Lawrence Public Schools Gets $67,149 In Educator Grants

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – In its Fall 2023 grant cycle, the Lawrence Township Education Foundation (LTEF) awarded $67,149 to support 31 innovative programs at the Lawrence Township Public Schools.

The grant will support playground communication, professional development, handheld translating devices, author visits and more. This funding also included a $10,000 grant from Church & Dwight for a Wellness Series at Lawrence Middle School.

On the elementary school level, all four schools will benefit from on-site training to provide in-depth instruction in the use of the new library Makerspace carts for 35 elementary Lawrence Township public school employees.

Lawrenceville Elementary School will receive printed signs with famous quotes to enhance the walls and the character initiative at LES.

Eldridge Park Elementary School will add colorful clipboards for art projects that will provide the school with more permanent room to hang student creations and a buddy bench for the playground to create a place for lonely students to build and foster friendships.

Ben Franklin Elementary will get Osmos for Education, which is technology that will provide interactive enrichment opportunities in math, literacy, coding, and collaboration for 1st through 3rd-grade students.

Another grant will provide tools for outdoor learning experiences for all grades to broaden and differentiate learning as it relates to district learning goals across curriculums.

Slackwood received several grants which include a trip to Churchville for 3rd-graders, a self-contained LED-lit 3-tier indoor growing system, and play kitchen centers for all kindergarten classrooms.

One grant will provide materials and resources for a pilot that will bring educators from the Watershed Institute and students from the Lawrenceville School to Slackwood for outdoor learning experiences for 3rd-graders. Slackwood and Eldridge Park will also benefit from playground communication boards as a form of AAC (alternative and augmentative communication) to help students better access play.

Lawrence Intermediate School received grants to fund 11 projects. These projects include 10 Pocketalk translator devices to support multilingual students, LEGOS® for hands-on STEAM practice, ukuleles for 6th graders, reusable vertical whiteboards for 4th and 5th -grade classes, skin tone crayons for all LIS classrooms, and boogie Boards (reusable writing tablets).

Lawrence Middle School students will get new headset microphones for the spring production, a color printer/presentation center, PocketLab Sensors for Physics, and funds for international postage for the French students to communicate with their pen pals in Pia, France.

Additionally, a collaboration between LIS and LMS will give string players the opportunity to work with LTPS alumni Jason Bembry.

Lawrence High School students will see the addition of a Vibe board for history classes and funds for a sophomore class trip to Philadelphia.

One grant will support the student-run coffee cart that provides pre-employment, social skills, and communication skills for the QUEST program.

LTEF raises funds from individuals, local businesses, corporations, and foundations for programs that foster excellence, creativity, and achievement in education for all students in Lawrence Township Public Schools.

Since 1992, LTEF has funded more than 1,140 programs in the Lawrence schools with grants in excess of $4.6 million. For more information on LTEF and ways to support the Foundation, visit www.ltefnj.org or email info@ltefnj.org.

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