The Tait Foundation Focuses on Early Learners

The Tait Foundation supports early learners in Montgomery County for the 2024-2025 school year with a grant of $15,000 to Crayons to Classrooms (C2C). The Tait Foundation’s mission is to fund early childhood intervention and education programs in Montgomery County that help improve early childhood and education outcomes for children in need. Specifically, the foundation funds programs that “improve the health, well-being, and education of children.”

Health and hygiene is naturally a major concern in PreK classrooms, and something the foundation supports at C2C. Little hands touch everything, so C2C’s wide selection of cleaning supplies is essential for keeping classrooms as germ-free as possible. Socks and underwear are vital for when accidents happen, and toilet paper and paper towels are always needed. Hats and gloves will be important to keep little ones safe outdoors in the coming months so they can play and exercise. Finally, sensory toys promote self-regulation and mental health.

This school year, C2C is serving 25 schools and 13 childcare centers in Montgomery County that have over 2,000 students enrolled in PreK. C2C’s Teacher Resource Center devotes an entire section to young learners’ needs, which offers teachers basics like crayons and safety scissors, as well as books, activities, and manipulatives targeted to early learners’ needs. In the Classroom Solutions section, many of the handmade items C2C volunteers produce are useful in a preschool environment, such as pocket hugs, journals, and activity kits. All of these products support young learners’ acquisition of fine and gross motor skills, socialization, cooperation, and more.

In a 2024 survey, a PreK teacher from Greenmont Elementary shared just how C2C supplies impact early learners: “I had a student come to me at the end of the day carrying her materials. I offered her a backpack (provided from Crayons to Classrooms). The smile on her face was enough to light up the room! She was so thankful and appreciative of the backpack. Thanks to Crayons to Classrooms, I’m able to provide students with materials that they wouldn’t otherwise have.” This generous grant from the Tait Foundation helps sustain C2C’s program for ongoing education and health needs, to help the youngest students in need learn and grow.