Summer 2026 Travel Grant Recipients
Each summer, Newtown Friends School awards Travel Grants that allow faculty to design meaningful travel experiences directly connected to their classroom teaching and work with students. Funded by income from a portion of the school’s endowment, this program reflects NFS’s deep commitment to professional growth, experiential learning, and bringing the wider world into our classrooms.
We are delighted to announce the Summer 2026 Travel Grant recipients and share a glimpse into the inspiring projects they will pursue.
Sophie Sproul
Strengthening the NFS Learning Support Program Through Finland’s Comprehensive Education Study Tour
Sophie will participate in a week-long, expert-led study tour of Finland’s renowned education system, including full-day visits to Finnish schools. This immersive experience will allow her to observe how classroom design, teacher routines, expectations for student independence, and approaches to diverse learning needs work together to create calm, predictable, and highly supportive learning environments.
Sophie is particularly interested in how Finnish educators integrate executive functioning support into everyday instruction, foster student independence within structured settings, and collaborate in ways that are systematic rather than reactive. Insights from this work will directly inform and strengthen NFS’s Learning Support Program and classroom practices across the school.
Kate Fagal and Katie Shaffer
Save the Coral Reefs
Kate and Katie will travel to Key Largo, Florida, for five days of hands-on ecological learning that connects directly to the third-grade ecosystems curriculum. Their primary focus will be volunteering with the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF), a leading organization dedicated to restoring Florida’s coral reefs.
During their visit, they will work closely with CRF’s education coordinator and scientists, participating in a personalized, behind-the-scenes experience that includes visits to coral nurseries typically closed to the public. They will also gain access to STEM lessons used in local schools to teach coral reef science and conservation.
In addition, Kate and Katie plan to explore other local ecosystems and conservation programs, including John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. These experiences will provide real-world examples of producer-consumer relationships, food webs, human impact, and ecological restoration—concepts that align seamlessly with classroom learning and will enrich students’ understanding of environmental stewardship.
We look forward to seeing how these faculty experiences translate into deeper learning, enriched curriculum, and inspired conversations in classrooms across Newtown Friends School.
Newtown Friends School
Located In Newtown, Pennsylvania, Newtown Friends School is a Private School For Grades Pre-K-8th Grade.
