The Gloucester Education Foundation drives innovation, encourages creativity, expands student opportunities, and empowers educators to strengthen teaching and learning in the Gloucester Public School District. Since 2005, we have raised over $11 million to support thousands of students in the Gloucester Schools.

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20th Gala

See What’s Happening at GEF!

Featured
GEF FY25 Impact Report celebrates hands-on learning!
GEF FY25 Impact Report celebrates hands-on learning!
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Arts Fest 2025: a grand success!
Arts Fest 2025: a grand success!

A recap of GEF and GPS’s annual celebration of arts and creativity!

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Power of Play Returns in 2025!
Power of Play Returns in 2025!

Everyone’s favorite “Day of Play” is back!

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2024 was a big year - check out some highlights!
2024 was a big year - check out some highlights!

Our annual Year-in-Review

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GEF Board Member Dawn - and GEF Board Dog Pip! - passed out candy in front of our office during the adorable Toddler Halloween Parade today. Always a happy day on Main Street! 🎃 👻 🍭
GEF Board Member Dawn - and GEF Board Dog Pip! - passed out candy in front of our office during the adorable Toddler Halloween Parade today. Always a happy day on Main Street! 🎃 👻 🍭
The GHS Carpentry Shop built these AMAZING Little Free Libraries for GEF! They will be auctioned off at our gala on 11/6, to be placed at each elementary school (after being painted by students in each school’s signature colors 💙💚🩵💜). PLUS: there’s a fifth one that a lucky community member will win for their home or neighborhood, too, through our 20th anniversary silent auction! It goes live on Monday at www.thinkthebest.org, and anyone can place a bid - you don’t need gala tickets to get in on the celebration. Thank you to Carpentry teacher Steve Abell for leading this effort, and volunteer Kristin Michel for dreaming up the idea.
There is NOTHING more fun than a sparkly dress-up party at Bananas 🍌 … …except, we suspect, GEF’s 20th Anniversary Gala on November 6th, where sparks will fly! Do you have YOUR outfit and bling lined-up yet?? ✨ ✨ ✨ Thank you to Gala Committee Member @saraseber_realtor for organizing this with videographer @tomcurry for @evbythesea, Richard Leonard of @bananasvintagegloucester, and our supermodels (Maggie Rosa, Stuart + Emily Siegel, Val Gilman, and Sara Seber).
The GHS Gender Equity in STEM Club is off to an amazing start this year! Supported by a generous multiyear grant from @applied__materials to GEF, the club kicked off the year with a packed first meeting (52 students!) and an inspiring guest speaker
The GHS Gender Equity in STEM Club is off to an amazing start this year! Supported by a generous multiyear grant from @applied__materials to GEF, the club kicked off the year with a packed first meeting (52 students!) and an inspiring guest speaker event featuring Nicole Carter Quinn, Executive Director of the Women and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. Hat tip to Club Coordinator Roseann Vidal and GHS Science Teacher Eric Leigh, who together with their students have created something pretty spectacular for GHS. Can't wait to see what their first field trip will be!
Have you heard that GEF and GPS are exploring a renovation of the O’Maley Courtyard, that dull concrete slab in front of the school? WE ARE! This ambitious effort feels like the right undertaking for GEF’s 20th anniversary year: a reimagi
Have you heard that GEF and GPS are exploring a renovation of the O’Maley Courtyard, that dull concrete slab in front of the school? WE ARE! This ambitious effort feels like the right undertaking for GEF’s 20th anniversary year: a reimagined, active, vibrant courtyard will benefit thousands of students, staff and families for decades to come, every single day. Over the past week we’ve met with O’Maley students, teachers, administrators, parents/caregivers (past-present-future) and city officials to begin looking at draft concepts created by @agencylp, the landscape architects GEF hired to conduct a feasibility study (these are some of the folks that re-designed Boston’s City Hall Plaza!). Lots of input and feedback and great ideas were gathered, and the overwhelming response, across the board, was: “THIS WOULD BE SO AWESOME!”, followed by “WHEN CAN THIS HAPPEN?!?” (it would be, and we’re still early in the process 😉) Want to learn more? Join GEF at our 20th Anniversary Gala on 11/6/25 where we will be sharing a concept that takes lots of stakeholders’ ideas into consideration, with O’Maley students at the center. Link in bio for tickets 🎟️! They’re going fast…
