Andover Public Schools Receives $150,000 Cummings Foundation Grant
Funding to Support Visiting Author Series and Encourage Literacy, Belonging, and Reading
Andover, Mass. – Andover Public Schools (APS) was recently awarded a $150,000 grant through the Cummings Foundation major annual grants program. The Cummings Foundation annually provides $30 million to local non-profits and, this year, APS was chosen from 630 applicants following a competitive review process. The district will receive the funding over a period of three years.
This funding will help the district to continue the APS Author Visit Series and expand this important program to all grade levels. The APS Author Visit Series showcases authors who are from diverse cultures and backgrounds. A visit from an author can have a lasting impact on students, creating inspiration and a love of reading and writing. Additionally, exposing students to a variety of authors, their cultures, experiences, and various writing styles creates an opportunity for real-life connections for APS students. 
“All students should have the opportunity to share in the joy of meeting an author of a book they have read and to nurture their lifelong love of reading and books,” notes Dr. Magda Parvey, superintendent of Andover Public Schools. “We are appreciative for the Cummings Foundation’s support of our goal to provide our students with a sense of belonging and connection to their community and the world.”
“We are delighted to make this investment in Andover Public Schools, especially as Andover is an important community to the Cummings organization,” said Cummings Foundation executive director Joyce Vyriotes. “The diverse authors visit series will recognize and celebrate the many cultures of Andover’s students and families, hopefully inspiring a love for reading and writing that goes beyond the classroom.”
This is the second time APS has been awarded funding from the Cummings Foundation. In 2019, the district was awarded $100,000 for all five APS elementary schools to focus on cultural proficiency through professional development for staff and for students to explore their own identities through literature and arts initiatives.
The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties.
Photo caption: (L-R) Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Julie Riley, Director of Grants Michele Bissell, Dr. Magda Parvey, Superintendent of Schools
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, MA and has grown to be one of the largest private foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities, in Marlborough and Woburn, and Cummings Health Sciences, LLC. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.