Bill’s Word: Thank You for Supporting Student Success!

With the 2012-2013 school year wrapped up (and new year about to begin!), I’m writing to share with you the impact the Alameda Education Foundation made on student success, thanks to your support. Personally, I’ve heard from parents “thrilled” that their children have learned how to design their own video games in our Enrichment computer programming camp. I’ve witnessed the value of our Middle School Sports program’s academic tie-in that, as one parent put it, “helps me show my son how important grades are in school and in life.” And I continue to enjoy making teachers smile – and sometimes cry – when I present them with $500 Adopt A Classroom donations.

These are just a few examples of the enormous difference we have made – with your support – for thousands of Alameda public school students. In the 2012-2013 school year we were able to:

• Adopt 132 classrooms at public traditional and charter schools across Alameda – that’s $66,000 directly into the classrooms!
• Provide Enrichment classes and camps to 3303 registrants
• Offer Information Nights for incoming freshmen and their parents
• Provide after-school athletics for 540+ middle school students
• Fund technology needs for high school academic enrichment programs for 500+ at-risk students
• Provide over $17,000 in scholarships for our Enrichment and Middle School Sports participants
• Fund/Process $9,000 in scholarships for graduating seniors
• Collaborate with other Alameda non-profits to run Equipped 4 Success, a community wide school supply drive, that supported over 800 low-income students

The impact we have made together is very beneficial to our students!   I am also very excited about our goals for the 2013-2014 school year, which include:

• Increasing Adopt A Classrooms to 150 – $75,000 directly into the classrooms
• Growing the number of “district wide” and middle school Enrichment classes to reach more students with vital learning opportunities in the arts, academics and athletics
• Sponsoring a one-on-one counseling program for Alameda’s approximately 700 sophomores to make sure they are on track for graduation and college
• Offering “for credit” high school summer classes
• Adding Bay Farm 6th & 7th graders and Encinal Jr. Jets to our Middle School Sports program
• Replacing much needed sports equipment and purchasing needed safety equipment for our middle school student-athletes.
• Increasing the number of students serve by Equipped 4 Success to 1000+
• Continuing to grow our partnerships with the business community, non-profits, and the Alameda population at large

We could not do this without the generous support of the community, so my heartfelt thank you. We invite you to explore the Foundation website to learn more about our programs. Let’s continue to work together to support student success in the coming school year!

Sincerely,