Home

The Belchertown Education Foundation (BEF) has awarded seven grants totaling nearly $23,000 to Belchertown Public Schools for the 2026-2027 school year, and $133,000 over the last decade.

“Our mission is to enrich the education of Belchertown Public School students by funding innovative, high-impact initiatives that would otherwise go unfunded,” says BEF Board President, Jennifer Faulkner. “Soon we will celebrate 10 years of impact and share gratitude with all who have touched the Foundation in some way. It’s because of our community that we continue to grow. This year we’ve granted one of the largest amounts in our history.”

The Foundation’s grant administrator, Stephen Bourgeois, notes that this year’s grants range from an Outdoor Classroom to projects that welcome  students entering new schools due to  the closure of Cold Spring School. “We awarded a grant to school nurses for the first time that enhances student safety during field trips. We also had the opportunity to expand upon past grants for a dyslexia library and new ovens to enhance baking skills leading to greater independence for Transitions Classroom students.” Check out the 2026-27 grants!

The TR Drost Company has donated $10,000 to the Belchertown Education Foundation’s 2026 campaign to help enrich education in Belchertown Schools. The parent organization of Window World of Western Mass, Hometown Exteriors, Go Green Home Performance, and The Kitchen & Bath Co., will have a Student Success Grant named in its honor in the fall 2026.

Check back soon! Call for Student Success Grants proposals opens in 2027. Learn more here.

The generosity of our corporate sponsors is a core source of grant funding. See and celebrate our sponsors!

Our volunteers have a positive, tangible impact on our local community and the educational experience of students in Belchertown Schools. Want to learn more? Visit us here!

At-home Reading Enrichment Book Bags, Swift River Elementary School

Reading to a child during the critical early years of reading development produces many positive benefits. It can significantly increase vocabulary, improve writing and critical thinking skills, and can even help children wind down before bed time. This grant funds books, bags and other materials to ensure all first grade students have constant access to books at home throughout the school year. Each week, all 140 first graders may bring home a new book bag containing three books on similar topics. The book kits will be reused every year, providing lasting impact into the future. More grants…