Dear Friends of Education:

This is a milestone year for The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools. On December 1st, we will celebrate 25 years of Enhancing and Enriching the quality of public education in Lee County so that our students and teachers can Excel. This anniversary year is a time to reflect on the visionary leaders who realized a quarter-century ago that, without excellence in our public education system, Lee County could not be a community that would continue to thrive and grow. It is also a time to embrace our ongoing obligation to our students. By helping them to be the best they can be, we help make our community strong and productive. We cannot do this without the help of our business partners, community leaders, philanthropic supporters, and neighbors. My heartfelt thanks to all of you.

Please review this Annual Report, visit our website, www.leeschoolfoundation.org, and discover the many and varied programs made possible by The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools. There are two examples of programmatic initiatives I would like to particularly recognize in this letter.

The first is the STEM at Work Project, made possible by a grant from AT&T Florida. Students learning science, technology, engineering and/or math (STEM) are provided 20 hours of workplace shadowing experiences in a real business environment using these disciplines. Many thanks to the businesses that welcome students into their workplaces for the STEM at Work Project. Initiatives like STEM at Work give our students hands-on experience outside the classroom, allowing them to be career-ready to compete globally. We look forward to expanding this hugely successful program.

The other exciting initiative I want to recognize was made possible by a $50,000 planning grant from the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation. It will be used to develop a collaborative plan to address the achievement gap that persists for low-income and minority students, and at the same time address the need to improve the scholastic performance for all Lee County students. If the collaborative plan is well received by the NEA Foundation, it could result in a 5-year, $1 million implementation grant.

All of The Foundation’s programs are rich in content, vital to our students and teachers, and are dependent on your support. If you believe in The Foundation’s work as much as we do, please consider joining us as a volunteer or donor. Your involvement will make a significant contribution as we pursue educational excellence for all Lee County students and teachers.

It is with great humility that I assume the Chairmanship of The Foundation’s Board of Directors. It is an honor to accept the gavel from Ken O’Donnell and to express my gratitude for his extraordinary service. Without the talent and dedication of fellow Directors and Executive Committee members, my new role would be much more challenging. I know they all join me in expressing appreciation to our President and CEO, Marshall Bower, and the first-rate team of professionals he so enthusiastically leads. The children of Lee County are better educated, and the teachers of Lee County are better supported, because of them.

Together we have accomplished much. Join us now in celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Foundation and all of the achievements in which you’ve been a part. Most importantly, be there with us as we move forward together to advance the quality of education in our community.

Sincerely,

Robbie B. Roepstorff
Foundation Board Chairman
July, 2011 - June, 2013