Bridgehampton - The Hayground School in Bridgehampton has been awarded a $275,000 educational grant from the Leon Levy Foundation, a philanthropic foundation created by the estate of Leon Levy, co-founder of Oppenheimer and Company. It is the second grant Hayground has received from the Leon Levy Foundation.

As a recipient of a Levy Foundation grant, Hayground School joins the ranks of such prestigious educational institutions such as Harvard, New York University, Princeton and Rockefeller University.

John Bernstein, president of the Leon Levy Foundation, said, "We are pleased to renew our contribution to Hayground and continue to commend its outstanding and innovative brand of scholarship and the dynamic learning environment it creates."

The Leon Levy Foundation grant will ensure that important programs, which began through the Foundation's initial grant in 2010, will continue to expand and enrich the lives of the Hayground community and Hayground's contribution to the community at large.

 • Scientist-in-residence: A professional scientist spends the year at Hayground School conducting independent research projects with students. While working as apprentices to the scientist the students learn how to develop research ideas, design experiments, collect results, analyze data, and give formal presentations of the results.

 • Extended Day Program: Hayground School runs an after school program featuring foreign language, sports and music. This program is open to students of Hayground as well as other children in the community.

 • Hayground Forum: Hayground Forum was created to broaden the reach of Hayground's work to benefit the community. Lectures and hands-on programs explore a wide variety of topics that are of interest to our East End Community including education, the environment, the arts and the economy, providing participants with educational, entertaining and thoughtful experiences.

 • Scholarship Fund: Hayground will increase funding scholarships, thereby supporting Hayground's mission of ethnic, cultural and economic diversity.

"We are thrilled that an organization with the stature and integrity of the Leon Levy Foundation has once again shown its commitment to Hayground School and the work we're doing." said Susan Ringo, founding member of the Hayground Board of Directors. "Their support is crucial to achieving our mission of promoting innovative, equitable and successful pathways to education and community building. We are honored."