• MEF funds projects and programs which augment and enrich the curriculum and programs already in place or that bring new educational opportunities to the town’s residents and do not supplant programs traditionally funded by the district, state or federal budgets. The criterion for awarding grants shall be high-quality educational content, having a broad impact that will reach the greatest number of individuals as well as the greatest number of groups in the community (educators, children, parents, and seniors).

    Preference will be given to projects and programs, which will benefit the largest number of individuals and encourage collaboration among grades, disciplines, schools and/or the community. The Grant Committee may choose to offer partial funding at its discretion. MEF encourages collaborative funding and invites applicants to seek partial or additional funding from other sources.

    Foundation awards shall not fund supplies, professional development, books, etc., unless they are essential to the project. In addition, awards shall not typically fund transportation costs, compensation for substitute teachers, and salaries or stipends for additional staffing as part of an approved project. Finally MEF in its sole discretion may accept or reject any project and is under no obligation to fund a project that it determines does not fit in the spirit of its guidelines.

  • The MEF Grant Committee reviews grant applications each cycle and makes funding recommendations to the Board of Directors. This Committee shall maintain the anonymity of all grant applicants and applications to ensure fairness and alleviate potential bias. All grant applications are reviewed and decided upon “blindly”. Committee members shall review without knowledge of who submitted the applications. Grant award(s) are announced following the approval by the Board of Directors.

    The Project Lead must be involved in all stages of the project development from planning through evaluation. The Project Lead must complete and return an Evaluation Report at the conclusion of the project.

  • The projects should demonstrate sustainability, where applicable, and must have clear and well defined goals and clearly delineated educational value. The grant application must include the project's implementation timeline and a detailed budget. The administrator of the educational facility or agency must approve and sign all grant proposals. Grant proposals unaffiliated with a particular school or department will require the approval of the Superintendent of Schools and/or the mayor.

    All applications that include hardware and/or software acquisitions shall require the approval of the Network Administrator for compatibility and sustainability assurance.

    The MEF in its sole discretion may accept or reject any project and is under no obligation to fund a project that it determines does not fit with its philosophy or guidelines.

  • Grant recipients must agree to acknowledge the support of MEF in any printed material or presentations. The MEF Board of Directors must approve all amendments to the original grant project and/or budget.

    If a grant recipient is unable to administer the approved project, the grant recipient will return all allocated funds to MEF. The grant recipient may reapply during the next grant cycle. Any allocated funds not used for the approved project shall be refunded/returned to MEF.

  • The Montville Education Foundation, Inc. provides support for creative and innovative programs and opportunities in public/private and community education for Montville learners of all ages.

    Through collaboration with the Montville Public/Private Schools and Montville municipal departments, MEF promotes and enhances excellence in education and provides independent financial resources for educational initiatives.

  • Teachers, administrators, and other school professionals in the Montville Public/Private Schools.

    Other educational providers in municipal departments and community organizations.

    MEF encourages collaboration between students of all ages and abilities, parents, school professionals and/or community organizations.

  • The Grant Committee, comprised of business professionals, educators, administrators, active community leaders and dedicated volunteers, will consider in their discretion the following criteria when “blindly” reviewing each proposal:

    BROAD IMPACT

    Significant number of students, teachers, parents, administrators, community members… over an extended time… across schools, grades, departments, disciplines, community groups…

    How many students will benefit from participating in the program or be directly impacted by the project?

    Does the project have the potential of being replicated and impacting a larger number of students?

    Has collaboration—working together, joint effort—between schools and community groups been considered?

    INNOVATION

    Enhancement, expansion, adaptation, improvement, challenge, risk, “out-of-box” thinking, a new technique for learning…

    Does the grant proposal seek to achieve creative and unconventional pathways to learning that add depth to the curriculum and motivate students?

    Does the grant proposal address the varied educational needs of the community by exploring and developing new programs, choices and models for teaching and learning?

    EDUCATIONAL MERIT

    To what extent does the grant proposal enrich the curriculum?

    Does the proposal support the goals and curriculum objectives, and the educational values of the Schools, Public or otherwise or other educational objectives in the Town of Montville?

    SUSTAINABILITY

    Will the program be able to sustain itself or be replicated after initial funding?

  • Eligible educational providers may apply for the following:

    Mini Grant Funds up to $500 to educators for enrichment projects or programs and the associated equipment and materials.

    Grant Funds of more than $1,000 for unique programs which support multidisciplinary projects, and/or collaborative grade level, school level, and community projects.

  • You may access either grant application by using the links below.

  • MEF accepts applications during a fall and spring cycle.

  • FALL – October 31
    SPRING – April 30

    All Grant Applications must be completed and submitted using the MEF forms in order to be considered for funding.

    Grant Committee notifies grant applicants within one month of the deadline.

    All Grant Applications and supporting documents must be submitted by mail by the due date to MEF, P.O. Box 521, Uncasville, CT 06382.