April, 2010

We’re finding One Million Reasons to support Ann Arbor Public Schools.

This month, we are excited to announce a new and bold initiative to support our schools. The Foundation’s board has just launched its “One Million Reasons” campaign, with the ambitious goal of raising one million dollars by July 31, 2010. We are asking for support from all members of our community – parents, faculty, staff, neighbors, business and political leaders, alumni and friends.

Why now?

Michigan is in trouble, and state support for our schools is in rapid decline. There is a heightened awareness of the need for stable funding for education. People are talking about what budget cuts will mean for their schools and children; we’ve had many community discussions about spending priorities. Ann Arbor citizens are hearing about what cuts in school spending are doing to other districts in the state and country. We are a community that values excellence in education, and we have high expectations for continued quality. We know that we must act now to ensure that Ann Arbor Public Schools remain among the best in the nation and provide our students and community with the best future possible.

Reaching our $1million goal by July 31 will enable our AAPSEF board to make programming decisions in time for the next school year. We’ll then inform AAPS how much Educational Foundation support they can count on for specific programs that might otherwise be lost or reduced. Funds raised through this campaign will be used during the 2010-2011 academic year.

Our plan:

This is a grassroots effort. We expect that large donors will contribute approximately 20% of our goal; the remaining 80% will come from community members and parents of children in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. We are advertising in local media, seeking press attention, talking to PTO’s and individual donors, and making presentations to as many community groups as we can. We’re mailing our request for support to your home. Each school will have a team of volunteers to organize informational gatherings in their homes. We’ll be getting the word out at ice cream socials, graduation and reunion events all over Ann Arbor.

Contributors to the One Million Reasons campaign can designate that their gift support one of five areas: Where Most Needed, Arts and Humanities, Math and Science, Early Childhood Education, and College and Career Readiness. Each person who gives is encouraged to go to our Facebook fan page and post their reason for supporting programs in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. In a little over 3 months, we’ll have One Million Reasons to celebrate!

What you can do:

1. Give your financial support. We are happy to accept your check, credit card payment, transfer of stock or you are welcome to divide your support over several months with an automatic transfer from your checking or credit card account. You can make your gift through our website www.SupportAnnArborSchools.org, mail your contribution to us at: 2555 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, or call us at 734-994-1969 for other arrangements.
2. Talk to your friends and neighbors about your reasons for supporting our schools. We are recruiting volunteers to host informational gatherings in their homes, and to present the campaign to schools and community organizations.
3. Let us know what you want to do, and we’ll help you do it!

We’ll keep you posted on our progress in this newsletter and on our website. As always, thanks for your continued support for innovation and excellence in our public schools.

Foundation Awards $15K in Teacher Grants

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded more than $15,000 in teacher grants for 20 faculty-inspired projects in our schools.  This is the second round of teacher grants for the 2009-2010 academic year, and for the first time, funding can be use for projects throughout the summer.  Teachers will receive up to $1,000 for inspirational, innovative projects that deepen our students’ educational experience. Each year, the Foundation board awards up to $30,000 in direct support to programs developed by our excellent AAPS faculty.

Winning projects include the third year of funding for “Buzzing A Hive,” a beekeeping program for Ann Arbor Open @ Mack; a school garden at Northside Elementary; and iPods for English as a Second Language learners at Slauson Middle School.

For more details and a complete list of grant recipients, click here.

Survey Participant Wins Chop House Dinner

AAPSEF will award a $100 Chop House gift certificate to Kerry Kafafian Wiesner. Kerry serves as the Vice President for Skyline's PTSO. Her son is in the first graduating class of 2012. Kerry describes herself as a “strong supporter of a stable and large funding system for K through 12 education statewide - the quality of education affects everyone.”

Congratulations, Kerry, and our sincere thanks to all who participated in our survey.

Save the Date

August 30, 2010
AAPSEF’s Annual Golf Outing
Stonebridge Golf Course

Watch for details on our website.