FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nicole Goswami, Director of Admission and Marketing
413.458.4680
Pine Cobble School Founders’ Day Raises $50,000+ for Financial Aid
Annual fundraiser helps make independent education more accessible to region
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. Pine Cobble School is pleased to announce that its annual Founders’ Day celebration, held on May 5, raised over $60,000, of which more than $50,000 will go directly toward financial aid and scholarships. The funds were raised through a combination of ticket sales, auction items, a paddle raise, and a private fundraising dinner.
“We’re delighted by the support we received on Founders’ Day,” says Sue Wells, head of school. “This annual event is how we make a Pine Cobble education available to the broadest possible cross-section of our community.” Wells notes that in any given year, at least one-third of Pine Cobble students receive financial aid; sometimes that percentage is higher. Overall, Pine Cobble’s financial aid as a percent of school budget is more than twice as high as the average for National Association of Independent Schools day schools.
“The fact is, I’ve never known of an independent day school — anywhere in the nation — that provides financial aid as widely and as deeply as Pine Cobble,” she says. “We wouldn’t be able to offer as much as we do without the kind of commitment and generosity we see from the community at Founders’ Day and beyond.”
The need for aid, Wells says, has never been greater. The communities served by Pine Cobble — northern Berkshire County, eastern New York, and southern Vermont — have felt today’s economic pressures as deeply as anywhere in America. Massachusetts as a whole ranks sixth in the nation for income disparity. A 2017 report from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation suggests that income inequality in Berkshire County is acute and rising.
John Strachan, chair of the board of trustees, notes that Pine Cobble helps level the educational playing field for the region. “Pine Cobble students come from 22 different towns in the region, some coming from as far as 40 miles distance” he says. “Some seek a hands-on, project-based approach to learning. Others face social pressures that prevent them from getting the most out of school. Still others need a smaller class size, or more personalized attention from teachers. Whatever their reasons for needing an alternative educational path, Founders’ Day helps make a Pine Cobble education a reality for many.”
In addition to serving as a fundraiser, Founders’ Day allows the community to celebrate the founding vision of Edgar and Doris Flinton, two Williamstown-based school teachers who started Pine Cobble in 1937. The Flintons envisioned a school where children would feel valued and inspired — a need that is as great today as it was 81 years ago.
“At Pine Cobble, students often discover for the first time how joyful learning can be,” says Devin Wootton, Pine Cobble’s assistant head of school. “Our curriculum nourishes curiosity, embraces imagination, and encourages deep, reflective thinking. Everything we do helps students become lifelong learners who have a strong sense of self.”
This was Wootton’s first Founders’ Day. “It was wonderful,” he says, “to see the community come together in support of financial aid.”
The event, which was casual, included barbeque from Mad Jack’s, music by Quincy, and an array of lawn games. The event was organized by Angie Hillman, Pine Cobble’s director of development, with support from family volunteers and donations from the community.
Families with questions about financial aid can inquire online at pinecobble.org, or contact Nicole Goswami, director of admission and marketing, at (413)458-4680 x16.
Pine Cobble School is a co-educational day school for children in preschool through ninth grade. For eight decades, the school has nurtured creativity, curiosity, outstanding character, and love of learning. Based in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Pine Cobble School serves students in central/northern Berkshire County, southern Vermont, and New York State.