The Westgate Fund provides educators in the Monomoy Regional School District and at Cape Cod Tech with some of the funding they need to broaden their horizons and those of their students.
The Fund was established in 1989 to provide grants to Chatham school teachers for advanced study programs for professional growth. Teachers must demonstrate the advantages that their students and the community will receive in order to be granted an award. Teachers must also find other funds, including their own. Westgate grants may not be used for required coursework to renew teaching credentials.
Through the 70 grants made to date, Chatham and Harwich educators have attended summer courses or programs at universities in fourteen countries and ten states. While most activities occur during the summer, some teachers attend night and weekend courses during the school year. Participants have included elementary, middle and high school teachers and administrators.
For 2019, on the basis of responses from school principals, we selected Chatham Elementary School for teacher applications. We budgeted $5,000 for that year.
To read about former recipients’ experiences, visit the projects of past recipients.
Our volunteer advisory board makes recommendations to the School Committee which makes final decisions on the funds to be awarded. As we add enthusiastic new members from Harwich and Chatham to the Westgate Committee, we will ensure that this vibrant program meets the evolving needs of our community and our teachers.
The new regional district triples the number of teachers eligible for grants. The current endowment of $140,000 was raised by Chatham friends to honor Bill Westgate (Chatham School Committee 1972-84), who initiated this program with funding from the South Branch Foundation. Since grant money comes primarily from income from this endowment, we must expand our funding base in both Harwich and Chatham in order to support the increase in demand for teacher fellowships.
As members of this community, we are asking for your support in helping us build the Westgate Teachers Fellowship Fund so that the teachers in the Monomoy Schools may continue to bring unique and exceptional learning experiences into their classrooms. If you wish to honor someone, perhaps a family member or a former teacher, we will recognize that. All contributions are tax-deductible.
Westgate Fellowships provide yeast to the schools with lasting results. The 70 teachers that have received Fellowships in the past 40 years have impacted about 100 students each, annually, for at least 15 years, benefiting well over 100,000 student-years since 1984. Contributions to this fund are long-term investments in our community.
Please use the information below in making your donation. Thank you.
Pam Groswald, co-chair Email: pam.arv@verizon.net
Michael Westgate, co-chair Email: vickgate@aol.com
Checks should be made out to the Town of Chatham with Westgate Fund in the memo line.
Please mail your check to:
Westgate Fund
c/o Michael Westgate
344 Cedar Street
Chatham, MA 02633
Please include the information below, thank you.
Lines asterisked (*) are optional.
Name _____________________________________
*Class of ________
* _____ Parent of children _____ Grandparent of children
* _____ Employer of graduates
*Chatham______ Harwich ______ MRSD_______ Cape Cod Tech_______
Address ________________________________________________________________
*Phone _________________________ *Email _____________________________
Please indicate how you would like the funds to be used:
A. Added to the endowment Fund
B. Made available for current Fellowships
*I would like my donation to be listed in honor of:Â
*Notes:
You may download a PDF of this form here: Download the donation form (pdf)
