What We Do
The Foundation focuses on three areas: students, teachers and the community. In these three areas, we initiate and support programs that add to the quality of education in Wilton, CT. We also work to better link the schools and the community, especially the business community. And finally, the Foundation raises money to fund our programs and grants to the Wilton Public Schools.
Who We Are
Wilton Education Foundation is a nonpolitical, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization led by volunteers comprised of business and community leaders, parents and educators. We are affiliated with the Connecticut Consortium of Education Foundations.
Our Core Values and Beliefs
- Wilton's public schools are the heart of our community.
- Outstanding public schools benefit the entire community - economically, culturally and intellectually.
- Community involvement, through collaborations and private funding, improves the quality of public education.
- Embracing intellectual, cultural, racial, social and economic differences contributes to a more vibrant community and prepares our children for success.
- All students should have access to the resources they need to develop to their fullest potential.
- Wilton's teachers deserve community respect and recognition for their profession as well as community support to enhance their professional development.
Our Mission
Wilton
Education Foundation is dedicated to fostering educational innovation and excellence
for all students in Wilton Public Schools by:
- Funding initiatives that fall outside the school budget
- Partnering with the school district to help achieve its vision
- Building community-wide support for the benefit of our schools
Specific focus for Foundation funds in 2007 – 2008 is in the following areas:
- Professional Development for teachers and staff
- Innovations in Science
- Leading-edge Technology
- Enhancements in the Arts
What We Fund
Since its inception in 1993, Wilton Education Foundation has contributed more than $320,000 to the Wilton Public Schools for innovative programs in technology, science, arts and language arts. We have also mobilized hundreds of community volunteers to work on various school programs such as, “Read Aloud Day,” “Career Days” and “Job Shadow Days.”
In 2007...Wilton Education Foundation continued it's commitment to professional development, by granting $20,000 for its "Summer Institute" 28 teachers and staff participated in advanced placement training in areas, such as: Math, Economics, History, Technology, Classical Languages, and Literacy Workshops, at such distinguished educational institutions as, Taft, Columbia, Fairfield, Amherst and more.
The Foundation was also pleased to grant up to $30,000 for a STARLAB Mobile Planetarium, which will surely excite young scientists, reinforce and enrich the K-12 curriculum. The STARLAB will be housed at Cider Mill, under the direction of Kevin Meehan, but will travel on a schedule to every school. The STARLAB will accommodate an entire class at one time, studying: Constellations, Celestial Coordinates, Solar System and Galaxy, Plate Tectonics, Ocean Currents, Native American Mythology, Molecular Structure and more.
The Wilton Education Foundation would like to recognize and thank Wilton High School students, Jihan Chao and JJ Augenbraun, for developing this website.