Newport Public Education Foundation Programs

Excellence Grants Overview

For 16 years, NPEF has provided support to Newport Public School teachers through Excellence Grants for projects in and out of the classroom that would not otherwise be funded by the school department budget.  The Foundation encourages educational and academic initiatives that promote literacy and high standards of learning.  Teachers may request funding for materials, equipment, and transportation, among other things, for their proposals.  We strive to promote excellence in teaching and educational leadership.  Grants that impact an entire class or grade, have enduring benefit, and/or involve collaborative teaching are highly regarded.  Innovative approaches for educational projects focusing on Newport are of particular interest.   We seek opportunities to work collaboratively with other area agencies and businesses to fund grant requests

In the first year, NPEF awarded nine Excellence Grants to teachers in the Newport Public Schools for projects to enrich the learning environment.  To date, more than $175,000 has been granted to our teachers.  In the 2006-2007 school year, the Foundation awarded nearly 40 Teacher Excellence Grants for various programs and projects totaling $15,000. In 2007 already $20,000 was awarded to nearly 20 programs. As part of the Newport Public Education Foundation’s revised strategic direction, and in light of the increasing challenges facing our schools, we hope to establish an endowment for these grants and substantially increase the yearly total. 

Through the grant program, teachers at all levels of instruction – elementary, middle school, and high school – receive financial support.  The funded projects span all curricular areas including: literacy, science, music, art, drama, health, counseling services, social studies, math, and vocational education.  Some programs allow Newport Public School staff to provide learning experiences outside of the regular school day in the form opportunities to view theater performances, to visit community resources, to participate in after school instruction or clubs, and to reach out to the families of students. 

Teachers representing all of the Newport Schools have applied for and received grants in past years.  These grants directly serve all of the students in the Newport Schools by enriching their learning experiences and facilitating the use of innovative instructional approaches as teachers reach out to and attempt to engage our diverse student population.  The successes of the Excellence Grants are celebrated annually in late spring at a Showcase where teachers and students present their programs and results to the Newport community.