The column below appeared in print, Thursday, June 3, 2010 in the Springfield Extra section, The Register-Guard. It was written by BY BILL SPIRY, Springfield Education Foundation Board President.
A bright future? Sometimes it’s hard to see the possibilities. These are challenging times, and one does not have to look far for bad news about financial, environmental and political crises around the world.
Nevertheless, there is reason for hope. Parents and teachers dedicate themselves every day, in spite of the obstacles, to educate and prepare our children based on the firm belief that these children can and will make a difference in the world.
In two short weeks, in the midst of uncertain and turbulent times, we will send off a fresh group of students filled with hopes, dreams and ideals, out to make their mark in the world. We can’t help but wonder: Have we done our best to prepare them?
Communities across the country, faced with unprecedented school budget reductions, are working tirelessly to identify potential income and grant sources and scrambling to find creative ways to reallocate dwindling resources.
That’s why now, more than ever, the mission of the Springfield Education Foundation is so very important.
Our children hold the future of our community and our nation. That is why I feel so strongly that we must do our part, whether or not we have children attending Springfield schools.
Foundations such as ours offer a way for people who care about our children to get much-needed funds into classrooms. Our 24 dedicated board members have been working hard to expand the resources we make available to Springfield public schools.
We are about 75 percent of the way to reaching our $100,000 fundraising goal for this year — a fair amount of which comes from dedicated school district staff members themselves.
These funds will allow us to increase the number and value of the Innovative Educator awards we grant to teachers; to provide more support for literacy programs such as Gift of Literacy and Battle of the Books; and to offer more support for the arts in our schools.
We are pleased with the outcomes our educators are able to deliver with the use of our resources. For example, they are stimulating classroom learning by providing educational tools, musical instruments and books.
We are very proud of our music programs in Springfield, so we are especially excited about a new district effort called Crescendo — Music Students on the Rise.
Crescendo will focus on ensuring that performance music remains available to Springfield students. We hope to be able to provide opportunities to underserved students, and we will look for innovative ways to deliver music instruction in the traditional classroom and beyond.
During our recent “Rising Stars” event, the foundation recognized eight outstanding Springfield students who are clearly on paths to a bright and successful future through hard work and academic achievement. We also recognized the gifted educators, selected by these students, who inspired these young people to reach for the stars.
You can read the students’ comments about these teachers on the Springfield Education Foundation Web site at springfieldeducationfoundation .org. The achievements of these talented students and educators exemplify how we can make a difference through community support.
The foundation is doing its part. I invite you to join this group of caring community members who want to do the best we can to help our students on their paths to success.
With help from parents, alumni, staff, community members and businesses, we will continue to work toward our mission: “Building bright and successful futures for all students through financial support and community involvement.”
There are many things in this world we can’t change, but here are a few things you can do to make a difference. You can make a donation to the foundation; your support is much appreciated. The foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, and donations are tax-deductible.
You can purchase one of our Student Art Calendars. The 2010-11 full-color calendars, featuring original art by students in all grades, soon will be available for purchase.
The foundation also will be hosting a golf tournament “friend-raiser” event in August, and we welcome your participation. Or you can volunteer your time at one of our events.
For details, contact our executive director, Ronnel Curry, 541-726-3243, or www .springfieldeducationfoundation .org.
And as always, you can help us with our mission by continuing to bring positive energy and optimistic thoughts to our students and our schools. The promise of our bright future is looking back at us through the eyes of our children.
Bill Spiry is president of the Springfield Education Foundation. Team Springfield is a collaboration of the city of Springfield, Springfield School District, Springfield Utility Board and the Willamalane Park and Recreation District, which provide this column on a rotating basis.
