SOMEF: Welcome to the South Orange=Maplewood Education Foundation

SOMEF News

SOMEF mourns the passing of South Orange resident, Michael Graves. His family has established a memorial fund with SOMEF to be used fittingly for arts and architecture education purposes. Donations of $50 or more may be made via Pay Pal. Checks in any amount may be mailed to SOMEF. Please indicate “Michael Graves Fund” when making your contribution.

ON YOUR MARK, get set, go! Join the 6th annual Newstead 5K Run/Walk & Fun Run on Sept. 27 to benefit SOMEF this year. Questions? newstead5k@hotmail.com

Especially for teachers: – The grant application process has moved online! The deadline for applications is 10/15. More

Support our Back to School Campaign

SOMEF in the Summer - The following awardees completed SOMEF-funded projects in summer 2008:Michelle T. Riecke Teaching Fellows Bebe Greenberg, Donna Grohman and Jennifer Smalletz (Columbia U’s August Writing Institute), and Administrators Grant recipients Dr. Maryrose Caulfield-Sloan (Multi-Modal Learning), Thomas Gibbons (Reading Support) and Patricia O’Neill (Leadership Seminar).

Welcome to the South Orange-Maplewood
Education Foundation(SOMEF)
A proven partnership that works

The not-for-profit South Orange-Maplewood Education Foundation (SOMEF) is committed to raising meaningful funds to sustain excellence in education – excellence that the citizens of South Orange and Maplewood (NJ) count on for their children. With the support of the community and other partners, SOMEF has raised almost $1,000,000 for programs that keep the children and teachers of this district on the cutting edge of learning.

The organization’s core mission is to enhance the educational experience for all South Orange/Maplewood District students and staff. SOMEF supports initiatives that foster educational excellence through:

Innovation In Education
Educational Equity
Exceptional Facilities

SOMEF's initiatives and fundraisers are championed by more than 1,500 donors, many of whom also volunteer their time to support our programs and events.

SOMEF's primary initiatives include Teacher Grants, the ACHIEVE Volunteer Tutor Program, the Michelle T. Riecke Teaching Fellowship, and improvements to the Columbia High School TV Arts Program and Auditorium. Learn more by reading topics in the About Us section.

Please note: SOMEF is an independent, 501 (c)(3) non profit organization. SOMEF funds are granted exclusively for use in the School District of South Orange and Maplewood (NJ).