school children playing ukuleles

A Program Benefiting Area Schools

Through the Area School Partnership Program, the Foundation awards grants on an annual basis for public education projects which are beyond the scope of the regular school budget.

“We are excited to offer this program to area schools,” said Cammie Mengwasser, WACF executive director. “While schools within Watertown’s city limits are always eligible to apply for grants, this new program enables us to support other area schools as well. Our students are important to our community’s growth and future,” she added.

School districts within approximately 30 miles of Watertown are eligible to apply. Foundation staff is available to assist interested applicants regarding the appropriateness of a project for consideration. Grant applications are due April 15 with final determination on all proposals made by the Foundation Board in June.

Download the Area School Grant Application >

Area School Grants

2023 School Grants

  • Castlewood School District: $2,100 for a 3-year subscription to Edpuzzle, a creative e-learning tool for both students and staff.
  • Florence School District: $2,500 to purchase range and ovens for the new Family and Consumer Science Program.
  • Hamlin School District: $2,500 to assist with the purchase of GoGuardian classroom management software.
  • Waverly-South Shore School District: $2,250 to be used to purchase decodable readers and other interventions used in Response to Interventions to assist students in the areas of fluency, comprehension, and spelling.

2022 School Grants

  • Estelline: $1,000 - Support for relaxations/stimulus/sensory needs
  • Florence: $2,500 - To establish a PTO
  • Hamlin: $2,500 - Video cameras, ukuleles, Spanish books and "Community Building" kits
  • Henry: $1,875 - Second Step Digital Program for K- 8th-grade

2021 School Grants

  • Clark: $2,500 - Robot cameras
  • Estelline: $625 - Test-Out certification licenses
  • Florence: $2,500 - Missoula Children's Theater visit to school
  • Hamlin: $2,500 - Quad tom drum for music department and pub mill for recycling purposes

2020 School Grants

  • Castlewood:  $2,500 - Flexible seating for 3 classrooms
  • Estelline: $2,500 - Literacy footprints K-6 complete collections
  • Florence: $2,500 - Flexible seating, 7 tables & 28 chairs
  • Hamlin: $2,500 - 3D printers, drones & lego roller coasters & robots

2019 School Grants

  • Florence:  $2,500.00 - Playground equipments
  • Hamlin:  $2,500.00 - 2 zSpace computers & goggles

2018 School Grants

  • Castlewood:  $2,499 - Robot2 device for Robotics program
  • Estelline: $2,400 - 6 iPads for HS music composition course
  • Hamlin: $2,500 - Robotics kits, iPads, 3D printer & drones
  • Henry: $2,500 - VexEDR robots kits & coding curriculum

2017 School Grants

  • Clark:  $2,000 - STEM kits for new Clark Elementary science lab
  • Deuel: $2,500 - Financial support for JAG (Jobs for America's Graduates)

Total Granted: $54,749