Meet Me in Medford | Paulette Van der Kloot

By 4Squares Residential Group with Judi 411

At 4Squares Residential Group, one of our favorite things about working in Medford is discovering the people and organizations quietly making this community extraordinary. This month, we're shining a spotlight on a true hidden gem: the Medford Educational Foundation. For a decade, MEF has been supporting teachers and funding classroom projects—but most residents have never heard of them. We sat down with Paulette Van der Kloot, longtime School Committee member and current head of MEF, to learn about this organization's mission and why now is the perfect time for Medford to discover what they've been doing all along.

Everyone has a Medford story—some are born here, others discover it. How did you come to call Medford home?

I grew up in New York, and my husband grew up in the Chicago area. I came to the Boston area for graduate school—I went to the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts. It's ironic that I ended up in local politics, given my international relations background! But when my kids were little, I became interested in the Medford Public Schools, and others encouraged me to run for the School Committee. I won my first election with the help of my youngest daughter who was born in the wee hours of election day! I am grateful for every person that supported me over the years. 

You served on the Medford School Committee for 32 years. What was that experience like?

Being on the school committee was both frustrating and incredibly rewarding. I loved getting to know the students and teachers. It gave me such an inside perspective on what our schools need and what works. Even after I left the school committee, I stayed involved because I care deeply about education in Medford. That connection and understanding of the school system has been invaluable in my work with the Medford Educational Foundation.

Tell us about the Medford Educational Foundation. What is it?

The Medford Educational Foundation started 10 years ago when I met Ann Frenning Kossuth. I attended a school committee conference that offered a session about educational foundations. It  was one of those divine inspirations that Ann and I met and then collaborated to start the foundation. Actually,we revived the idea as years before two other community members, Bob Gilligan and Len Brault, had run a similar initiative for a period of time. We looked at communities around us—Lexington, Arlington, Belmont—and saw how their educational foundations were making a real difference. We wanted to bring that same support to Medford teachers. While Ann moved away, her legacy continues with the MEF.

For an organization that's been around for a decade, MEF is surprisingly under the radar. What's the story there?

We've been operating quietly for 10 years—too quietly! We've given out thousands of dollars in grants and funded great projects, but we haven't promoted ourselves well. Our biggest hurdle was an outdated website that needed a complete rebuild. Thanks to students from the high school and a fantastic teacher, we finally have a modern website and the ability to accept donations online. Now we're ready to step out of the shadows and let Medford know about the great work we’ve been doing. 

How does the grant process work?

We open our application process usually twice a year---in the fall and spring. We have small grants up to $200, and large grants from $200 to $2,000. Teachers come to us with ideas, and you've heard all the stories about teachers always reaching into their own pockets. We want to support them. We’ve given out thousands of dollars, up to $16,000 in one grant cycle alone, and funded some incredible projects—everything from providing a robotics program for an elementary school, bringing in a Caldecott winning author at another elementary school, supporting an international cooking club at a Middle School and even helping fund a biodiesel project at the Vocational Technical School. The range of what teachers dream up is amazing.

Why is it important for Medford to have its own educational foundation?

I don't want Medford to be seen as this needy community that has to reach out nationally to get money. Having an educational foundation demonstrates to the community that you care. Medford cares. All of the money we raise, we give away to the teachers. We carefully review the proposals we get to make sure they are aligned with our mission and that the donations that have been generously given to us will be spent wisely. 

Who's involved with MEF?

We're a small group, but we're a consistent group. The same people who started 10 years ago are still working—our  treasurer, Steve Hayes, our grants manager David Sayres, our board members Gail Airasian and Chris D’Aveta. We're all still here. We also added Diane Caldwell, who served as the Assistant Superintendent for many years. Diane retired from Medford Public Schools, and she's been a tremendous help with MEF. We work closely with the school system to make sure that what we're doing is in step with the district's goals. We are looking for new members who have an interest in helping us with fundraising and/or social media. 

What's next for the Medford Educational Foundation?

We need help with social media. I'm not a social media person, so my next step is finding someone who knows how to put us on Instagram and manage our Facebook page properly. For a little organization like ours, those are important tools. We make up for our size with tenacity and small steps at a time.

You clearly love this community and have given back so much. If your best friend wanted to move to Medford, what would you tell them?

Medford has this perfect balance—you're close to Boston and major highways, so commuting is easy. You can take a day trip to New Hampshire or Maine without much trouble. But you're also in a real community with both urban energy and beautiful green spaces. We've got wonderful local spots like CB Scoops and Colleen's, and the Medford Public Library is fantastic. It's a great place to live and a great place to raise a family. When I first moved here, I became deeply invested in our schools—concerned at first, then actively involved, and ultimately passionate about making them better. That's kept me here and kept me engaged for decades. The school system has come so far, and it's something our community truly cares about. The people here are wonderful, diverse and interesting! I love the sense of community. There's so much going on, and people really show up for each other and for our kids. My involvement with the School Committee and now with the Medford Educational Foundation isn't just about education—it's about being part of a community that invests in its future. That's what Medford does.

MEF needs you! 

Visit the MEF website (https://medfordedfund.org/)   to see some of the projects they've funded and how you can help. Every dollar goes directly to Medford teachers—funding creative projects, essential supplies, and innovative programs. 

Whether you donate $10 or $1,000, you're showing our teachers that this community has their back. 

Follow MEF on social media, spread the word, and help them step out of the shadows after a decade of quiet work. Let's show our teachers that Medford cares.

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