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When asked why he established a scholarship fund at the Rhode Island Foundation, long-time educator Peter Moreau replies with gratitude and without hesitation: "I've been given so much by this community. I wanted to provide funds for scholarships for Lincoln students."

For Peter, Lincoln isn't just his hometown, it’s the center of his life’s work. After graduating from Lincoln High School and earning degrees from both Dartmouth and Assumption Colleges, he returned home to teach mathematics, French, and social studies. He also chaired the Mathematics Department for both the high school and middle school during a professional career spanning 31 years, driven by a passion for improving the lives of his students.

And that passion didn't end with retirement. For the past 15 years, Peter has run a before-school advanced mathematics program at all four of Lincoln's elementary schools, while continuing to tutor students individually. It's work that earned him recognition as Teacher of the Year three times and that keeps him connected to the community he loves.

For many years, Peter awarded more than 50 scholarships to graduating Lincoln High seniors, personally funding them directly through the school. But he wanted something more permanent, so he established the Peter L. Moreau Fund to support the Lincoln Teachers Association Scholarship Fund. "Creating this endowed fund will ensure the scholarships will continue, even beyond my lifetime," he explains.  

His decision to work with the Rhode Island Foundation came naturally—since 1991 he has served on the scholarship committee for the Richard W. Szumita Memorial Scholarship, a Foundation scholarship fund, and understood how the organization operated. "It's been an easy process to establish this fund," Peter notes. "Now it will grow on its own and will be able to award more scholarship money."

“The need is real,” Peter emphasizes. "Some people may think that all students in Lincoln are wealthy, or don't need financial assistance, but many of them do. For a family, the cost of education is exorbitant."

Through decades of teaching, coaching, tutoring, and working with many community organizations from the Recreation Department to the National Park Service, Peter has become part of Lincoln’s fabric. As a Rhode Island Foundation 1916 Society member who has included the Foundation in his estate plan, he's now taken his philanthropy one step further, ensuring that his support for Lincoln’s students extends far into the future.  

Each scholarship awarded in Peter’s name represents not just financial assistance, but the enduring belief of a dedicated educator that every student deserves a chance to succeed.