The Connecticut Education Foundation (CEF), CEA’s charitable arm, supports students and teachers in many ways—through scholarships, holiday gifts, and critical aid when hardships arise. Most recently, CEF was in New London distributing donated school supplies to new educators.
“These supplies are a huge help,” said Nathan Hale Arts Magnet Elementary teacher Maddy Biggins, a first-year teacher. “I feel like a lot of teachers must take whatever they can get, wherever they can get it from.”
New London Education Association Vice President Katie Lazarus explained that in recent years ESSER funds allowed the district to provide teachers with a stipend to purchase supplies. With ESSER funds ending and the district facing budget cuts, that support is no longer available to educators.
“With the recent flat funding that we experienced, that assistance with school supplies has disappeared completely, and it’s left us in an even more dire situation than we were before,” Lazarus said.
CEA Vice President and CEF President Joslyn DeLancey noted that when the foundation receives donations such as the recent school supplies, the Foundation Board works to direct them to districts like New London that are struggling financially. She also reminded teachers that there are many ways to access CEF’s support.
“CEF runs the Children’s Fund, which is a reimbursement program,” she explained. “If you have a student in need, whether it be school supplies or maybe you have a student that really is in need of a new coat or eye glasses, there’s an application on the Children’s Fund site for you to fill out, and we will reimburse up to $150 for up to two kids in your classroom per year.”
DeLancey added that the Holiday Bear Project is now accepting nominations for students who otherwise would not receive gifts during the holidays.
CEA Vice President and CEF President Joslyn DeLancey talked to New London teachers about the many programs CEF supports for students and educators.
“Because there are so many kids that we provide gifts for, we have you nominate students in September,” DeLancey said. “This program serves students who are in the most need—whether they’re unhoused, new refugees, or experiencing real housing or food insecurity.”
The Holiday Bear Project serves students from pre-K through grade 12.
“There’s a wish list—you can note that a student likes basketball or Marvel comics or needs new gloves, and then we link each student up with a sponsor. During the holiday season, we drop off these very large duffel bags full of gifts for your students. We ask you to work with your school social workers to ensure all siblings in a family receive gifts.”
DeLancey continued, “I’ve had teachers who’ve gotten these duffel bags and literally have broken into tears knowing that their students are going to get these presents, so please consider nominating or sponsoring.”
CEF also runs Read Across Connecticut each February or early March, along with other programs such as the Boland Fund, which provides financial support to teachers facing catastrophic hardships, and scholarships to help diversify the teaching profession and support the children of CEA members pursuing teaching careers.
To sustain these programs, CEF will host the CEA Celebrates Fundraising Gala on October 24 at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The evening will feature a cocktail reception, awards, dinner, dancing, and a silent auction. Local Associations can participate as Gold or Silver Apple Sponsors —with a full or partially reserved table and recognition in the program booklet—or purchase individual tickets.
