By Marisa Dawson
The Bennington Public Schools Foundation (BPSF) continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting students far beyond traditional classroom resources. A recent heartwarming example shows how the foundation stepped in to assist a student facing hearing loss, ensuring they could fully engage in their education.
A teacher reached out to the foundation after noticing one of their students had experienced hearing loss. The family needed a hearing aid costing over $4,000, which was financially out of reach. BPSF stepped in to help, taking a thoughtful approach to stewardship.
Megan Schafersman, Community Relations Program Coordinator for BPSF, explained the process: “Over the past few years our BPS staff have become more and more aware of what we can do for them and their students… Since 2014, the BPS Foundation has had a Student Needs Fund that helps meet student’s basic needs to succeed. While this need aligns with that fund’s purpose, we always want to be thoughtful stewards of our dollars. Because we’re familiar with resources that can better help in situations like this, we knew there may be grants available for this type of need—so instead of asking the family to figure that out on their own, we did the research for them.”
The team dedicated time to researching grant opportunities, identifying four potential options from local to national sources that could fully fund the hearing aid. They guided the family through the process, offering assistance with applications and a commitment to explore alternatives if needed.
The outcome was transformative: the family successfully applied and was approved for a grant providing a fully funded hearing aid.
The impact on the student was immediate and profound. The teacher shared heartfelt feedback: “I wanted to take a moment to thank you for going above and beyond to help my student’s family secure grant funding for his hearing aids. Your support made a tremendous difference for them, and they have shared how relieved and grateful they feel knowing their student now has what they need to access learning more fully. The student received their hearing aids and is already more engaged and confident in class. It has been wonderful to see this student participating and responding in ways that were more difficult before, and this truly would not have happened without your time, effort, and care for this family. Thank you again for your kindness, advocacy, and dedication to our students. We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful foundation who is so willing to step in and support our kids and their families when they need it most.”
This story exemplifies BPSF’s broader mission to support students’ overall well-being. As Schafersman described: “We exist to help our students in ways that go beyond the norm. Our recent strategic plan process put an emphasis on our mission to meet the needs of ALL students for them to succeed, with a vision to bridge financial and resource gaps so all students feel supported and connected to educational opportunities. Trust is a huge factor in embracing this concept of bridging resources and financial gaps to ensure ALL students are reached. When a teacher or community member reaches out to us with a need or resources, we make it our top priority to be responsive. We do not lead with the lens of ‘no.’ We lead with the lens of ‘Even if that’s not in our lane, how can we find a resource.’ This story is a great example of that process. We take pride in being responsive and innovative as a team to find ways to bridge as many gaps as possible and help our students and staff be successful no matter what that may bring.”
Beyond classroom innovations, BPSF serves as a trusted community connector for non-academic needs. Past examples include covering outstanding student lunch balances, providing essentials like backpacks, graduation caps and gowns, investing over 700+ hours annually in study center support for middle and high school students before and after school, and quickly establishing the Bennington Disaster Relief Fund in partnership with the Bennington Community Foundation following the devastating April 2024 tornado outbreak that struck areas including Elkhorn, Bennington, and Blair.
Schafersman also emphasized the vital role of foundation supporters: “We can’t do what we do without the support of community donors and supporters. Their financial support and trust in us is what gives us the credibility to be a trusted community connector to step in and assist students and their families when they need it most just like this.”
Through proactive resource connection and a student-centered approach, the Bennington Public Schools Foundation continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Bennington students and families.
