A Gift to the Issaquah Schools Foundation Is a Gift for All Seasons

Issaquah, Wash. – Every season was a season of gifts in 2016, thanks to donors who contributed more than $1.6 million to the Issaquah Schools Foundation. Foundation donors create year-round opportunities for students across the district to meet the promise of their potential.

Winter

The Healthy Youth Initiative, funded by Foundation donors, launched the year with a focus on mental health. Student and adult leaders organized a series of conferences with sessions on stress management, self-image, substance use and other mental health topics. Almost 200 teens, parents and educators attended State of Mind conferences at Issaquah, Liberty and Skyline High Schools.

“The students who attended were able to see that their community cared about their wellbeing and learn how to take care of themselves and their loved ones,” says Erika Kumar, a senior at Skyline High School who helped organize the conferences.

The Healthy Youth Initiative serves students of all ages through programs addressing mental and emotional health, substance abuse, homelessness, bullying and basic physical needs, like breakfast and dental care.

Spring

Spring is grant season at the Issaquah Schools Foundation. Foundation donors fund opportunities at every school in the district through Kateri Brow/Big Idea grants of up to $10,000 and Classroom Enrichment grants of up to $1,000. This spring, the Foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $57,000. These grants provided robotics equipment for elementary students, fitness technology for PE classes, a leadership program for middle school students and other academic enrichments.

A student named Andrew wrote to thank Foundation donors for a grant that supported high school physics.

“Your donation made a big impact in my classroom,” Andrew wrote. “We get a more interactive physics experience thanks to training our teacher received.”

Summer

While school’s out for the summer, the Foundation’s work continues. This summer, Foundation donors funded the Start Strong program for incoming high school freshmen, training for elementary art docents, summer library hours for elementary students and Pre-K summer school to prepare students for kindergarten.

A student named Sophia wrote to thank Foundation donors for supporting kindergarten readiness.

“I am in kindergarten and I am an awesome reader already!” Sophia wrote. “Thank you for donating money so that I got a jump-start in reading.”

Fall

As school resumed in the fall, dozens of Foundation-funded programs kicked off across the district—from fine arts and financial literacy classes to VOICE Mentoring and after-school homework labs. Access to Foundation-funded library materials was a game changer for one student this year.

“I have dyslexia and I hated reading because it hurt my eyes and my head,” the student wrote in a thank-you card to Foundation donors. Thanks to the variety of books funded by the Foundation, the student wrote, “I’ve picked up reading and as of now I have read over 50 books. So thank you for the opportunity for me and my fellow classmates to get the urge to read and love what books they read.”

This student, along with Erika, Andrew and Sophia, speak for the thousands of students across the district whose lives are enriched by the Foundation. A donation to the Issaquah Schools Foundation is a gift for all students in all seasons. To make a year-end donation, contact the Foundation at 425-391-8557 or give online at isfdn.org.

View original article as published in the Issaquah Press