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New
trustees bring talents to enrich public education
People who live in Lawrence Township take public education seriously. In the past fiscal year, $107,000 in donations from individuals and companies went directly to enrichment programs in the Lawrence Township public schools. The money was raised by the Lawrence Township Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that awards grants to teachers who come up with stimulating projects. Five new trustees, all with direct personal and family experience with LTEF programs, were officially welcomed at the September 5 meeting of the Foundation's Board of Trustees, bringing a wide range of talents and experience to the table. They are Howard Azer, Beth Brobst, Ed Freeland, Carlos Hendricks and Sheryn Nalbone. Howard Azer is president of his own accounting firm, Howard Azer Associates. He and his wife, Laurie, have two children in the Lawrence Township school system, Josh (18) and David (15). Josh took part in the LTEF-funded Peer Leadership program at the High School, a mentoring initiative that helps freshmen from Washington and Lawrence Townships get to know each other and make the most of their high school years. Howard is impressed with LTEF's 85 percent return -- directly to the schools -- of all funds raised, an unusually high percentage for a nonprofit. As a trustee, he will focus on fundraising, financial management and public relations. Beth Brobst is a software developer at Merrill Lynch. She has two children, Cara (14) and Allison (11). As a past president of the Lawrence Elementary School PTO, Beth is comfortable speaking to large groups of people and hopes her skills will help to spread the word about the Foundation's work. After managing numerous small projects, she looks forward to the scope and variety of the LTEF's work. Her daughter Cara, a freshman in the Lawrence High School, has benefited from many LTEF enrichment projects in past years, says Brobst. Ed Freeland is associate director of Princeton University's Survey Research Center. He and his wife, Janine Calogero, have four children, Patricia (13), Victoria (11), Edward (7) and Maura, (3). He was invited to join the trustees after volunteering for passage of the Special Playground and Safety referendum in 2000, and after his work toward passage of the 2002 referendum on school construction and repairs. A voter registration drive brought in 200 new voters, absentee ballots were distributed and fliers and brochures were produced to support the campaign. The LTEF does a terrific job allowing teachers and staff to try new programs that are normally beyond the scope of the school budget. Teachers can be innovative and find new ways to stimulate the kids, says Freeland. Carlos Hendricks and his wife, Emmy, have two children, Carlos Jr. (20) at Wesley College, and Brittany (16 ), a student at Lawrence High School. Hendricks is executive director of the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center on Eggerts Crossing Road, which provides after-school programs, day care, Arts for Life -- a dance and theatre program -- and other essential services. Carlos hopes his LTEF service will mean greater opportunities for children from low or moderate-income families who need encouragement to join extra-curricular activities, such as the student council, French Club and Spanish Club. He will work on fundraising and public relations, hoping to find ways to integrate the kids he works with into school programs of all kinds. He feels teachers need partners in the community to help them stimulate their students. Sheryn Nalbone retired July 31 after 34 years as a Language Arts Resource and Reading Recovery teacher in the Lawrence Township school system. She continues to work as a test assessor at ETS and a part-time learning coach at Eldridge Park School. Sheryn wrote many grants during her career and is a firm believer in the LTEF program. As a Grant Buddy, she meets with teachers who receive LTEF grants and keeps the trustees informed about the progress of each project. Her daughters, Nicole and Danielle, both successful young executives, came through the Lawrence school system. Sheryn is always looking for more people to donate to her favorite cause. We are asking teachers to contribute to LTEF by payroll deduction, she says. Community volunteers who govern the Foundation are committed to helping to enhance education in the Lawrence Township Public School District by providing grants for teachers and projects that strengthen the curriculum and advance student achievement; generating corporate, foundation and individual donations to support programs and projects that might otherwise not be financed by the school district; and encouraging area volunteers to get involved. Elisabeth Hagen is a freelance writer living in Lawrenceville. |
