Past Grants

Food Studies Institute

For expansion of the Food for Life program at charter schools: Hampstead Hill Academy, The Stadium School, City Springs, and Collington Square. Designed to encourage the exposure to nutritional foods, the year-long hands-on food-based curriculum stresses the importance of acquiring knowledge about vitamins, whole grains, labeling, fat and sugar content, the difference between fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and the importance of exercise. Students are taught how to prepare food using recipes from around the world. The program involves families in community meals and gardens. To evaluate the degree of overall academic performance and student behavior as the consequence of healthier food choice, graduate students from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health will document the effectiveness of the program, gauging obesity reduction and improving the general health of the children.

The SEED Foundation

Toward operating costs for the final phase of development of a boarding school for at-risk youth in Baltimore City. To achieve the goal of opening the school in the fall of 2008, the final phase of the planning will include establishing a board of trustees, helping to raise $30 million in private funds, securing site control of the former Southwestern High School facility, completing construction, developing the curriculum and programming, hiring staff, training school leadership, and launching a statewide student recruitment campaign.

Baltimore Kids Chess League, Inc.

For support and expansion of the Chess Education Project, an after-school program for 70 Baltimore City public elementary and middle schools. The project will also encourage chess players to attend competitive regional and national tournaments, as well as a week-long USA Chess Camp during the summer of 2008.

Fund for Educational Excellence

For expansion of the Math Works initiative, a professional training program for second-grade through seventh-grade teachers in Baltimore City public schools to help close the achievement gap. By using electronic textbooks and hosting best practices forums, teacher discussion and workshop, the program aspires to have 90 percent of Math Works schools achieve math scores at proficiency levels as determined by the State of Maryland.

Sylvan Beach Foundation, Inc.

For a feasibility study of an initiative designed to create a central kitchen to prepare and serve nutritional breakfast and lunch to students at the ten charter schools in Baltimore City.