SUPPORTING HYBRID AND REMOTE EDUCATION & BEYOND
MEF – Moving Forward in an Ever-Changing World
The 2020-21 school year did not start the way any of us had hoped it would, but the Millburn Education Foundation has been working hard to ensure our children continue to receive the Millburn-quality education that we've all come to expect. In a constantly evolving environment where Covid rules and mandates change in the blink of an eye, MEF has had to find new ways to quickly jump in to support the Millburn School District with unprecedented needs that can't be fulfilled with the school's current budget.
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We're Stronger Together
Our community is strong, and we are committed to education. Together, we can give our students and teachers the support they need to navigate these unprecedented times. But we could really use your help! Please consider supporting our efforts by making a contribution so that we can continue to fund upgrades and improvements to hybrid and remote education for all of our Millburn students!
See What We've Been Up To
A lot has changed since schools closed in March 2020. Read below to learn about the extensive MEF contributions that have been made around the Millburn School District since Covid shut schools down in March. We've had a lot going on...from launching a new VIRTUAL SEAT PILOT to fulfilling technology needs to funding district-wide professional development to gifting student-centric software and apps to supporting PPE initiatives. Check out the details below and don't forget to visit our GRANTS PAGE to see what gifts we've made in previous years.
FALL 2020 - Facing New Challenges
In October and November, as students transitioned from an all-remote learning environment to a hybrid model, teachers and students have found themselves facing new challenges. With some students attending school in person and some students learning remotely from home, teachers are now expected to teach two different classroom environments at once while trying to engage everyone in meaningful ways. And for students, the split classroom creates new obstacles when it comes to interacting with classmates and teachers. Never mind the struggles of wearing masks and maintaining social distances. MEF has been involved in innovating new solutions to help with these obstacles.
NOVEMBER 2020 - A New MEF Pilot Program
In an effort to create a more equitable and interactive classroom for both remote and in person students alike, MEF partnered with the district to implement the VIRTUAL SEAT PILOT PROGRAM. In 12 classrooms at MHS, 12 classrooms at MMS, and 5 classrooms at Washington School, MEF funded technology upgrades that enable the kids at home to see and hear their classmates who are in school and it also allows the kids in school to hear their virtual peers. Each set up also facilitates the instructional environment for teachers because they can teach one integrated classroom environment instead of trying to engage kids at home and kids in the classroom while also juggling SmartBoards, White boards or other tools. So all of these tools can be used at once and the entire class can have class can have more interactive, inclusive discussions and discourse.
SUMMER 2020 - Preparing For Fall
The district worked tirelessly all summer to rethink delivering education, and MEF supported those efforts by providing essential resources to the schools, the teachers, and of course our students. Over the summer months, MEF committed over $150,000 in grants to help offset the devastating financial impact affecting our school system, and we continue to stand ready to support the learning needs of our students as the year continues to evolve.
REMOTE SCHOOL IN ACTION - Teachers Teaching and Kids Learning From Their Homes
