New Foundation Looking To Enhance Students' Learning Opportunities

A group of parents has created a new organization to help raise money for the school district and expose students a variety of topics outside the regular school curriculum.

Robyn Kingston, Laura Stinziano, Eileen Albanese, and Kim Essen have recently formed the Wayne Education Foundation.

The organization operates independently of the district. Kingston, Stinziano, and Essen are Wayne  trustees. They, together with Albanese, regularly volunteer in the district.

“This is something that can bring the entire community together,” Kingston said.

The group is committed to raising funds to support district-wide initiatives that are not customarily funded by the district’s annual operating budget.

The group is planning on offering several summer camps at Wayne Hills High School after this school year has concluded.

Various subjects would be offered at each camp, including performing arts, culinary arts, academic topics, and sports. Each subject might be offered for a few weeks each with a different theme on that subject each week. The camps could give students the opportunity to learn about a variety of different facets of a particular subject.

“We want our kids to learn life skills. We want to teach them about something that will intrigue them and get them to ask questions and be critical thinkers,” Essen said. “One way we can do that is to expose our kids to a variety of different topics.”

The group would like to offer camps for kindergarteners through 12th graders. District teachers would teach the camps.

Local businesses and organizations could offset the cost of the camps with sponsorships.

The group is holding its first fundraiser on Saturday: a garage sale at Kingston’s house, 10 Stratton Drive, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Our goal is to provide funding that we can invest in our students and support innovation in teaching to help our students succeed in a global economy,” Kingston said.

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