Grant will support a communication center
Submitted by Adele Lewis, EFG Vice-President
The Education Foundation of Garwood (EFG) is proud to announce a new grant has been awarded to the administrative staff for a communication center, which includes a news desk and associated technology for students to broadcast video and audio announcements. Superintendent Christopher Kinney noted this will enable students to gain confidence as they participate in producing and delivering daily announcements, from current events to school news.
This grant was made in large part thanks to a generous donation from the family of Mr. and Mrs. John E. Conlin. This grant donation was made in their parents’ memory and will continue their family’s commitment to education by directly supporting our Garwood teachers and students. The Mr. and Mrs. John E. Conlin Grant will create greater opportunities for Garwood’s educators by allowing them to obtain funding for school projects that connect to their curriculums while enhancing the educational experience of their students and we are grateful for their generous donation.
Mr. John E. Conlin along with his wife Jean, who shared John’s passion for education, were both proud lifelong residents of Garwood who raised their four sons here. Mr. Conlin began his career as an educator at the age of 25 subsequent to serving in the United States Navy during World War II. At the end of the war, Mr. Conlin joined the Clark School District as a science teacher where he served in many educational capacities. Mr. Conlin retired from the Clark District as the first principal of Frank K. Henley grammar school, too. Always wanting to do more, Mr. Conlin then served as Garwood’s elected representative to the Union County Regional High School Board of Education for 38 years and over that time he served as Vice President of the Regional Board and served time on various committees. During his tenure on the Board, the Regional District expanded from one high school to four and upon his retirement Mr. Conlin had served the longest tenure on the Union County Regional Board.
In retirement, Mr. Conlin remained an active citizen in Garwood as he would often be found at borough meetings where he would always provide valuable input to the Garwood Board of Education and the Borough Council. In 2012, the Education Foundation of Garwood honored Mr. Conlin with the “Person Making a Difference” award for his decades of service to Garwood and his core belief that children are our future; his passion for education was truly inspiring. The EFG members are honored that his family chose the EFG to continue his legacy by offering this generous donation to our organization.
The EFG is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and was founded in 2004 to work with the Garwood School District “in pursuit of educational excellence.” You can follow the foundation on Facebook at “Education Foundation of Garwood.”
