th.  Get your tickets here: https://woburnedfoundation.org/winter-raffle-2021/