The Newton Schools Foundation seeks donations to support the initiatives it has approved for the first year of its Campaign for Innovation(PDF), including the following STEM-oriented initiatives:

Newton South HS Green Trail Project will link the wetlands project, South’s organic garden, the greenhouse, and the aquariums representing the Charles River and Boston Harbor.  Additionally, South will institute a new native forest project as an
outdoor laboratory for native plant and bird identification and research, as well as a connection to the Kennard Park and conservation area off Dudley Road.

Middle School Math Summer Institute will enable teachers to provide new and exciting mathematical experiences for their students. They will experience the beauty and power of mathematics as they develop their mathematical practice, and collaborate to develop full lessons and units based on activities developed to reveal important mathematical ideas. The work will build on the curriculum that the teachers have adapted over the past two years to meet the Common Core State Standards.

Middle Schools Math Enrichment is a new summer program, modeled after a successful program in Brookline, to prepares middle-school students for success in accelerated math.

Middle School Engineering and Sustainable Energy Generation: Wind Turbines and Blade Design will enable the Engineering teachers at all four middle schools to design an innovative curriculum focused on on energy generation through improving blade design.  Students will design blades, test them with a wind turbine to measure the energy generated, and use the data to determine the best design within the project cost and material constraints.

NSF is a 501c3 public charity dedicated to raising private funds to support innovative teaching and learning throughout the Newton Public Schools.  NSF intends to expand its Campaign for Innovation in subsequent years to foster innovation in all 22 of Newton’s public schools.  Initiatives are identified by NPS faculty and administration and must align with the NPS Vision and Mission and one or more of the School Committee’s approved system-wide goals (PDF).