A Message from our Board President
As an educator, coach and retired school board trustee, I’ve spent my career advocating for equitable access and opportunities for all students. I am deeply proud to be the board president of this education support foundation, and share in the passions that drove the formation of it, with full support and endorsement of the SRCS school board prior to my tenure.
The importance of enrichment programs and resources for students simply cannot be overstated. From increased success in the classroom to revealing new passions, to increasing social-emotional wellness and seeing themselves in new and exciting ways is just the beginning of the positive ways in which students benefit.
With school enrichment programs, students can build a stronger tomorrow by developing skills and learning techniques today. We firmly believe a child’s growth is a community’s growth as well.
Unfortunately, equitable opportunities do not exist across all SRCS schools when it comes to boosters, parent clubs, volunteerism, and fundraising. Educators at many schools are left to pay out of pocket, rely on crowdfunding or simply do without critical enrichment education opportunities.
So, it is MiSREF's mission to equitably invest in and create programs that promote opportunity, inspire engagement and elevate youth voice. I hope you will share in our goal to collaborate and partner with our community to close the opportunity and achievement gaps. Let’s work together to ensure our K-8 students are all benefiting from art, music, sports, STEM, tutoring, physical education, field trips, and more.
Please consider making a donation and let’s move the needle together!
Jill McCormick
Board President
Our
Mission
To equitably invest in and create programs that promote opportunity, inspire engagement and elevate youth voice.
Our
Vision
- Expand funding to grant the maximum amount to every school that applies
- Expand funding to include two grant cycles per year
- Create programs to enhance reading and math literacy, and student voice
- Establish partnerships to leverage resources and provide equitable contributions to SRCS schools
- Create an endowment fund to ensure ongoing funding for the most underserved students in the district
Our
Core Values
The Made in Santa Rosa Education Foundation is committed to equity for youth and families served by the Santa Rosa City Schools. All of our work is rooted in these foundational values:
- Driven by and accountable to students and what they need to thrive
- Building communities of belonging with students, families, and staff
- Building collaborative relationships with families
- Distributing resources and financial support equitably
- Cultivating and being responsive to the community’s evolving cultural ecosystem
Our Story
In 2019 the Santa Rosa City Schools District Board of Trustees voted to create a foundation to serve schools and students with funding to support enrichment activities, supplies and resources. Funding to begin the foundation originated from undesignated donations to the district, many in the aftermath of the 2017 Tubbs Fire.
Fueled with the knowledge that resources for elementary and middle school students are delivered inequitably, the goal was to close the achievement and access gap by providing opportunities matching those of student peers in higher-resourced schools.
A deep disparity exists between schools in the ability to raise funds for enrichment opportunities. While high-resourced schools can rely on parent/faculty organizations, boosters clubs and donations to support enrichment, lower-resourced schools have communities that struggle with raising resources due to socioeconomic conditions. Enrichment programs are generally funded through these methods.
Why are enrichment programs important? Art, music, sports and STEM programs enrich students’ learning, promote social-emotional learning, and benefit a wide range of student outcomes. An enrichment program enables students to realize their potential in a variety of settings beyond the classroom, and encourages students to learn through different methods as they enjoy engaging projects and activities beyond the pages of a book. Enrichment programs also help foster success in the classroom, and offer a gateway to experiencing new interests to pursue.
The Made in Santa Rosa Education Foundation received 501(c)(3) designation in late 2020. The board of directors engaged in a robust strategic planning process and gauged the current needs within the SRCS K-8 grades and began receiving grant submissions from schools in February, 2022.
The foundation's first grant was presented to the Lewis Early Learning Academy in March, 2022.