Read below for news on what the Fund for Educational Excellence has been focused on this month, including:
- City Schools Emergency School Closure Family Support Fund
- COVID-19 Food Stability Fund Request for Proposals
- New Transportation-Focused Report and Research
- Of Note; News and Updates
Support the Emergency School Closure Family Support Fund
This Tuesday, May 5th the Fund will partake in #GivingTuesdayNow, a new global day of giving and unity created in response to the unprecedented need resulting from the COVID-19 health crisis.
With the shift to distance learning, students and families that rely on their schools to provide meals and technology are now facing the challenge of accessing essential resources. The City Schools Emergency School Closure Family Support Fund is seeking public donations to support Baltimore families through the growing challenges due to school closures and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Created at the request of Baltimore City Public Schools, the Emergency Fund expands access to essential supplies, with a primary focus on technology to support remote learning. The need in Baltimore is significant: there are at least 24,000 City Schools students who lack access to the technology needed to participate in remote learning programs. Spread the word and donate today, below.
Click Here to Donate and Learn More
Now more ever, the support we provide and compassion we show to all of our neighbors makes a difference. As the administrator of this fund, the Fund for Educational Excellence is happy to partner with Baltimore City Public Schools in delivering such crucial support.
COVID-19 Food Stability Fund Request for Proposals
Made possible by generous donations from 11 local corporations, the COVID-19 Food Stability Fund is requesting funding proposals from community organizations for initiatives that support food access for school children, their families, and senior citizens in high-need areas of Baltimore. Grants will be awarded for up to $15,000. Funds may be used to secure food and for costs attributed to securing and distributing the food to communities. The application deadline is Friday, May 8th.
Click Here to Learn More and Apply
New Report To Examine Transportation’s Impact on Baltimore City Education
Students’ getting to school safely, affordably, and on time has an impact on their educational experiences. Understanding what that impact might be in Baltimore – a city with limited and underfunded public transit – is a necessary step in ensuring all students have access to an excellent education.
The Fund for Educational Excellence’s next research report will explore the impact of transportation on Baltimore City Public School students’ learning experiences. Through interviews with hundreds of current high school students and analysis of past transportation policies and programs, the report will examine how students get to school, the expense, and how transportation access impacts attendance, school choice, employment, and extracurricular participation.
Drawing on recent research from the Baltimore Education Research Consortium, the Fund’s analysis will culminate with a set of findings about transportation in Baltimore City with recommendations for improvements.
Of Note:
Additional insights, updates and resources.
- Check it out: The Fund for Educational Excellence has launched its new website, with easy-to-find information about all of our programs, our impact and our perspectives: ffee.org
- Share the Love: Help support Baltimore’s principals by submitting a message or story of appreciation and thanks to be shared with our school leaders and the public. Share some love for principals here.
- ICYMI: Baltimore City Public School principals provided their perspectives and experiences with remote learning due to COVID-19. Check out their perspectives, here.
- City Schools’ CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises joins 62 other leaders of big-city school systems in calling for more federal aid in the next federal relief bill–Read here.