Saluting Oklahoma's Local Education Foundations
Free Outreach Services Available to New, Established Public School Foundations
With 199 public school foundations established around the state, Oklahoma has built one of the nation’s largest and most effective networks of public foundations, thanks in part to resources and services provided by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
The non-profit, charitable foundation, founded 20 years ago by former U.S. Sen. David L. Boren, is committed to recognizing and encouraging academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Among its many programs, the Foundation for Excellence offers free training and resources to new and established local education foundations through its Local Education Foundation (LEF) Outreach Program.
“Community support is vital to ensuring teacher and student success, and local education foundations play an important role in partnering with communities to provide additional resources for public schools,” said Emily Stratton, executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
Through the foundation’s LEF Outreach Program, community leaders and LEF volunteers have access to resource materials and valuable expertise that are beneficial when establishing and maintaining a local education foundation, she added.
“Understanding the value of a local foundation and its mission is the first step in establishing a successful organization,” said LEF Outreach Director Karen Rose. “But it is imperative that a strong framework is created so each foundation will be able to maintain standards of excellence throughout the years.”
Rose, a longtime educator and school administrator, travels throughout the state assisting communities with creating and strengthening local education foundations, refining their missions and promoting their efforts. She is available by calling (918) 743-5533 or by e-mailing krose@ofe.org.
The centerpiece of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence LEF Outreach Program is its annual Fall Forum for Local Education Foundations. This event provides a one-of-a-kind networking and training opportunity for LEF volunteers, school administrators and educators from throughout Oklahoma.
With local and national speakers in addition to sessions highlighting topics such as fundraising, board development and mentoring, the Fall Forum is an opportunity for local education volunteers to share ideas and learn new methods that can be applied in their own communities. This year’s Fall Forum will be held Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, 900 Asp Ave., on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus. Registration information is available online or by calling (405) 236-0006.
In addition, the Foundation for Excellence has built a valuable statewide network of LEF leaders and regional representatives. Volunteers are available in every area of the state to help fellow LEF leaders evaluate their public school’s needs and connect with other local education foundations.
When members of Kremlin-Hillsdale Academic Enrichment Foundation were planning their first teacher grant allocation meeting, they called on the regional representative Susan Bowers of Enid to join them. “They had never awarded grants before and wanted some guidance in the process,” Bowers said.
Rose said this network of LEF volunteers is an important tool that allows foundations to share information and resources as well as to provide support to new organizations. “Sharing ideas and resources will help foundations become stronger and ultimately reach a level of success that will ensure academic excellence in schools throughout the state,” she added.
Another service of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its LEF Outreach Program is the foundation’s Web site at www.ofe.org, which lists resource materials and a directory of local education foundations and regional representatives. Resources, including legal and financial information needed to create and maintain a local foundation, are posted online. From the Web site, LEF volunteers can also join a free listserve to exchange ideas and information with other foundation leaders around the state.
In addition to Local Education Foundation Outreach, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence administers four other programs recognizing and encouraging academic excellence. Through its prestigious Academic Awards Program, the foundation provides more than $190,000 in scholarships and cash awards annually to honor Oklahoma’s outstanding graduating public school seniors and top educators.
Among its other initiatives, the foundation coordinates a program to send Oklahoma teachers to the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute each summer and provides grants for schools to receive Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trips, bringing history to life in the classroom. The foundation also awards Teacher Scholarships for Professional Development and administers the Schusterman Mentor Program, which pairs Academic All-State alumni with underachieving elementary school students in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Stillwater, Norman and Weatherford.
For more information, contact Rose at (918) 743-5533 or e-mail krose@ofe.org.