October 2008

From the Executive Director

It has been my pleasure working part-time as the Executive Director for the Educational Foundation these past two years.  In the course of this time, we have seen our organization grow at a remarkable rate, and we are able to help our community in manners we haven't before.  We have seen a growing number of volunteers, and board participation in all areas of the organization has increased - especially in fundraising and marketing.  We have also been able to implement new programs with the help of our generous donors and recent community partnerships.  With these new resources we can continue to enrich the students in the Ann Arbor public schools.  We are proud of the incredible strides we’ve made, and we only expect more successful endeavors in the years to come.
 
With the growth of the organization, we are able to expand our assistance to the Ann Arbor public schools.  In the coming years, the AAPSEF will continue to support grants to teachers, but rather than being 100% of our available funds, it will be less than one fourth of the total support - while still providing the same dollar amount to the grants.  We are happy to announce that our funding has increased significantly and we are able to continue to pour the same amount of money into teacher grants while also allotting funds to our other programs.

We have also dramatically increased our volunteer corps and have begun working with three different University of Michigan programs to assist us in analysis and appraisal of our mission and activities: The Community Consulting Club at the Ross School of Business; two MBA Board Fellows; and SI 500, a graduate class at the School of Information.  These alliances help us ensure that we are serving the community in the best possible manner. 

We have worked with Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) to implement a payroll deduction program for AAPS employees.  We have received funding support from all segments of the community: parents, staff, businesses, PTO’s, retirees, etc.  We even were able to produce a thirty minute CTN program about school funding, as well as develop a corporate sponsorship packet.  The last two years have left a strong impact on the Ann Arbor community, and we only expect to continue our growth.

A key element of the funding support we provide can be summed up in one phrase: “all students, all schools”.  We don’t intend to fund programs in just one or two schools, but all schools in the district.  Programs funded through the Educational Foundation must be aligned with the strategic plan of the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

As a result of your contributions, this year AAPSEF will be financially supporting programs that will impact every elementary school student through Elementary Enrichment Coordinators and My Access! support, while every 8th and 10th grader in the district will take the Plan and Explore tests.  My Access! may also support some middle and high school students, and grants to teachers will impact students all across the district.  Of the approximately 16,000 students in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, The Educational Foundation support will reach between 12,000 and 14,000 of them!

We thank you for your generous financial and volunteer support which is imperative to fund these programs.  If you are interested in having a board member or myself speak at an event or to a group of your friends or colleagues, please let us know. We would be happy to share our mission and vision with members of the community.

Happy fall,

Wendy Correll
Executive Director, Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation

100% of every gift stays in Ann Arbor. Every gift makes a difference.

AAPSEF is an independent 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.
©2008 Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation