PROFILES in Leadership
Rebecca Delmundo , Debbie Struhm , Amanda Merz , Tracy Bezanson
SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union and The Education Foundation for California Schools
Supporting The Innovation Efforts of California Teachers
Pictured ( above ): Michael H ., teacher and SchoolsFirst FCU Member ; Insert : Josh Smith , vice president of School and Community Relations at SchoolsFirst FCU
Pictured ( L-R ): Rebecca Delmundo , Debbie Struhm , Amanda Merz , Tracy Bezanson
The Education Foundation for California Schools supports and recognizes the instrumental role educators play in fostering innovation and creativity in today ’ s educational curriculum . Through an annual grant program , the nonprofit funds educational programs and initiatives that California teachers are able to develop and bring their students .
The Education Foundation for California Schools was established in 2003 as an extension of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union ’ s mission and purpose . SchoolsFirst FCU was founded in 1934 by school employees to help school employees and their families thrive by offering financial products and services to help them with their financial well-being . The foundation ’ s purpose is to provide grants that support teachers in creating educational programs aimed to inspire students to excel in core curriculum .
The foundation reaches out to teachers each October , encouraging them to apply for a grant of $ 1,000 or $ 5,000 . All K-14 public- or private-school teachers or teams of up to three teachers may apply . “ Since inception , we ’ ve provided nearly 600 grants totaling over $ 1 million that have directly impacted more than 50,000 students ,” says Josh Smith , vice president of School and Community Relations at SchoolsFirst FCU .
Thanks to support from individual and corporate donors , the Education Foundation for California Schools awarded 50 grants in 2021 . “ We see so many creative programs from remarkable educators that will improve our future ,” Smith says . “ One example is an innovative program that will teach students different types of coding such as computer code , Morse code and Navajo language code , inspiring interest in humanities and communications .”
The Education Foundation for California Schools hopes their grants help the California education community inspire more students in the areas of STEM . “ We look forward to receiving grant applications from educators in the Greater Sacramento region and helping them implement programs and initiatives to make a difference in their students ’ lives ,” Smith says .
“ We recognize the important role innovation plays in education . It encourages both teachers and students to explore research and use their tools to uncover something new to help build a brighter future for our communities .”
— Josh Smith , Vice President , School and Community Relations , SchoolsFirst FCU
1485 Response Rd ., Sacramento , CA 95815 I ( 916 ) 569-5400 I
�������������������������
SPONSORED PROFILE
FOR CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS
February 2022 | comstocksmag . com 59