The Foundation for Portland Public Schools (FPPS) is excited to announce that it is awarding a record 137 grants, totaling $149,986, to Portland Public Schools (PPS) staff and students this fall.
“These grants are meant to recognize and reward ideas to inspire students and improve learning outcomes,” said Andrea Weisman Summers, Executive Director of FPPS. “Our students today will be our community’s leaders and innovators tomorrow. We want to do everything we can to set them up for success.”
The awards include 94 Equity & Innovation Grants, which fund projects to inspire students and improve educational outcomes, 33 Co-Curricular Grants, which benefit school clubs and activities, and 10 Food Fund grants to address food insecurity. Grants will be awarded to staff and students in 16 schools as well as district-wide programs, including all 22 PPS pre-K classrooms.
“I’m so grateful for this funding that allowed me to make my dream course a reality,” Kristin Leffler, a teacher at Deering High School, said of a grant she received last year. “Students were able to get hands-on experience with professional media equipment that enhanced their storytelling skills and, through that work, they built a stronger and more critical understanding of journalism.”
Funding for these grants was donated in honor of Meghan Mellor Trulaske Miers, a PPS parent who passed away in 2024.
