FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The New School in Fayetteville has been awarded a six-figure grant from a national non-profit foundation.

According to a media release from the school, it was awarded the grant by the Edward E. Ford Foundation. As of January 2023, the Board of the E.E. Ford Foundation has awarded nearly 2,300 grants, totaling $133,000,000, to approximately 1,000 different schools and associations since its inception in 1957. 

This is the largest E.E. Ford Foundation grant ever awarded to an Arkansas independent school, and The New School is only the second school in the state to be awarded a grant and the first in over 20 years. The school was awarded $100,000 and will raise additional funds to match that amount.

The grant will support TNS’ “strategic priority of redefining whole-person education in Early Childhood Education (ECE) through 12th grade, where a culture of belonging and a priority of wellness elevate academic excellence,” according to the school.

The school said that the money will have an immediate impact as TNS “creates a hub of expertise within the school to provide support, resources, and training for faculty in addressing the broadening diversity of students.”

“This recognition by such a nationally renowned organization as the E.E. Ford Foundation reaffirms the value of our efforts to elevate the quality of education at a time when education is facing tremendous challenges,” said Nancy Lang, Head of School,  “I’m honored to be part of a team committed to developing the leaders for our changing world.”

The Edward E. Ford Foundation is a private foundation founded in 1957 that funds schools, school accreditors, and education initiatives. The Foundation awards grants to eligible schools and associations to help them grow and develop in pursuit of their own missions.