We had a lovely gathering at @talise_restaurant tonight, where GEF champions and GEF newbies came together to mix and mingle and hear about 20 years of impact - and what’s coming next! The highlight was hearing from GHS senior Rafael Jabba, w
We had a lovely gathering at @talise_restaurant tonight, where GEF champions and GEF newbies came together to mix and mingle and hear about 20 years of impact - and what’s coming next! The highlight was hearing from GHS senior Rafael Jabba, who shared his experience in the GEF-funded engineering and band programs. Keep an eye on this kid; he’s headed for greatness. Thank you to Ariel and Josh Smith for opening their lovely space on a night off; to hosts Maggie Rosa and @saraseber_realtor for gathering such a wonderful group of supporters; and to everyone who came out to celebrate and learn more. We’ll see you at our 20th Anniversary Gala on 11/6!
Hearing these students play Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” yesterday was the perfect start to our week! Make it even better by supporting their band program, which is facing a shortfall this year. GEF and GPS want to ensure that ANY 4t
Hearing these students play Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” yesterday was the perfect start to our week! Make it even better by supporting their band program, which is facing a shortfall this year. GEF and GPS want to ensure that ANY 4th-8th grader that wants to learn an instrument can, at no cost to their family. Thank you to @musicdrivesus for putting a big dent in our fundraising yesterday with a generous $10,000 grant! Read all about it in the Gloucester Daily Times, and see links in comments to donate today 👇🏽
📣Calling all Gloucester High School families!📣 The annual Cape Ann College & Career Fair is Tuesday 9/30 at Ipswich High School!
📣Calling all Gloucester High School families!📣 The annual Cape Ann College & Career Fair is Tuesday 9/30 at Ipswich High School!
Another Meet-the-Teacher night, another collage of groovy elementary art! Thanks for having us, Plum Cove crew, and kudos to art teacher Lisa Groleau on this one. 🎯
Another Meet-the-Teacher night, another collage of groovy elementary art! Thanks for having us, Plum Cove crew, and kudos to art teacher Lisa Groleau on this one. 🎯
Thank you West Parish for hosting GEF at your Meet-the-Teacher Night tonight! We love chatting with staff and families, meeting new PTO leaders, and having GEF student advisors like Clay help with events like these. Bonus: getting to 👀 the incredibl
Thank you West Parish for hosting GEF at your Meet-the-Teacher Night tonight! We love chatting with staff and families, meeting new PTO leaders, and having GEF student advisors like Clay help with events like these. Bonus: getting to 👀 the incredible Hall of Doodles on the first floor! Look for us at each GPS school over the next few weeks, and stop by to learn about the ways we help teachers bring joyful learning opportunities to Gloucester students.
✨ We're getting into a sparkly 20th anniversary mood at GEF! ✨ Make sure you reserve your seat (or table!) for our November 6th Gala before we sell out, and stay tuned for previews of our auction items, lightbulb party game (you're going to love it)
✨ We're getting into a sparkly 20th anniversary mood at GEF! ✨ Make sure you reserve your seat (or table!) for our November 6th Gala before we sell out, and stay tuned for previews of our auction items, lightbulb party game (you're going to love it), speakers, guest musicians, and more! www.thinkthebest.org/gala
If these gorgeous sunflowers growing at one of our elementary schools don’t make you smile, nothing will. 🌻 Happy Friday to GPS students, staff and families on their first full week!
If these gorgeous sunflowers growing at one of our elementary schools don’t make you smile, nothing will. 🌻 Happy Friday to GPS students, staff and families on their first full week!
