OceanFirst Foundation has announced that it will donate $250,000 through its new School Library/Media Center Enhancement Grant program to enrich the learning experience and encourage a love of reading and learning among students in the OceanFirst service area (Monmouth and Ocean counties).
According to a press release, the Foundation will award $25,000 to 10 schools to build the capacity of school libraries or media centers by extending and diversifying book collections, purchasing special equipment that will help libraries or media centers deliver services to students, parents or caregivers, and the community-at-large.
“When it comes to the education of our children, no school budget is ever enough. There is always more you want to do and with partners like OceanFirst sometimes you can. Once again, OceanFirst has shown their commitment to the community; this time by offering schools a unique opportunity to provide better services for our children,” said Ocean County Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari. “With state-of-the-art equipment and resources, a school’s library/media center can truly raise the level of education offered to students. I wholeheartedly encourage every eligible school to apply for the OceanFirst Foundation School Library/Media Center Enhancement Grant.”
The OceanFirst Foundation grant program was designed to help reduce these limitations and improve the quality of each chosen school, according to the press release.
“Because grant programs are often dedicated to registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, both public and private schools are often ineligible,” said Kathy Durante, executive director of OceanFirst Foundation. “The School Library/Media Center Enhancement Grant program was designed to bridge that funding gap and give our school libraries or media centers the substantial assistance that they need.”
“To almost any school library, a $25,000 grant will make a very profound impact,” said Mary Ann Ceres, assistant superintendent of schools for Brick Township. “School libraries or media centers as they are often called are always working to bring in more technology as well as add book titles, to make a richer learning environment for both literate and preliterate students. This grant program will enable its recipients to do just that.”
To further ensure that the grant would make a direct impact on students, school library/media center enhancement grants can only be used for the purchase of learning materials or programs rather than labor or programs and services outside the library.
Online applications are available at www.oceanfirstfdn.org now through 5 p.m. May 1. The foundation will judge each application based on factors including proposed use of funds, the quality of the application, proposed budget, student involvement and creativity, among others.

