SOMEF: Innovation in education

Elementary school students focused on the human-animal bond through a teacher grant entitled "Humane Education."

We - the Foundation and our entire community - believe that supporting the initiative and ingenuity of our teachers is central to the goal of fostering educational excellence and maximum student achievement. Several SOMEF programs are designed to provide members of the educational staff of the South Orange & Maplewood Schools with opportunities to expand their own training and to put their ideas into action in the classroom. These include the Teacher Grants Program, The Michelle T. Riecke Teaching Fellowship, The Tripod Project, Summer Administrators' Grants and the Garubo Unity Grant.

Listed here are some of the SOMEF projects which have augmented the academic experience for the students and teachers in our District:

Interdisciplinary arts education for middle school students with the Whitney Museum of Art (New York City) and the Newark (NJ) Museum.
Improvements to the Columbia High School Television Arts Program
The Garubo Unity Grant

South Orange-Maplewood
Education Foundation(SOMEF)
Innovation in education

Middle school students participating in inter-disciplinary arts eduction at the Newark Museum.

These CHS students attended the American Conference on Diversity’s Lead for Diversity Youth Leadership Institute this past summer with the support of SOMEF’s Garubo Unity Grant.