EDUCATION
A beaming young lady puts away one of the calculators her school received as part of an algebra grant from the Education Foundation of Indian River County.
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Trends In Education
HELPING HANDS
Educational foundations quietly
step up to fill the funding gap
BY SUSAN BURGESS
Behind-the-scenes magic that can turn a student’s
education from ordinary to excellent, and give their
teachers help and recognition for the outstanding
work they do to provide a good education. How does
that happen in the constantly cash-strapped public school
districts of the Treasure Coast?
Every school district receives money from the state and
from property taxes to pay its teachers and staff, to maintain
buildings, to construct new buildings, to buy textbooks and
desks and much more.
But education is so much more than that. And there’s
where nonprofit education foundations step in. Without them
quietly working in the background, students who deserve
scholarships may not get them. Teachers will continue to
spend their own money to buy supplies for those who can’t
EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY
afford to buy their own.
Without foundations, students who are struggling may not
get the mentoring they need. Gardens won’t be grown to teach
students about the food they eat and some students won’t
compete in science fairs. Many preschoolers won’t be ready for
kindergarten. And importantly, teachers and school staff won’t
receive the annual acknowledgement for all they do.
The following is a brief look at four foundations, three
serving kindergarten through 12th grades in their school
districts and one serving Indian River State College students
in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.
The four foundations are the same in that they exist to
enhance education by paying for the extras that can significantly
increase the chances of student success, but from there
on, they differ. >>