INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — When an organization provides multiple forms of support, it can be difficult to elucidate where its funding has been spent. Such is the case with the Education Foundation of Indian River County, which supports all the public, private, parochial and charter schools in the county.
The Education Foundation receives 90 percent of its funding from private donations and grants; this year receiving grants ranging in dollar amounts from $2,000 to $100,000 from 14 out of the 15 applied for.
Last Tuesday, the organization’s Executive Director Cynthia Falardeau and Program Director Mary Minor invited board members, school board members and key stakeholders to join them on a school tour.
The goal, as Falardeau explained, was to demonstrate “examples of what we have funded, programs we’re working on and what we would like to see as our next wave of service.”
“When we take a group of potential donors or grantees to actually see what’s going on, they get it. They see children learning the way they’re supposed to learn,” said outgoing board president Adrian Smith.
From the foundation’s “lean and mean” offices in space provided by Piper, guests clambered aboard a bright yellow school bus, chattering as excitedly as kids on their first day of school.
First stop was a visit to Vero Beach Elementary where a project team led by Proctor Construction and the school district are putting the final touches on a sensational new energy efficient “Green Dream” school.
Principal Bonnie Swanson beamed with pride as she pointed out the “lay of the land” from the expansive outdoor patio, noting various wings for classrooms, library and cafeteria, and an integrated arts and science section.
The school currently has 620 students, and in August will take on approximately 120 pre-kindergarteners.
Education Foundation funneled grants to help fund appliances and furniture in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) wing, as well as features such as a hydroponic garden and a community garden outside the nutritional kitchen and science lab.
“The kitchen will have demo tables, interactive smart boards and an amplification system; the amplification system is built in all throughout the school,” said Swanson. “We’re so excited about our new technology.”
Swanson said the gardens are designed as a workplace where “we want our kids to get out and get their hands dirty.”
“We’re so thankful for your belief in us and for helping us to complete this,” said Swanson.
At the Vero Beach High School visitors learned about the Career Pathways program. Students receive broad exposure and hands-on experience in various career opportunities. They can earn college credits with Indian River State College and industry certifications.
“This is the type of program we are looking at as a possibility to support,” said Falardeau. “Today we’re bringing people to see it. In the future, we’re hoping for a possible partnership. It’s a thank-you tour, but we’re planting the seeds.”
After gathering in the Half Hour Inn, a working restaurant serviced by students in the Culinary Arts program, the tour visited with teachers in Photo Technology and Medical Nursing Assistant program – three of the 10 programs offered at the school.
“We have everything that’s out there up to industry standards,” said VBHS Career and Technical Education Specialist Gina Hodges of the certifications offered.
Vero Beach and Sebastian High Schools offer a core number of similar programs and each also has programs unique to that school.
The final stop on the tour was a visit to Citrus Elementary School, which Principal John Teske said was a Title I school with 740 students, for an update on technological advances made possible through grants.
Six classrooms currently make use of interactive smart boards and software placed in areas to allow greatest student usage. Initial funding for the Smart Initiative Program, headed by Diane Monroe, came from Project Child two years ago, with additional boards and software later purchased or refurbished.
Tiffany McKenzie, instructional technician for the school district, collaborated on the successful Impact 100 grant, which will fund an appliance to allow safe internet usage at the schools, so that students and teachers may use their own devices as interactive learning tools.
“It’s definitely a huge stepping stone for us,” said McKenzie.
In addition to these programs, the Education Foundation provides funds to programs affecting individual students such as the Backpack, Vision for Reading and Sneaker Exchange, or teachers, including Tools to Learn, Great Ideas! Grants and professional development.
Additionally, the Education Foundation hosted 495 students at this year’s Indian River Science and Engineering Fair.
One student, Evan MacKay, from Vero Beach High School, went on to compete against students throughout the world, taking fourth place in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
