Boldly Forward, The Campaign for NCCS
Mackenzie Family Gift Supports STEM
The intersection of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is embodied in countless creative ways by our teachers and students at Country School, and thanks to a generous donation to the Boldly Forward Capital Campaign from NCCS parents Susan and Roy Mackenzie, it will continue to grow and thrive here. The Mackenzie family recently made a six-figure gift to establish the STEM Futures Fund, which will create new learning opportunities for all students at NCCS across all grade levels – and, as a permanent part of Country School’s endowment, the fund will impact future generations of students in perpetuity.
The formal description of the fund is as follows: Established in 2021 by Susan and Roy Mackenzie P’25, this fund supports STEM-based initiatives at Country School, such as new equipment for classrooms and laboratories, professional development for teachers, and new experiential learning opportunities for students. The Fund aims to support the broader student learning experience, particularly the intersection of science, technology, engineering, and math at Country School.
STEM education is of great interest to the Mackenzie family, and is of particular interest to their daughter Eva in Grade 6. Proceeds from the STEM Futures Fund will help to create even more opportunities for the science, technology, and math departments to collaborate together to build curriculum, share ideas, and create new programs.
“Our science and math education has been an important foundation for both of our careers,” Susan and Roy shared. “We have seen the excitement and challenge of the STEM curriculum at NCCS and how it is inspiring our daughter and her classmates, and we wanted to be part of supporting it for this and future generations.”
Proceeds from the fund will also help to strengthen the school’s commitment to experiential learning by creating even more opportunities for new field trips for students. Additionally, some of the proceeds can be used to bring in guest speakers and lecturers. All of these initiatives will be multi-year efforts, constructed with an eye on programmatic growth and sustainability.
Head of School Aaron Cooper shared, “Our strategic plan, Redefining Childhood Education for the Future, notes the importance of interdisciplinary curriculum for our students' futures. The value of interdisciplinary learning is no more apparent than in the STEM fields, and this leadership gift from the Mackenzie family will help support our STEM and science programs with their development to make even deeper connections between math, science, technology, and engineering for our students.”
This generous donation from the Mackenzie family will have a wonderful impact on our students, teachers, and the entire community in perpetuity. Country School is deeply grateful to Susan and Roy for establishing this fund, and for the many ways that they strengthen and support the NCCS community.
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
