Edmonds Schools Foundation raises $353K for student programs

A breakfast event at Lynnwood’s Embassy Suites March 6 launched a day of generosity for the Foundation for the Edmonds School District. By the end of the day, through morning and evening fundraising events, the Foundation raised more than $353,000 for 16 programs supporting the School District in three areas – academic enrichment, the Nourishing Network, and career and college readiness.

The Foundation picks up where school funding leaves off and creates programs that align with specific community needs. 

This year’s fundraising theme was Unlock Education: Keys to Success. During the breakfast, Foundation Executive Director Deborah Brandi shared the previous year’s program highlights: 

• Funding music education programs in eight schools. She noted that music funding Districtwide contributes to the success of programs like the Mountlake Terrace High School’s Jazz Band, whose student musicians will be attending the Essentially Ellington competition in New York City in May.
• Pre-K readiness programs that focus on child care, math literacy and high-quality learning environments.
• A pilot after-school program at Alderwood Middle School to support early teens. Brandi said the Foundation partnered with other community organizations to get the most out of limited dollars. “They [middle school students] need support, encouragement and a place to belong,” she said. 

The Foundation also funds the District’s Career and College Readiness Program, which includes an on-the-job training program for students as early as sophomore year. Three hundred students applied, and 60 were selected.

One of the students in the program, Mountlake Terrace High School senior Alice Guan, told the audience that her biology internship at University of Washington Bothell heavily influenced her planned area of postsecondary education study. 

Guan has a rare blood disease and said she didn’t understand it until the internship. She told the audience she was just accepted to UW Seattle and plans to study medical genetic counseling. “I want to change how we treat patients [like me].”  She credited her mentors, who showed “so much generosity and led me to be more community focused,” she said.

The Foundation also oversees the District’s postsecondary scholarship program. This year, 88 graduating seniors will receive $282,237 in scholarships. In partnership with donors, like those at Friday’s event, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships over seven years, with more than 850 recipients since 2013.

Another Foundation priority is the Nourishing Network, which provides weekend meal kits, a summer meal program, pop-up pantries and holiday meals for District families in need. During the past year, the Foundation provided 800 weekend meals, the pop-up pantry fed 400 families, and the summer meal program distributed 5,800 meals.

Barb Crane, a retired nurse and four-year Foundation volunteer, spoke to breakfast attendees, describing her 90-minute weekly delivery route as a “privilege.” She spoke of delivering to families in need living in areas that she used to drive by but not be aware of. 

“Volunteers are the heart of our program,” said Thame Fuller, community director for the Nourishing Network, describing his job as “guiding and directing generosity.” 

Mountlake Terrace Mayor Steve Woodard ran the donation portion of Friday’s breakfast. Among the event’s most generous donors: Windermere Edmonds donated $20,000. Lynnwood Kiwanis gave $15,000. Alderwood Terrace Rotary donated $5,000. The Friday morning donations coupled with the Friday evening fundraiser totaled more than $353,000, exceeding the Foundation’s goal of $330,000.