Greenwich Country Day School’s Center for Public Good (CPG) has been awarded a prestigious Edward E. Ford Foundation Grant of $100,000. The Grant will support cultivating new and existing partnerships with non-profit organizations in the local community and beyond. It will allow GCDS, a leader in the local community, to continue to evolve the service-learning program into a fully integrated curriculum and an influential component of everyday conversations and decisions. Additionally, the E.E. Ford grant will allow GCDS to expand CPG grant awards to a greater number of applicants. Finally, this grant will allow for the creation of more opportunities for service internships and funding personnel to manage the program.
GCDS Head of School Adam Rohdie said, “We are deeply honored to have been selected from among the many deserving applications for this grant. As a school that has been committed to public service for almost a century, we are thrilled to be able to deepen and strengthen our relationships with over 40 nonprofits in the greater Fairfield Country area and beyond. The grant stipulates that we need to raise an additional $300,000 in a 3 to 1 match and I know that the GCDS community will be up for that challenge as these dollars will continue to make our world a better place.”
Since its founding and core to its Mission, service has been an integral component of the Greenwich Country Day School learning experience. In 2019, the Center for Public Good was established in order to secure and strengthen one of GCDS’s most cherished traditions. CPG’s purpose is to nourish our innate desire to make. the world a better place, to learn about society and its needs, and to be inspired to take action.
“It is a gift to be able to run the Center for Public Good at a school where so many current students, employees, and families, as well as alumni, and families of alumni want to engage in service work, said Jen Donnalley, Director of the Center for Public Good. Jen continues, “Ensuring that our youngest students are involved and engaged in meaningful service-learning is the most important step in developing service as a habit. With the addition of a high school, we had the unique opportunity to build a program before we opened the doors of our new division. Our Upper School students will each create an individualized service plan to intentionally ensure that service is a part of their lives while in high school, but more importantly, throughout their adult lives. Adding another person to our team will allow us to continue to create new programs to meet the interests of all of our students. One of the best aspects of running CPG is the opportunity to bring together our youngest and oldest students in the service of others, and I am thrilled to be able to expand these opportunities as well!”
About Edward E. Ford Foundation (eeford.org)
The Edward E. Ford Foundation seeks to improve secondary education by supporting U.S. independent schools and encouraging promising practices, helping them to grow and develop in pursuit of their own missions.
About GCDS (gcds.net)
Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS) is the only coeducational, college preparatory, independent school in Greenwich, CT, for Nursery through Grade 12. The purposeful mission of academic excellence and character development is as relevant today as it was at the school’s founding in 1926. GCDS’s curriculum builds a solid background in the sciences and humanities while challenging students to develop critical knowledge and skills through inquiry, exploration, interdisciplinary studies, and real-world applications. The school’s pedagogy and curricula seek to bring forward multiple perspectives, disciplines, and voices as a means to deepen learning and develop empathy—all to help GCDS students graduate as engaged, ethical global citizens. Important lessons are learned not only in the classroom, but also on the playing fields, in the art room, on stage, and through extracurricular activities, such as the chess team, robotics club, and student publications. An extensive community service program and numerous leadership opportunities teach students to turn their initiative and generosity into meaningful action. GCDS is a joyful learning environment where curiosity and creativity are valued, resilience is cultivated, and the health and well-being of every student is essential. GCDS graduates are known as exceptionally well-prepared for success in higher education—and in life.
