WEST CONTRA COSTA PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND
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Mission Statement
The West Contra Costa Public Education Fund (Ed Fund) was founded in 1983 in response to the decline in funding to public education from the State of California. Budget cuts to public education resulted in a reduction and, in many instances, the elimination of art, music, science and other academic classes in K-12 education. As a result of this drastic loss of valuable curriculum, the Ed Fund focused its early efforts on providing mini-grants to teachers to offset the loss of public dollars. Today the mini-grants program continues to fund teacher-initiated ideas which provide an enriched curriculum for their students. Since its beginnings, the Ed Fund has grown significantly. Today, the Ed Fund has a budget of more than a million dollars and our staff manages 7 different programs. All of the Ed Fund’s programs seek to address the academic, social and emotional well-being of the students in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
About This Cause
The Ed Fund manages 7 programs and initiatives: - Arts & Music Grants The Ed Fund will soon launch a grant program to support arts and music in our schools. Music, art, and poetry infuse a culture with vibrancy. Our schools are an integral transmitter of this cultural vibrancy and stand in the vanguard to help ensure that our students have an environment within which to express their creativity and passion. Precipitous declines in funding for art and music over the past few decades have severely limited our schools’ ability to fulfill this important cultural role. In an era where art and music are the first things cut in the education budget, many people have worked tirelessly to maintain art and music in our schools. - Teaching Excellence Awards The Ed Fund celebrates and honors teachers, other district employees and volunteers who have made a significant contribution to the quality of education provided to our students. We are proud to present the Teaching Excellence, Distinguished Staff and Distinguished Citizen Awards to celebrate the accomplishments of these individuals. - College Access Initiative The Ed Fund’s College Access Initiative seeks to increase the number of West Contra Costa Unified School District students who seek and attain a post-secondary education. Most new jobs created in the 21st century will require a skilled workforce with at least some college education. Our goal is to strengthen and align programs and resources to make college a reality for all students. - Classroom Grants The good ideas teachers have to make the curriculum for students relevant, engaging, or interesting are often thwarted by lack of funds and professional development. The Ed Fund has provided grants to teachers in schools since the beginning of our existence in 1983. The purpose of the grants program is to fund innovative projects which seek to enhance student education. Every fall, the Ed Fund solicits applications from teachers, parents and school administrators for grants between $500 and $1,000 to fund classroom projects. - Out-of-School Time Initiative The West Contra Costa Out-of-School Time Collaborative mission is to increase access to high quality out-of-school time programs that inspire, empower, and educate West Contra Costa children and youth. Out-of-school time refers to the summer and after-school periods in a child’s life. Research demonstrates that children who participate in educationally-enriching activities during the summer and after-school periods perform significantly better than their peers who are not engaged in any meaningful activities during these periods of their life. Educationally-enriching activities include music, arts, science, sports, drama, camping, crafts, literature and other hands-on educational activities that engage children in learning that stimulates their social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth. - Professional Development for Educators There are few opportunities for teachers to talk about their work, to gain new skills, and to learn from their peers. The Ed Fund has created a professional development environment for educators that is based on the learning community model. This model values learning that is collaborative-based and premised on the notion that we learn better when we work together to address issues. The more typical professional development experience for educators is one of isolation rather than peer-based learning. The Ed Fund’s approach provides educators with a supportive environment where they learn from one another utilizing the experiences they have accumulated from their years of teaching. - Scholarships The Ed Fund believes everyone deserves the chance to go to college. Research shows that a college education significantly changes the trajectory of a student’s life. A college education is a difference-maker for many students. Students who attend college are more likely to enjoy greater career opportunities. From increasing annual earnings to creating our next leaders, a college education makes an impact on students, their families, and our community. College scholarships are an investment in the future of West Contra Costa County.