Photo courtesy of Bellevue Schools Foundation
When Bellevue educators had the opportunity to seek a $256,000 grant to create a groundbreaking Equity in Computer Science curriculum for teachers—and had less than a month to secure matching funds—they called the Bellevue Schools Foundation.
Thanks to donors already mobilized to supporting education through the Foundation, along with more who stepped up to help the Foundation fulfill this commitment, the District got the grant. Now, teachers are putting computational thinking training—developed thanks to the grant—to work in the classroom, engaging students across core subjects.
Because of its ability to bring together community and educators for a common goal, Bellevue Schools Foundation, one of the longest-standing school foundations in the country, occupies a unique place in the city of Bellevue. As a local nonprofit, it pursues a strong student-based mission and supports the community’s vision for quality public education. It helps educators be nimble, innovate, and keep students from slipping through the cracks due to a lack of funding. Through its daily work, the Foundation provides a touchstone for community members, businesses, and educators who understand that a robust school system ensures a healthy and vibrant community.
By raising money through parents, businesses, and community members, the Foundation makes it possible for the Bellevue School District to provide a comprehensive, robust education that far exceeds the limits of state funding. Says Superintendent Tim Mills, “The community support that the district receives through donations (allows us to) innovate…improve curriculum and instruction and support the needs of our students.”
Photo courtesy of Bellevue Schools Foundation
With Foundation donor support, the District has implemented new curriculum that sets the bar for leading-edge programs such as K–12 Integrated Computer Science, Social Emotional Learning, and Project Readiness. These programs address a range of education issues important to the community: inclusion of music and arts, addressing achievement and opportunity gaps experienced by underrepresented students, preparing students with 21st-century skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration—and ensuring that every student has access to high-quality education and highly trained teachers.
In addition to districtwide initiatives, Foundation donors directly support programs that reach Bellevue’s students in need, including in high-poverty Title I schools and through emergency fundraising for programs in crisis. For example, when the District’s funding for high-quality preschool for needy students was lost, the community coalesced via Bellevue Schools Foundation to advocate for those 151 students and to replace funding in the short term through donations, grants, and advocacy. Foundation donors, through funding and advocacy, along with institutional support, helped restore seats for 139 of the needy preschoolers this year.
The Foundation has long recognized the importance of the community working together to support children and families, and is a founding member agency of Eastside Pathways. Staff and Trustees sit on several collaboratives, including Schools Readiness, Transitions, Business Engagement, and Career Pathways. This participation allows the Foundation to stay abreast of community issues, avoid duplication of efforts with nonprofit partners, and even guide investments. In this way, the Foundation curates and amplifies the collective impact of donors to keep the school district on the leading edge of instruction and student supports.
The benefits of this collegial relationship is the Foundation’s Early Learning Initiative. In 2014, Eastside Pathway’s Early Learning Collaborative uncovered a gap in access to high quality pre-school for families whose incomes exceeded Head Start requirements, yet were inadequate to support private providers. This knowledge led the Foundation to create a scholarship program to underwrite tuition to Bellevue School District preschool for families who found themselves in this difficult situation. Other Foundation programs, such as AVID, the Social and Emotional Learning pilot, and College and Career initiative, have also been shaped by Eastside Pathways involvement
In addition to its partnership with Eastside Pathways, the Foundation also maintains critical partnerships with the Bellevue PTSA Council, the Bellevue School District, and key business partners to ensure that every student is supported.
In addition to direct service to students through the VIBES program, individuals have many avenues to participate in the work of the Bellevue Schools Foundation, from short-term commitments on special projects and events, such as the annual Spring for Schools Benefit Luncheon (coming up this March 24), to service on the Foundation’s committees, such as the grant-making committee.
To learn more about programs supported by Foundation donors, visit bellevueschoolsfoundation.org
Article written by Jeanne Gustafson, communications manager at Bellevue Schools Foundation.