AEF’s Impact on Students and Teachers in 2024-25

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As the summer winds down and the new school year kicks off, we like to reflect on the successes of the past year. All of us at AEF – board, staff and volunteers – are honored to serve such a diverse and vibrant community in ways that make a real impact.

The 2024-25 school year was an incredible one for AEF, filled with programs and support that made a difference for students and teachers across the district. Thanks to our generous community, nearly 1,000 started the school year with backpacks and supplies through our Back to School supply drive. Our After School Enrichment classes brought exciting, hands-on learning to 902 students, and 435 campers took part in 78 fun-filled Summer Camps at Bay Farm Elementary in the summer of 2024. Our Middle School Sports program served 627 student-athletes, inspiring team work, focus and performance. Across our after-school enrichment, summer camp and sports programs, we gave out almost $62,000 in scholarships this school year. AEF also provided nearly $100,000 in funding for classroom technology, STEM projects, school supplies for families in need, and mental health support. Through our support of Care Solace, 764 calls for help were answered, and 69 students and families were connected directly to mental health services.

We also awarded 75 Teacher Mini Grants this past school year, totaling $53,000, to support creative classroom projects and special learning experiences. Demand for these grants was higher than ever—and we expect that to keep growing. One great example came from Maya Porter, a 3rd grade teacher at Love Elementary, who shared, “Because of AEF, we got to take part in Berkeley Rep’s ‘Storybuilders‘ program… It gave the students a fun way to build skills in storytelling, dialogue, public speaking, and vocabulary. There was so much joy, creativity, and collaboration in their performance. We turned the classroom into a living theater!” On top of that, our Visual and Performing Arts program gave students a platform to shine all year, with artwork and poetry displayed in local libraries, businesses, and our annual Poetry Slam at Books Inc.

Everything we do is about making sure every student has access to enriching programs and a safe, supportive space to learn and grow.

Thank you for your continued support of AEF. We are excited to see what the new year brings!