Nights of 100 Dinners

To comply with social distancing advisories, Nights of 100 Dinners events planned for the remainder of March have been postponed or moved to virtual gatherings via online platforms.

While you’re home, check out these photos from our Feb. 28th community event Mardi Gras in SOMA 2020!

[Photos courtesy of Claire Sinclair]

Maker Madness

Due to coronavirus concerns and restrictions on the size of in-person gatherings, Maker Madness 2020 must be postponed. In the meantime, click HERE to watch a video of a prior Maker Madness event and read more here.

Private Funds for Public Education

Achieve raises funds to promote exemplary public education for all students and educators in our community. Special thanks to members of our Honor Roll and local business sponsors who provide year-read sustaining support for our programs.

A message from Achieve:

So much has changed in the past week as the spread of COVID-19 increasingly affects every area of our lives — work, leisure, and education. The Achieve Foundation recognizes the efforts of the South Orange-Maplewood School District administration, teachers, support staff, students and their families as we all respond quickly to this unprecedented circumstance.  Our priority for our community is the same as yours — protecting everyone’s health.

To that end, our spring events have been postponed or moved to video conference platforms. Maker Madness, originally scheduled for April 25th, has been postponed. We are looking to reschedule for a date in the fall. And many Nights of 100 Dinners events planned for this month have been postponed, while others have moved to virtual gatherings.

You may be wondering how the Achieve Foundation plans to respond to the coronavirus crisis in the school district, and some have asked how you might join in that effort.  Of course, we want to be thoughtful, responsive and responsible in our aid to the district. We are awaiting information from the administration based on the first days of distance learning, which we hope will illuminate ways we can offer the greatest impact. 

You will hear more from us in the coming days, and may be asked to help us meet some of the unique and unprecedented challenges the school district, our children, and our educators are facing. We hope you will consider supporting our ongoing efforts to foster excellence in education for all students in our schools.

Stay safe and well,

The Achieve Foundation Board of Trustees

Mission Statement

The Achieve Foundation of South Orange & Maplewood raises funds to promote exemplary public education for all students and educators in our community. Achieve is a registered, tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Many community volunteers join together to pursue its mission by organizing events and campaigns and by seeking corporate and institutional grants.   Achieve’s funds are distributed exclusively to educators in the ten schools of the School District of South Orange and Maplewood for classroom grants, volunteer tutors, professional development, innovative pilot programs and much more to enrich the learning experience at all grade levels.

Our Objectives

  • Support educational excellence and innovation.
  • Foster equal educational opportunities for all children.
  • Advance best teaching practices.
  • Encourage parent and community participation in our schools.
  • Improve facilities to further school pride.

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