Co-Sponsor D.A. Grout Elementary School

Join the Employees of Concero Technology, Fahey Ventures LLC, Hepieric, Inc., Miller Nash LLP, Payless Long-term Care Pharmacy, Sabrix, SmartForest Ventures, TechTracker and Tripwire

 

EFNW has brought together Schoolhouse Supplies and Saturday Academy - two nonprofits that support the educational needs of students in very different ways - to provide EFNW member companies and their employees the opportunity to join forces and leverage resources so that significant educational benefit can be achieved.

EFNW member companies and their employees are co-sponsoring D.A. Grout Elementary School, a high poverty school in Portland Public School District. Our goal is to provide:

  • Every student a backpack filled with supplies through Schoolhouse Supplies Tools For Schools program.  
  • Learning Enrichment and Accelerated Pace (LEAP) classes for forty students through Saturday Academy. Offered throughout the school year, LEAP classes provide hands-on enrichment for students who are performing above their grade level academically or students with potential to perform above grade level. LEAP classes available to schools include Lego Physics, computer programming, microbiology, and many other science, engineering and math classes.

Why is this important?

  • Over 20,000 children in the Portland Public School District live at or below the poverty line. Purchasing school supplies shouldn’t be a luxury. Unfortunately, many low-income families cannot afford these necessary tools. Consequently, dedicated teachers are spending an average of $600 out of pocket each year to provide the basic and necessary supplies their students need.
  • Many schools like Grout are not able to fund educational enrichment for talented and gifted students. An emphasis on test scores means that school resources are dedicated to helping students achieve testing standards, with little available to challenge students working above grade level. Learning must be engaging for all students and as a report by the Oregon Department of Education notes, "No Child Left Behind should not equal No Child Allowed Ahead." Without engaging learning opportunities, gifted students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, are more likely to drop out. This is a huge loss for Oregon's future.

D.A. Grout Elementary School was chosen because of its dedication to a positive learning and teaching climate for its diverse population. Its mission is to promote a student-centered environment, which affords opportunities to achieve high academic standards, self-worth, responsibility, respect for others, and a sense of community.

If your company would like to participate, please contact Jennifer Ruwart at jruwart@ocf1.org or 503-552-3505.

Not a member? If would like information about becoming a member of EFNW, please contact Dave Squire at 503-944-2145 or dsquire@ocf1.org.

 

Whether you are an employee of a company listed or not, your donation is important. Thank you for your support.

Calendar of events

  1. Company Fundraising, now until August 15th
  2. Pack the Backpacks, Friday August 18th 1-4pm
  3. Deliver the Backpacks, Friday, September 8th

How do I get started?

Everything you need to get started is right here:

Summary of project and timeline for CI Liaisons

Employee Announcement

Tools for Schools Supply List

LEAP Case Statement