CAMDEN, N.J. – Today, Camden Education Fund (CEF) announced the 2026 Supporting All Learners grant program, which will provide $1.25 million to five Camden K-8 schools: Camden’s Promise Middle School, Dr. Henry H. Davis Family School, KIPP Hatch Academy Middle School, LEAP Academy Elementary, and Mastery Cramer Hill. Together, the five K-8 grantees will provide programs and academic services that reach thousands of Camden students.
The entire Camden public school community was encouraged to submit proposals for traditional, charter, and Renaissance schools. Interested schools were supported throughout the application process, receiving coaching to refine their vision, implementation plan, and readiness to execute. The five selected schools developed compelling, actionable plans that create targeted learning opportunities to accelerate growth for students below grade level, including multilingual learners (MLLs) and students with disabilities.
The Center for Learner Equity (CLE), a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that diverse learners have access to a high-quality public education, is continuing its partnership with CEF by providing technical assistance to help grantee schools set and reach their goals.
The 2026 awards follow a previous two-year grant cycle, which reached MLLs and students with disabilities in five Camden district, charter, and Renaissance high schools during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. That first round of grants paired $1.1 million in funding with expert coaching from CLE and a cross-school peer network. Outcomes from the two-year high school cohort included:
- Academic growth: Students in the most restrictive special education placements grew as much in reading as peers in co-taught classrooms.
- School culture: After one school launched an advisory model, more students reported feeling comfortable being their true selves, and student trust in school staff increased.
- Life skills: Another high school created a new program supporting students with extensive support needs with the transition to employment and independent living; students completed internships with local businesses and traveled independently on public transit.
This latest round of grants builds on that momentum by extending the strategic guidance and support to elementary and middle school students.
“The first Supporting All Learners cohort showed us what is possible when educators have the resources, expertise and support to respond intentionally to what students need,” said Giana Campbell, CEO of Camden Education Fund. “With this next investment, we’re taking those lessons upstream — helping elementary and middle schools identify needs and intervene earlier, while building their long-term capacity to serve diverse learners well. Our goal is a Camden education system where a child’s disability, language or learning needs never determine the limits of what is possible for them.”
“Supporting All Learners is about making sure Camden schools have the expertise, resources, and support they need to serve all learners, especially students with disabilities and multilingual learners. And that’s what makes this program different,” said Erin Larkin-Maguire, Program Design Strategist, the Center for Learner Equity. “We’re pairing meaningful financial resources with expert coaching that helps schools identify their most pressing challenges, develop thoughtful solutions, and actually put those solutions into practice. And we’re doing it in community. At one of our first convenings this week, it was heartening to see school teams sharing ideas, working through challenges, and helping one another reimagine what’s possible for diverse learners.”
“Some of our students learn differently. Some of our students grew up speaking languages other than English,” said Danyel Williams, Principal, KIPP Hatch Academy Middle School. “None of that changes what we believe about them and their potential. There’s a place for everyone here.”
The event featured remarks from Giana Campbell; Danyel Williams; district and school grantees; and Erin Larkin-Maguire, along with student performances from KIPP Hatch Academy and Davis Family School. State and local elected officials also attended. Guests toured Ms. Scott’s 8th grade math classroom to see differentiated instruction in action.
About Camden Education Fund
The Camden Education Fund (CEF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating student success across Camden’s public school system. As a cross-sector convener and grantmaking organization, CEF brings together families, educators, school partners, and community leaders to identify citywide needs in education and invest in solutions that strengthen schools and improve outcomes for students. Since its inception, CEF has mobilized more than $20 million in national and local philanthropic investment to expand opportunity for Camden’s nearly 17,000 public school students. Through strategic grantmaking, partnerships, and data-informed initiatives, CEF helps bridge the gap between schools and the community to ensure every Camden student has access to a high-quality education. To learn more, visit https://camdenedfund.org/.
About the Center for Learner Equity
The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) is a national nonprofit advancing equitable access to high-quality public school choices for students with disabilities. Since 2013, CLE has helped remove systematic barriers that exclude students with disabilities from high-quality learning opportunities and expanded access to choices and robust supports. As a leading voice in policy, implementation, research, and advocacy, CLE challenges the status quo by building the capacity of leaders, practitioners, and advocates, driving collaboration, and informing policy and practice to improve access and outcomes for all students with disabilities. To learn more, visit https://www.centerforlearnerequity.org/.
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