This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Hamilton Heights Educational Foundation (HHEF). The organization can be proud of the difference in education it has made for Heights students over the past three decades.
“Having served as a member of the Board of Directors and President, I can’t say enough about the value this organization brings to Heights,” said Melissa Martin, whose leadership has been an invaluable component of the Foundation’s success during her eight-year tenure. “The group of local visionaries who founded the organization, many of which still live and work in the community, certainly knew it would be a worthwhile endeavor but could not have possibly known how very essential the Foundation would become.”
“Initially, the members saw the undertaking as an opportunity to elevate the learning environment by creating an entity to raise money for new and innovative projects and to enhance existing programs,” continued Martin. “Since then, the Foundation has grown in size and scope, providing financial support through grants to groups, schools and district level programs that might not otherwise be possible. Its grants fund programs that demonstrate innovative and effective ways to meet students’ needs, enhance student achievement and increase motivation to learn.”
Sam Dawson and Camryn Runner were among the six students selected from the seventh grade wellness classes who wrote and presented a persuasive essay to the Foundation, which resulted in a $1,500 grant for new games and fitness equipment to implement into the middle school’s physical education curriculum this year. (Photo provided)
Since the Foundation’s inception in 1989, it has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to students and classrooms across all grade levels. While the Foundation receives more requests than it can fund, it funds as much as it can while it works to raise money and seek out additional funding sources. Its annual golf scramble brings in the bulk of its grant money. Each year, money raised from the outing is funneled back into the district.
The Foundation got a boost last year when the community rallied to help it secure a $25,000 Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope grant from the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. HHEF was among the five not-for-profit organizations supporting K-12 education in the nation awarded this grant.
Most recently, Foundation money has been allocated toward green screens and virtual reality viewers to use with Google Expeditions for all building levels; Community Book Mobile; drones for the High School Engineering and Ag Departments; new equipment for Middle School PE classes; new equipment for Primary School STEM Lab; Primary School bouncy bands; BreakOut EDU boxes; Middle School science equipment; staff book clubs; The Husky Bean; fitness equipment for the High School; Puppy Pound; Social Media Marketing Simulation; Middle School Robotics; reading mats and classroom Book a Day.
Randomly select any student from any building and it would be hard to find one who did not benefit through the Foundation. Today, as state funding continues to dwindle, moneys for even the basics are in jeopardy, making the role of the Foundation more important than ever. Without Foundation moneys, students would truly miss out on some very special opportunities.
There are a variety of ways anyone can help support the Foundation to ensure it can continue its good work throughout the school district. Serve as a volunteer, make a tax-deductible donation, nominate a Husky Hero, enroll in Kroger Community Rewards, AmazonSmile, purchase a Department of Education license plate, and/or leave a lasting memory through a bequest to the Foundation’s Endowment Fund.
To learn more about the Hamilton Heights Educational Foundation, to donate, and to see the opportunities it has provided, visit hhschuskies.org/hhef or @hhedfoundation on Twitter.
All contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible and 100 percent of the money is directed to student-oriented projects and programs. “By working together, we can make a real difference in our students’ educational experience as we prepare them for success in an increasingly, competitive marketplace,” said Martin.