Winning Home Foundation, Inc. recently awarded WCEF a 3-year, $60,000 grant to support a new initiative in the district’s middle schools: Caring School Community. This generous gift brings the total investment from Winning Home, Inc. in Woburn Public Schools to $120,000 in just 7 years; WCEF is proud to partner with Winning Home through our shared commitment to serving the needs of Woburn children.

Caring School Community is a comprehensive, research-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program that builds assets in young people that lead to stronger relationships and overall achievement in school, family and community life. This program will be implemented at both the Joyce and Kennedy Middle Schools to help foster a positive learning environment at each school, one in which students feel heard, known and cared for; a Caring School Community.

“Today, many students are struggling with more anxiety, depression, grief, uncertainty, and loneliness. These emotions get in the way of students being able to process and learn new information,” states Woburn Public Schools Superintendent Matt Crowley. “In addition, our schools are increasingly multicultural and multilingual with students from diverse social and economic backgrounds. Educators, especially in our Middle Schools, need additional supports in order to address their students’ academic and social emotional needs”.

“This important investment by Winning Home will help address the mental health needs of Woburn students at an integral point in their development”, explains WCEF Executive Director Maureen Willis. “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 Winning Home: 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. Learn more at www.winninghome.org

Photo Caption: Members of the Winning Home and WCEF Boards at the recent check presentation. Pictured are (l-r): WPS Superintendent of Schools Matt Crowley, Winning Home Board Member Ellen Hamilton, Winning Home Treasurer Chip Curran, Winning Home Board Chair Robert E. Maguire, WCEF Board Chair Joe Crowley, Winning Home Board Member Eileen Doherty, WCEF Executive Director Maureen Willis, WCEF Board Member Colleen Cormier.