David and Sandy Perloff's passion for public education is so great that they not only offer grants to individual educational projects, they also read through the pile of applications they receive—and then they go visit every project, not once, but twice.

The Perloffs named their program Fast Track Grants because of the speed in which the funds are delivered.

Teachers are invited to apply by September 15th and two weeks later the teachers have the checks! By mid-winter, the Perloffs (who live in California, but have a home in Kennebunkport) are visiting the classrooms to take a look at what's going on.

“We get a handle on whether they've really started. If there are adjustments needed to the program, we can do it,” says Sandy. “Later in spring, we pretty much see the complete project. It's a lot of fun.”

The Perloffs recently made their 100^th “Fast Track” grant in Maine since beginning the program six years ago. On average they make three to four grants in three to four Maine regions yearly.

One winter, the couple visited the inter-generational Machias Fencing Club and watched a three-year-old and an 83-year-old learn the art of fencing. “We talk to students, hear what's exciting them. We're there to see in action what makes the projects really happen.”

An engineer in Silicon Valley, David found himself on the winning end of a high tech merger a number of years ago. The couple decided they would use some of their earnings to create a charitable fund. “We both got incredible benefits from public education,” says Sandy, “and we wanted to return the favor.”

The Perloffs began by giving to their alma maters. The principal of David's old high school in Philadelphia got them onto the fast track strategy. Rather than giving the school a broad donation, the principal suggested they solicit specific ideas from individual teachers. Many teachers, said the principal, have a pet project they would love to try, if only they had the resources.

A favorite was the snowshoe grant. A teacher at the Cousens Elementary School in Kennebunk wanted to get students started on a sport that would take them outside in winter, a life-long activity. With a $3,000 grant, the school bought 50 pairs of snowshoes. The project snowballed. Whole families responded to the kids' enthusiasm and began trekking in the snow. “Most of the best grants are simple like that,” David explains: “snowshoes, books.”

The grant that can still bring a knot to Sandy's throat was the one they gave to an Acton classroom to purchase books for new readers to bring home. To hold the books, these young children—with the help of family and friends—built and decorated bookshelves that they could put in their homes.
When David and Sandy went to the school later that year, Sandy overheard her husband asking the kids what the best part of the project was. Continues Sandy: “One kid answered, ‘The best part was that my dad came to school to help. Dad hadn't ever been to school before.’

The couple is scheduled for 50 site visits this year. They are also very enthusiastic about the robotics programs they have initiated in 11 small, rural, underserved parts of Maine.

Lego Robotics A Special Fast Track Grants Program

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