Created in 2014, The Chris Franzeim Foundation honors the legacy of Chris Franzeim, a vibrant woman who touched the lives of thousands of students during her career as an English teacher.
The Foundation grants a scholarship each year to a student who needs a little extra help to succeed– the kind of student Chris frequently took under her wing.
Gladly would she learn, and gladly teach.
Chaucer
Ms. Franzeim taught at Groton-Dunstable Regional High School for nearly 30 years. She was an English teacher, and her students were primarily Juniors, but in her time at GDRHS she had the opportunity to teach an array of students and during her tenure her courses ranged from AP English to American Studies to Senior Projects and Creative Writing. Â She also served as the faculty advisor for the annual student-published literary magazine.
Chris loved all of her students, but she took a special liking to those who were good kids in bad situations.
She was determined to do whatever she could do to make a student’s life easier so they could get through high school — for some students that meant offering extra help, and for other students, that meant packing them a lunch. While no amount of money can ever replace her, The Chris Franzeim Foundation awards an annual scholarship to a high school junior who has met with challenges and needs a little bit of extra support to get to graduation. The funds can be used as the student sees fit (with guidance from the Committee), as long as it will help the student achieve graduation. The student could purchase school supplies, pay for transportation or childcare, cover their summer school tuition or additional tutoring, or pay for college application fees.
Ashley came to us after some serious academic and personal struggles. We were blown away by her determination to rise above her challenges and build a better future for herself. With the help of the Foundation, Ashley was able to attend summer school and successfully complete several credits toward her diploma.
Anthony was our first recipient. He had struggled socially and personally throughout school, and our hope was that the scholarship would bolster his spirits and help him get through the last year of school. Anthony graduated with the class of 2016. He is currently majoring in writing at Fitchburg State.
The Chris Franzeim Foundation relies on the generosity of the community in order to raise the funds necessary to provide scholarships to deserving students.
While the Foundation does not hold 503(c)(3) designation itself, our endowment is held and managed by The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, and we are able to benefit from their non-profit status. Gifts to the Scholarship are tax-deductible, subject to individual limitations.
You may donate to the scholarship fund in several ways:
Online via the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts (please be sure to choose The Chris Franzeim Foundation Fund when making your gift)
By mail to
The Chris Franzeim Foundation, c/o The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts
649 John Fitch Highway
Fitchburg, MA 01420
For other options, email us via our contact form.
The Foundation accepts applications from students in the spring of their Junior year. Ideal candidates are students who are bright, funny, creative, kind or compassionate, but who are struggling to complete high school for any reason. You may be a student who shares Chris’ appreciation of language and the arts, but you may be also be a student who struggles academically. This is not a traditional academic merit-based scholarship; this is a scholarship based on your merit as a person. The recipient is chosen by the Committee after a careful review of the application and a personal interview with the student. We do not choose a student based on how good they look on paper. We choose a student based on our intuition; we ask ourselves which of the candidates Chris would have been bringing an extra lunch for, taking out for an ice cream cone after school, and becoming lifelong friends with.
The Scholarship Foundation was born in early 2014 as Chris was nearing the end of her journey. Within a week of her passing, what was an idea became a reality — a need was identified, a name was chosen, a plan was hatched, and a crowdfunding effort ensued. Nearly 75 percent of the funds raised were donated by Chris’ alumni.
To know Chris was to become part of Team Franzeim, and as such, many, many people were involved in the early stages of the Foundation. The Committee seeks the input of the people who knew Chris best – her family, friends, colleagues, and students – when making scholarship decisions. Currently, the Committee consists of Chris’ husband, children, and former students, assisted by a Student Ambassador.
Founding Member
Founding member
Founding member
GDRHS Class of 2001
Founding member
Class of 2003
Founding Member
Student Ambassador
GDRHS Class of 2017
Shortly after her death, Chris’ family, friends, and former students gathered to celebrate her life, calling the event “The Coffeehouse to End All Coffeehouses” — a tribute to the numerous coffeehouses she hosted with her Literary Magazine advisees.
The Chris Franzeim Foundation 