Achieve Supports the Work of Teacher and Administrators

The Achieve Foundation values its collaboration with all educators in the School District of South Orange & Maplewood. Each year, Achieve awards Teacher Grants, Administrator Grants and Riecke Teaching Fellowships to worthy applicants. Funding requests we receive from educators inform our program development and fundraising to best serve our mission of maximizing teaching and learning.

Teachers may also request Achieve Volunteer Tutors for struggling students, lead tutor training sessions, serve as school tutoring sight supervisors, or participate in planning events such as Maker Madness. Achieve welcomes you and your ideas!

Teacher and Administrator Grants

See a list of all 2017-18 Teacher Grants HERE.

Teacher Grants: Achieve’s hallmark program inspires teachers to propose innovative projects that will have an impact on the learning experience for their students. Some grants have been catalysts for innovation in the academic program.

Any educator in the district may apply for any amount in October. Team and interdisciplinary projects are welcome. Proposals are reviewed by Achieve’s grants committee, and awards are made in early December to be used in the spring or the following fall.

The Deborah Prinz Administrator Grants: Renamed in 2018 to honor Achieve founder Deborah Prinz upon her retirement from the organization, these grants are awarded to district administrators for special projects that benefit a school, grade level or department. Funds may be used for staff development, student enrichment or remediation and educational materials. Administrators may apply in early March for an April deadline. Monies are awarded in early May.

Achieve’s grant applications are easy to complete, and help and advice are available. All proposals must be approved by the applicant’s principal or supervisor and received by the deadline to be considered. Educators may apply as often as they wish, evaluations of prior grants must be submitted before new applications are considered.

DONATIONS TARGETED FOR TEACHER GRANTS:

Generous contributions from PTA’s and the community have supported Teacher Grants for technology, science labs, musical instruments, school gardens, “maker spaces,” and much more.

Direct Grant Funding; After Achieve allocates its funds for Teacher Grant awards in the fall, the community is invited to increase that amount.  In December and January, donors choose from the list of approved grants that need additional funding and contribute toward them in any amount. In 2017-18, Direct Grant Funding added $34,140, bringing the total amount of Teacher Grant funding to $102,517.

Honor Your Teacher Tributes: This spring campaign enables families to order cards for teachers and other staff members, printed with their children’s words of thanks that Achieve delivers at the end of the school year (or any time of year).

ORDER A TRIBUTE

Administrator Grants Awarded:

$87,142

for 23 grants since 2004

Teacher Grants Awarded:

$937,835

for 940 grants since 1999

Reicke Fellowships:

$69,511

for 53 teachers since 2004

Summer Professional Development –
Riecke Teaching Fellowship

Michelle T. Riecke was an active community volunteer who served on the SO/M school board for six years, including a two-year term as board president. Shelley believed that teachers are our schools’ greatest asset and are key to maximizing student achievement. Following her death in 2003, her family and friends created an endowed fellowship program in her memory and entrusted it to the Achieve Foundation.

The Riecke Fellowship program makes awards to educators in the SO/M school district who seek to advance their teaching abilities over the summer by acquiring new knowledge and skills to use in traditional classroom settings and beyond. Riecke Fellows begin the school year with new skills that lead to improvements in practice, curriculum and student achievement. At the conclusion of the fellowship, Riecke Fellows share what they have learned with their colleagues. The program has provided nearly $70,000 in fellowships since 2004.

The fellowship:

• Instills educators with a passion to teach, using innovative and creative teaching practices in the classroom setting and beyond.
• Leads to the exchange of new ideas, strategies and materials among educators so that knowledge gained will benefit students throughout the district.

Fellowships are awarded to individuals (up to $3,000) and teaching teams (up to $5,000). The number of grants and total amount awarded is determined each year based on the merits of the proposals and the availability of funds. The application is available in March with an early April deadline.

Achieve Volunteer Tutor Program

Achieve’s acclaimed tutoring program improves the academic performance of children who are struggling with their schoolwork, by pairing them with adult and peer volunteers. Begun in 1997, the initiative based on the notion that free tutoring, offered by trained volunteers, might help many children, who otherwise would not be able to afford this service, to advance toward their full academic potential.

District teachers refer students, who they believe would benefit from the help of a volunteer tutor. Each year, about 200 tutors — 50 adults and 150 students — are trained to assist 250-300 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Achieve’s tutors help students overcome academic challenges and gain confidence. Moreover, the students who serve as Achieve tutors reinforce their own learning and develop leadership skills.

Achieve’s Volunteer Tutor Program coordinator manages the program and arranges tutor-tutee matches. Teachers in the school district lead required training workshops and supervise tutoring sites in district schools.

Testimonials