FACES Awards Over $22K in Grants to Foxborough Public Schools

The non-profit community organization F.A.C.E.S. (Foxborough: A Community Enriching Schools) continued its mission to enhance student achievement and development throughout Foxborough’s Public Schools Monday by awarding several grants to the following schools:

Foxborough High School

• Science department will receive funds for a flipped classroom pilot program. A flipped classroom reverses or “flips” the traditional classroom structure of a teacher presenting information during class and students doing their homework outside of class. In the flipped classroom, students learn the material outside the classroom, typically online and then work on activities during class with the teacher serving less as a lecturer and more as a mentor.

• Social studies department received seed money for a full video production lab and 10 iMac computers.

Ahern Middle School

• Grad 6 math received funds for six Hovercam T3s

Burrell Elementary School

• Grades 1-3 received five Hovercam T3s.

F.A.C.E.S. awarded $22,159 in grants this year and since its inception in 2008 has awarded Foxborough schools 54 grants totaling $188,896.02.

“Every year we are privileged to hear about the grants F.A.C.E.S. provides to our students,” said school committee member Bruce Gardner.

School Committee chair Beverley Lord echoed Gardner’s appreciation for F.A.C.E.S., calling the organization a “vital” part of the schools community.

“F.A.C.E.S. had over $92,000 worth of requests for this year alone,” Lord said. “People, if they are provided the way, they will innovate. You are a vital part of our system.”

Over the years, F.A.C.E.S. has focused a lot of its grants in the area of technology for Foxborough students but has also provided the school system with professional storytellers and children’s authors. Of the 54 grants, Ahern Middle School has received 22, Foxborough High School 12, Burrell Elementary eight and Igo and Taylor Elementary Schools six apiece.

F.A.C.E.S. member Angela Davis said the many grant proposals the community organization received this year further demonstrated the “caliber of teachers in town.”

“[The teachers] continue to display the caring and investment they have in the community,” Davis said.

And while F.A.C.E.S. was unable to award all applicants with grant monies this year, F.A.C.E.S. member Christine Igo Freeman encouraged teachers to continue to apply.

“Teachers please continue to keep sending us your grants,” Freeman said. “If we could we would fund every single one. Please don’t ever get discouraged and continue to ask for these grants.”

Davis expressed appreciation to the many people in town who support Foxborough’s schools and F.A.C.E.S. to make this enrichment for students possible.

“We don’t do this work on our own,” Davis said. “It’s a larger community organization. The sponsors we have worked hard to support us financially through events and fundraisers. We have a very special community here and a very special school system.”

The school committee voted to accept the F.A.C.E.S. grants Monday.