Who we are
The Gateway Education Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that formed to enhance the educational opportunities for students of the Gateway Regional School District.
Our history
A planning committee formed in January 2011 and worked for a year and a half to develop the foundation, file non-profit status, recruit and install a Board of Directors, and begin to raise funds. In July 2012, our first Board of Directors was elected.
Our Current Work
Much of our work is done through our "Funds for Learning (FFL)" program. The Funds For Learning program is a small grants program that Gateway teachers and staff may apply to, in order to fund special programs for our students. To date, the Foundation has granted $101,169 to 102 staff-led projects including: Model United Nations, four school-wide musicals for Chester Elementary School, an interdisciplinary engineering study of how to insulate shipping container homes, family math and literacy nights, "Pots on Wheels" pottery program; schoolwide and summer reading programs, a fifth grade STEM overnight at Becket Chimney Corners, and numerous visits from authors, museums, ecologists and storytellers. For up-to-date information on these projects, please see our "News" and "Photos" web pages!
Our Future
Gateway's budget is not able to fund the "extras" that would enhance learning experiences for our students. The Gateway member towns have been generous in supporting continuous declines in state funding. However, our budget has continued to shrink through declining enrollment, the withdrawal of the town of Worthington, and long-term state/national fiscal constraints. Now, more than ever, funds need to be raised to enhance the educational opportunities for our children. Our future is in the hands of the stakeholders of the Gateway Regional School District: parents, staff, community members and alumni!