Dear Friends of Education:
One of the most important attributes in defining the quality and success of any community is the education delivered in its public schools. For a solid academic background today is the bedrock of a successful tomorrow. In order to create the leaders and workers of our future, we must nurture the abilities and creativity of today’s students to the highest possible standard. In a growth intensive county such as ours, this becomes an increasingly difficult task with limited resources. To meet this challenge and thrive, the entire community must come together, including those without children in school, to support our public educators and students. It is to this end, that The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Incorporated was founded twenty years ago this year. On the occasion of our 20th Anniversary, we share our many successes and happiness for our accomplishments with ALL of YOU who so generously contributed of yourself and your resources to enrich public education in Lee County.
In this Annual Report, you will see how your support has translated into many wonderful opportunities for our students and teachers. In just this past year we have achieved the following:
•Collected more than 10,000 books that were distributed to youth who are at Low Income / At-Risk for their home libraries
•Sponsored the televised A-Team Challenge including 31 schools in a 5 county area to showcase our outstanding student’s academic prowess
•Awarded 180 grants to teachers totaling over $62,000 to provide creative and specialized programs for our students to enhance their school curriculum
•Provided 42 teachers with the opportunity to attend Steven Covey and Quality Teacher training programs
•Awarded 9 scholarships to teachers for continuing education
•Added 16 sets of books to our lending library for classroom use
•Continued to supply our teachers wonderful materials from our Resource Center all donated by the generosity of our local businesses and members of the community
•25 Low Income / At Risk students were awarded college scholarships through our participation in the “Take Stock In Children” program
•6 of our finest teachers were recognized and rewarded for their dedication and excellence through our Golden Apple Program™ - Which has been emulated in school districts all over the country
Through the Foundation’s programs, the education delivered in our classrooms has been greatly enriched. Without YOUR help, these wonderful opportunities would not exist. It is with our deepest gratitude that we Thank Each and Every One of YOU for investing so wisely in the future of our schools and community.
Please take our report with you to learn more about our programs. For those of you that are interested in becoming involved in any capacity with the Foundation and the wonderful work it accomplishes, please contact us at the Foundation’s office. We most graciously welcome any and all support that you are willing to share for this most worthwhile of endeavors. Together we can make the future for our schools and community brighter every day.
Sincerely,
Eva Freeman
Immediate Past Chairman
