By Catholic Review Staff
St. Frances Academy in Baltimore recently received a $500,000 gift from the Paul DeMatteo Charitable Fund that will be used for school-wide improvement, primarily in the area of technology.
The gift was initiated by one of St. Frances Academy’s major donors from a fund that was created in honor of a close relative, Paul DeMatteo.
The family believes St. Frances Academy is worthy of the gift because of the exceptional work St. Frances does for its students, according to a Feb. 22 news release from the school. It hopes the gift will inspire others to do the same.
“‘God is good’ may be an overused phrase,” said Oblate Sister of Providence John Francis Schilling, school president, “but that’s all that flashed through my mind when I heard the news about the donation. I was overwhelmed with gratitude towards the family that gave with such generosity. This is a game changer for our students and faculty.”
One of the principal projects that will be undertaken thanks to the gift will be transforming the learning experience at St. Frances from a traditional textbook based approach to an approach in which iPads and other technology will be utilized for learning and instruction, according to the news release. This will allow students and teachers to benefit from more interactive learning opportunities. Additionally, the academy will add a learning resource center and additional transportation, among other improvements.
“This is one of those rare donations that will significantly and immediately impact our students,” said the school principal, Deacon B. Curtis Turner.
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