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Grants, Sponsors, Supporters & Partners

Grunin team

The Toms River-based Grunin Foundation has grant-funded a number of TRRS programs and initiatives including the Principals Innovation Challenge, the hiring of a district grant writer, and the YA Arts Lab.
TR:TechReady
The TR:TechReady program funded by the ONR has drastically increased interest and capacity in coding, robotics, and computer programming.
UWMOC
Edele

Edele Hovnanian of the Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Foundation has sponsored the district's Career Academies with funding for an Anatomy and Physiology Lab at High School East; a Business and Real Estate Incubator at High School South; robotics programs at Intermediate North and South; and a district-wide Youth Counseling Program.

Grants

The district has secured more than $5 million in grants over the past five years to support initiatives aligned with district goals, many of which have allowed the district to kickstart innovative programs the budget would otherwise not be able to support. It has also partnered us with many outstanding organizations who have stuck with us beyond the grant periods. These have included:

  • EPA- the district has been awarded several grants from the Environmental Protection Agency to replace old buses with newer, energy-efficient models.
  • Grunin Foundation- the foundation's Principals Innovation Challenge awarded $182,000 to all 19 school locations in 2016; its YA Arts Lab at Silver Bay Elementary is a five-year grant worth $60,000; and the Grunin Fitness Challenge netted $16,000 for district health initiatives. The Toms River-based foundation has been a tremendous and consistent supporter of our schools for many years.
  • Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Foundation- President Edele Hovnanian has awarded grants in support of career-oriented spaces in four schools and a new mental health counseling program in all 18 schools for 2019-2020.
  • NEA- in 2017 the district became one the first school district to win a grant to host NEA Big Read, the prestigious literacy campaign designed by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2018, it won another, and then again in 2019 and 2020. The NEA also funds summer professional development for our teachers.
  • NJDOE- the NJ Department of Education has awarded the district several major grants, allowing it to successfully implement model programs in arts integration, summer enrichment, coding and, through Perkins, CTE.
  • United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties- UWMOC enabled the district to implement Project SPEAR-IT at High School South and the Extended-Day Covid-19 Relief Program at Cedar Grove Elementary School. Its Warmest Wishes Coat Drive and donations of PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic has also greatly benefitted district students.
  • OceanFirst Foundation- the district has won more model classroom grants than any other, and thanks to OceanFirst, we have created innovative spaces at 9 of our schools.
  • SAP- the tech giant awarded the district a grant in support of the #WeAreTRCoders program, particularly supporting girls in tech career choices.
  • Steelcase Education- its annual Active Learning Center grant and classroom renovation is awarded to only 15 educational institutions annually, and in 2017 Toms River Regional Schools was a proud winner.
  • Sustainable Jersey- the organization provided grant funding for a renovation of Poseidon lab downtown to support the STEAM Academy School of Environmental Sustainability; a Mobile Breakfast Academy Program; sustainable project grants to High School South and Intermediate East; and an outdoor classroom at High School North.
  • The Office of Naval Research- in spring 2018, Toms River Regional Schools was awarded the largest competitive grant in district history—a three-year coding project worth more than $763,000 funded by the ONR. TR:TechReady introduces teachers and students to industry-critical coding languages, most never seen in our schools, and their real world applications.
  • New Jersey Department of Health- with support from NJDOH and regional partner EmPoWER Somerset, the Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community (WSCC) grant-- a four-year project focused on physical and social-emotional health- was implemented at Intermediate South.
  • Toms River Education Foundation- TREF donated $10k to district athletics in early 2021.
  • Lowe's
  • Walmart- its community grant has supported science programs at the high school level.
  • The Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning
  • First Financial Foundation
  • James Patterson and Scholastic Book Clubs
  • First Energy/JCP&L

Sponsorships

Financial support through appropriate and motivated sponsors in the region has grown in the past five years, from naming rights to classroom renovations, banners at our sports fields and arena, and funding various events and our annual booklet.

RWJBarnabas Health Arena
A five-year sponsorship agreement with RWJBarnabas Health provided naming rights to the arena for the healthcare organization.
Kiwanis Club Greater Toms River
Community Medical Center

The sponsorships of RWJBarnabas Health and Community Medical Center have led to real-world experiences for our schools, such as High School East students participating in the RWJ Healthcare Learning Collaborative.

The Office

Office Lounge, Rt. 37
Four Seasons

Four Seasons Diner
Jersey Mikes
Papa Johns better ingredients better pizza
Staples

Representatives from Staples in Toms River drop off supplies for students to being the 2020-2021 school year.
Capones Gourmet Pizza Pasta Trattoria
Mi Mexico Lindo Authentic Mexican Food
Hooper Chick Fil A

Local Businesses

Local restaurants and greater Toms River-area businesses have supported our schools through fundraisers, in-kind contributions, and/or by providing space for events and activities. Local businesses play an integral role in our district fulfilling its mission. Examples of this support include:

Community Partners

Beyond financial contributions to the district, partnerships maximize knowledge, skills, and resources by having community organizations become part of our programs, grant applications, and activities. Over the past three years we have greatly increased our work with such outstanding organizations as:

  • Barnegat Bay Partnership
  • Beachwood Police Department
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters Ocean County
  • Boy Scouts of America- Jersey Shore Council
  • Communities That Care
  • Friends of Ortley Beach
  • Fulfill
  • Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore
  • Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce
  • Hope Sheds Light
  • House of Representatives; Congressman Andy Kim
  • Institute for Prevention and Recovery
  • Kiwanis Club of Greater Toms River
  • New Jersey State Legislature; Senator James Holzapfel
  • Ocean County College
  • Ocean County Health Department
  • Ocean County Library
  • Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group
  • Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office
  • Ocean County Sheriff’s Office and OEM
  • Pine Beach Police Department
  • Preferred Behavioral Health
  • RJW Barnabas Health
  • Rutgers University
  • Sandra Levine Productions
  • South Toms River Borough Hall
  • South Toms River Police Department
  • Stockton University
  • The Grunin Foundation
  • Toms River Fire Company No. 1
  • Toms River Police Department
  • Toms River Township Green Team/TRUST
  • Tuckerton Seaport
  • U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at Lakehurst
  • YMCA  

RWJBH

Working Together
An alliance with RWJBarnabas Health has given the arena on the campus of Toms River High School North a new name-- RWJBarnabas Health Arena-- and will foster collaboration and student-centered opportunities for health and wellness education, as well as its current status as a Covid-19 vaccination site.
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