January’s Featured Grant was presented to the BEF community at this year’s Green Apple Event, graciously held at the home of board member Neda Toloue and her family. Driscoll kindergarten teachers Deana Shea and Kayte Lenahan reported on their grant titled Collaboration, Connection and Learning at the 2025 NAEYC Conference.
Deana has taught in the Public Schools of Brookline since 2011, and Kayte has been teaching in the district since 2017. Neither had applied for a BEF grant prior to last spring. They shared the broad array of takeaways from their trip to the NAEYC conference, including very specific new skills and ideas for working with students on the autism spectrum, and more general benefits of collaborating with each other and a diverse group of early educators from around the country. For both educators, the experience has helped them find new energy and focus in their work with some of Brookline’s youngest learners, and they have shared their knowledge and perspectives with colleagues, including a new hire in their Driscoll kindergarten team, and teachers from across Driscoll and around the district. They hope to apply for more grants in the future, and to encourage their colleagues to join them!