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By Rama K. Ramaswamy
The Wellesley Education Foundation (WEF) is a non-profit, tax-exempt community organization whose primary endeavor is to provide grants to educators for innovative educational projects at all grade levels. In awarding grants, WEF works closely with school administrators to fund projects that result in richer and deeper learning experiences and have the potential to impact a large number of students in innovative ways. For the 2012-2013 Academic Year, WEF funded grants to teachers and staff totaling over $120,000. Several larger initiatives were also supported by WEF, including $70,000 for the 1:1 Technology Pilot Expansion and $25,000 for the Wellesley Public School Strategic Plan Initiative.
Through the generosity of the family and friends of Ruth S. Walter, a fund for environmental education which was established in 1997, and under the management of WEF; with the direction of Matt King, (Ruth’s son-in-law and former superintendent of Wellesley Public Schools) the Ruth S. Walter Environmental (RSW) Education Fund invested close to $69,000 in 23 innovative grants between 1998 and 2015. These grants were awarded to educators across the district and funded activities that promoted awareness of the outdoors and the environment among educators and their students. Many grants directly involved students in these activities while others focused exclusively on professional and personal enrichment for teachers.
Recently, WEF hosted a celebration to acknowledge the extant impact made by the Ruth S. Walter Fund, showcase the resulting benefits, and afford recipients a chance to give WEF and the community their feedback. There were about 200 people in attendance, including students, faculty, WPS administration and parents, as well as WEF board members, past and present. According to WEF Co-Presidents Carol Morrow and Linda Chow, “the primary purpose of the gathering was to give the Evolutions students at Wellesley High School the chance to share their capstone projects with fellow students, parents and other members of the community. Since Dr. Jamie Chisum (Wellesley High School Principal) received one of the final grants of the Ruth S. Walter Environmental Education Fund last spring in support of launching ‘Evolutions’ this year, it was quite apropos to take the opportunity at the start of the expo to acknowledge and celebrate the Ruth Walter Fund.” Furthermore, Chow said, “Carolyn Collins, the WPS Elementary Science Curriculum Coordinator, also received three Ruth S. Walter grants last year, and spoke at the RSW celebration about the impact and success of those grants on elementary school students; specifically, she described the work they have been doing with help from the Audubon Society on ‘The Outdoor Classroom: Integrating Field Studies in the Science Curriculum.’” WEF co-Presidents Morrow and Chow said they were very happy about the turnout and feedback from the entire community in attendance. In addition, they agreed that they were “very pleased to be joined by Matt King and his wife Jenni.” Superintendent of Schools, David Lussier was also in attendance and spoke about the wide-ranging and multi-disciplinary benefits, resulting from the RSW Fund.
When asked about whether or not WEF’s co-Presidents felt that their goals were reached, Chow responded by saying, “we were happy with how the event went and feel that our goals were definitely met. It was gratifying and especially fitting to be able to celebrate the Ruth S. Walter Environmental Education Fund with the very students who directly benefited from one of the final grants. And it was clear from the remarks made by Jamie Chisum and Thom Henes, one of the Evolutions faculty members, just how grateful they are to WEF and the Ruth Walter fund for helping to make Evolutions possible.” Chow said, “Matt King and his wife were very touched by the celebration, even stopping to take a picture of one of the posters we had on display to post on Facebook.” Comments overheard from attendees included, “fabulous event”, “thank you to WEF and the Ruth Walter Environmental Fund” and according to Chow, “I should also mention how I was particularly impressed by the students as they described their projects- every one I spoke with, students and parents alike, just raved about the Evolutions experience.”
The celebration, it should be noted, included a slideshow of photos taken throughout the years of various RSW “grants in action,” as well as a table set up with two large sheet cakes. Attendees took their time to read and learn more about the RSW Fund and WEF as they helped themselves to a slice. WEF gifted Matt King and his wife Jenni a dedicated cheeseboard as a token deep gratitude and appreciation for their commitment to Wellesley and education for all. Wellesley High School and Evolutions program students, as part of one of their teams’ capstone projects, dedicated a bench and gifted it to veterans living in Wellesley. Rich Peterson, a technology and engineering teacher at WHS, used the laser engraver, which he was awarded last spring through a regular WEF grant (not RSW), to engrave it. Chow said the following about the bench, “it is quite stunning - the Evolutions program was funded in part by the Ruth S. Walter Fund.”
Ruth S. Walter was a Wellesley resident who, according to her family and friends, possessed a deep love of family, community, and the outdoors. She was an avid gardener, a passionate advocate for the environment, and an enthusiastic hiker. Ruth was devoted to public education in Wellesley as well. She was a member of the Wellesley School Committee from 1967 through 1973, serving as chair in 1968-69. She had four children who attended Wellesley public schools. In addition, Ruth was a Town Meeting member for twenty-five years and served as chair of the town’s Open Space Management Study Committee in 1977-79. Ruth also served as chair of the program ‘Wellesley A Better Chance’ and as a board member of the Wellesley Education Foundation. For more information, go to: www.wellesleyeducationfoundation.org.
