Over $375K Granted in 2025
BTCF’s Education Enrichment Funds support community-driven projects that deepen learning and spark curiosity about the wider world.
“BTCF created Education Enrichment grants to give public schools access to cultural resources and opportunities outside the limits of their regular budgets,” says Maeve O’Dea, BTCF’s Program Director. “They let people who truly know a district—its culture, its students—support projects that meet real needs and ignite real interest.”
Grantmaking committees made up of teachers, residents, and even students, reflect each fund’s distinct history and evolving priorities. The Webutuck Quest for Excellence Fund began by supporting arts programs and has since grown to advance early literacy and bilingual education.
“Our bilingual community has expanded tremendously over the past decade,” says committee chair Lynn Buckley. Quest grants also help students step beyond their hometowns—visiting Broadway shows or major museums to gain a fuller sense of both urban and rural life.
This year, Quest grants funded portable microscopes for multilingual science learning, a reading and conversation circle, and a planetarium trip. Student involvement is also reshaping what enrichment looks like. One Quest project, proposed by student Giana Kall, launched the Webutuck Service Club, which raises awareness of social issues and supports classmates and neighbors through wellness kits, birthday kits, and community service.
Across the region, each fund adapts to its district’s changing needs. The Berkshire Hills Fund for Excellence (BHFE) approved nine projects this year, ranging from neurodiversity-affirming education to Holocaust studies to a partnership with the James Weldon Johnson Foundation, “People in the Berkshires: Integrating Culture, Environment and Education.” BHFE also supports bilingual students through the First-Generation College Support Program, and funded Greenagers’ 2026 “Women in Conservation, Agriculture, and Trade Conference,” which mentors up to 100 young women annually.
In Chatham, the Chatham Education Foundation (CEF), led by retired teacher Judi Matthews, fuels creative, future-focused ideas from teachers, students, nonprofits, and visiting artists.
“This year, CEF is pleased to support 29 projects varied in content, across all grade levels.” Matthews says. Students will participate in theater and museum trips, a Broadway master class, and immersive nature programming like “The Language of Birds.”
As these initiatives grow, they reach more students year after year. Increased grantmaking—driven by community giving, fundraising, and BTCF’s endowment strategy—continues expanding what’s possible.
“We are so grateful,” Matthews adds. “These grants allow us to sponsor so many great projects for our students.”
Acknowledgments: Research for this article included collaboration with Berkshire Taconic Community staff members Maeve O’Dea, Program Director, and Eric Jette, Community Engagement Officer for Scholarships and Education. We appreciate the firsthand insights from Lynn Buckley, Chair of the Webutuck Quest for Excellence Fund’s advisory committee and Judi Matthews, Chair of the Chatham Education Foundation.