Yesterday West Parish art teacher Lauren Grace stopped by the GEF office to pick up some donated fabric for 5th grade play costumes. She was extra excited about the purple velvet! The play was just announced yesterday to students…any guesses
Yesterday West Parish art teacher Lauren Grace stopped by the GEF office to pick up some donated fabric for 5th grade play costumes. She was extra excited about the purple velvet! The play was just announced yesterday to students…any guesses what it might be? 🤔
GEF is a proud supporter of O'Maley Academy, GPS's after school and summer program serving more than 250 students in grades 6-8 - at no cost to families. Fall sign-ups are now open and this term's classes look AWESOME! Scan the QR code for the full d
GEF is a proud supporter of O'Maley Academy, GPS's after school and summer program serving more than 250 students in grades 6-8 - at no cost to families. Fall sign-ups are now open and this term's classes look AWESOME! Scan the QR code for the full details on all programming and to register. Links in comments, too.
What an absolutely beautiful day to celebrate our new library! 🎉 🙌🏽 📚 @sawyerfreelibrary @sawyerfree2025
What an absolutely beautiful day to celebrate our new library! 🎉 🙌🏽 📚 @sawyerfreelibrary @sawyerfree2025
GEF Board Member Dawn - and GEF Board Dog Pip! - passed out candy in front of our office during the adorable Toddler Halloween Parade today. Always a happy day on Main Street! 🎃 👻 🍭
The GHS Carpentry Shop built these AMAZING Little Free Libraries for GEF! They will be auctioned off at our gala on 11/6, to be placed at each elementary school (after being painted by students in each school’s signature colors 💙💚🩵💜). PLUS
There is NOTHING more fun than a sparkly dress-up party at Bananas 🍌 … …except, we suspect, GEF’s 20th Anniversary Gala on November 6th, where sparks will fly! Do you have YOUR outfit and bling lined-up yet?? ✨ ✨ ✨ Thank you t
The GHS Gender Equity in STEM Club is off to an amazing start this year! Supported by a generous multiyear grant from @applied__materials to GEF, the club kicked off the year with a packed first meeting (52 students!) and an inspiring guest speaker Have you heard that GEF and GPS are exploring a renovation of the O’Maley Courtyard, that dull concrete slab in front of the school? WE ARE! This ambitious effort feels like the right undertaking for GEF’s 20th anniversary year: a reimagi We had a lovely gathering at @talise_restaurant tonight, where GEF champions and GEF newbies came together to mix and mingle and hear about 20 years of impact - and what’s coming next! The highlight was hearing from GHS senior Rafael Jabba, w Hearing these students play Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” yesterday was the perfect start to our week! Make it even better by supporting their band program, which is facing a shortfall this year. GEF and GPS want to ensure that ANY 4t 📣Calling all Gloucester High School families!📣 The annual Cape Ann College & Career Fair is Tuesday 9/30 at Ipswich High School! Another Meet-the-Teacher night, another collage of groovy elementary art! Thanks for having us, Plum Cove crew, and kudos to art teacher Lisa Groleau on this one. 🎯 Thank you West Parish for hosting GEF at your Meet-the-Teacher Night tonight! We love chatting with staff and families, meeting new PTO leaders, and having GEF student advisors like Clay help with events like these. Bonus: getting to 👀 the incredibl ✨ We're getting into a sparkly 20th anniversary mood at GEF! ✨ Make sure you reserve your seat (or table!) for our November 6th Gala before we sell out, and stay tuned for previews of our auction items, lightbulb party game (you're going to love it) If these gorgeous sunflowers growing at one of our elementary schools don’t make you smile, nothing will. 🌻 Happy Friday to GPS students, staff and families on their first full week! Yesterday West Parish art teacher Lauren Grace stopped by the GEF office to pick up some donated fabric for 5th grade play costumes. She was extra excited about the purple velvet! The play was just announced yesterday to students…any guesses GEF is a proud supporter of O'Maley Academy, GPS's after school and summer program serving more than 250 students in grades 6-8 - at no cost to families. Fall sign-ups are now open and this term's classes look AWESOME! Scan the QR code for the full d What an absolutely beautiful day to celebrate our new library! 🎉 🙌🏽 📚 @sawyerfreelibrary @sawyerfree2025