Bainum Family Foundation Funds Afterschool Transportation

October 2015

For the fall semester, Bainum Family Foundation, formerly known as the Commonweal Foundation, renewed a grant to underwrite the cost of afterschool transportation at MCPS elementary schools. 

The grant continues an important partnership that enables MCPS elementary school students to take advantage of additional literacy instruction.

Last year, Students participating in twice weekly literacy tutoring programs with the Bainum Foundation Afterschool Program from Burnt Mills, Cresthaven, Galway, Georgian Forest, Jackson Road, Montgomery Knolls, Roscoe Nix, Oak View and Pine Crest Elementary Schools had afterschool activity busses provided for them free of charge.  

For the children enrolled in this literacy program, the afterschool transportation was a potential barrier to their participation.  “The additional funding for busses ensures that the program is reaching those students who need it most,” says Julia Lipton, the director of after school programs at Bainum Foundation.

Lipton also noted that the bus use is not limited to children in their afterschool program, as schools may allow students participating in other afterschool activities occurring at the same time to use the free transportation.

Bainum Foundation funds will enable parents who have limited or no access to a personal vehicle, to rely on school buses to get their children home safely following the afterschool activity.

“When MCPS stopped providing transportation for afterschool programs for elementary schools, our schools had a hard time ensuring that our target population could participate in our program," Lipton said.

The Bainum Foundation values continuous learning, integrity, collaboration and commitment. Bainum Foundation operates and supports educational programs and projects that create opportunities for children living in poverty to break the bonds of their circumstance by gaining access to quality educational opportunities and services.  Last school year, over 900 elementary students received tutoring with 175 paid teacher volunteers.