In celebration of their 15th Birthday the Milton Foundation of Eduation is inviting parents and residents to learn more about how the foundation has enhanced the education of students in the Milton public schools since 1995.

At every school’s Open House this fall, the MFE will be highlighting many of the contributions that they have made to the schools over the last decade and a half. The MFE will invite parents to have a piece of birthday cake and discover how the foundation has supported the arts, physical education, math, science and technology, the libraries, languages and literature at every grade level and at every school. During the Open Houses, parents will be encouraged to look for the stars which will be placed on hundreds of items donated by the MFE throughout the years, including language labs technology, bio tech equipment, smartboards, books, globes, art supplies, and much more.

The Milton Foundation for Education has awarded $2 million in grants to teachers and schools since its creation in 1995. Twice a year, the MFE solicits proposals from teachers and staff and in the last 15 years has funded a wide array of teacher-initiated projects. Through Glover’s “Turner’s Pond Study” and Cunningham’s “Elm Tree Farm” project and Collicot’s “Using Maps to Understand the World” and Tucker’s “GeoSafari Theater” and Pierce’s “Incentive Program for Academic Achievement” and Milton High School’s “Jazz Ensemble and Concert Band’s CD,” literally thousands of Milton’s children have been touched by the grants provided by the Milton Foundation for Education over the years.

In addition, the MFE sponsors the Celebration for Education each year with funds earmarked for specific departments or disciplines within the school system. Michael Hoy graduated from Milton High School in the spring and will be a freshman at Holy Cross this fall. He credits the high school’s Biotech Lab, funded with proceeds from the 2006 CFE, with sparking his interest in biotechnology and research. “I had an opportunity to do lab research that is almost unheard of at the high school level,” Hoy said. “I feel like the experience I gained at the high school will give me an enormous advantage in college.”

The Milton Foundation for Education also sponsors the Monster Dash, an annual road race held in honor of Sam Cichello, a Tucker school student who died in a tragic playground accident in 1999. All funds raised in the Monster Dash support science enrichment in the elementary schools. One of the programs that the Monster Dash supports is Science Across Milton, known as Project SAM, which brings innovative science lessons and lesson plans to classrooms across town. The program also draws on the resources and expertise of the Blue Hills Trailside Museum on Route 138, where students visit to learn from museum exhibits and also present the results of their scientific investigations.

Mary McLaughlin is the president of the Milton Foundation for Education and is proud of the difference the MFE has made in the lives of so many students. Noting that the MFE has given the schools $2 million over the years, she believes the MFE has enhanced nearly every aspect of the education the town provides its students. “There’s no question that we have an extraordinary school system in Milton,” McLaughlin said. “But spending cuts have affected every town department, including the schools. For 15 years, through the generosity of our sponsors and donors, the MFE has provided funding for creative enrichment activities and learning opportunities that could not be considered in the regular budget.”

For more information on the MFE and its grants or to make a donation in honor of their 15th Birthday, please visit their website at miltonfoundationforeducation.org.