Education Foundation Turns 30

— from Janet Brownell —

Orcas Island Education Foundation — now 30 years old!

This year is the Orcas Island Education Foundation’s (OIEF) 30th Anniversary. The foundation was created by a forward-thinking group of parents and citizens. Kathy Youngren, its founder and first Board President, remembers, “We had school-age children. As with many parents, wanting the best for our children, we explored sending our our boys to a private school. Then we realized we could make the ‘best’ right here on Orcas. We could work to make our public schools better than any private school.”

OIEF was formed to respond to the increasingly widespread interest in promoting excellence in our public school system. With the full support of the School Board and administration, the Foundation created means for the public and private sectors to work together, sharing a bond of mutual responsibility for the education of our youth. OIEF’s independent status enabled it to move with a speed and flexibility to enhance the educational offerings of the Orcas public schools without additional expenditures of local tax monies.

These formative principles of the Education Foundation have not changed during the ensuing thirty years. And during that time OIEF has looked to our community in big and small ways. Donors to the school have generously donated whenever asked. In 2007, the OISD was facing a financial crisis. In that year, it was looking to make a massive reduction in the teaching staff. This reduction would have crippled the schools’ educational programming. Heeding a call to action, OIEF went out to the community and raised over $250,000 in less than four months. The out-pouring of support by donors was staggering.

The OISD is in a better financial state. OIEF nows looks to enhancing the already dynamic programming at our public schools. This year alone, donors to OIEF have: funded the Funded the 6th grade’s week long trip to the Olympic National Park, expanded “Farm to Classroom” into the Middle School, helped fund “Farm to Cafeteria”, paid for a High School STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Guitar building class, helped send High School strings to Disneyland for a concert, paid for students to attend Math Olympiad, contributed to the elementary counselor position, funded a visual art exploratory in the Middle School, gave funds so that the new High School ASB officers may attend a Leadership Class this summer, funded additional “seats” for an elementary online reading program, and provided graduating seniors with scholarships. Next year, OIEF is partnering with the Orcas Center to provide a Theater Arts class in the High school.

Today, just as it has for thirty years, the Orcas Island Education Foundation is committed to excellence in education. It hopes to continue that excellence well into the next thirty years, and beyond. But in order to continue, OIEF needs your help. One of the best ways is to attend the June 28th “Food for Thought” dinner and auction, at Random Howse 6p. For more information, or to buy tickets, go to: www.oief.org