Clay Education Foundation Receives Grant to Implement Career Pathways, Literacy Supports, and Provide Teachers with School Supplies
The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations recently awarded the Clay Education Foundation $40,781.84 in matching funds through the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program.
With these funds, the Clay Education Foundation is supporting Clay County public school students and teachers through a variety of initiatives. Leveraging the 1:1 match, the Foundation partnered with STEM2Hub to pilot three career pathways, grades K-8th, in the areas of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and drone technology. These pathways will be implemented in the STEM labs at Grove Park Elementary and Orange ParK Junior High school, incorporating many of the skills needed for the 21st century workforce. “Our goal is to expose students to the fundamentals of computer and data science, as well as, emerging technologies, in hopes that they will be more likely to seek career and technical education programs and certificates in their high school years and be prepared for the jobs of the future”, stated Makayla Buchanan, Executive Director at the Clay Education Foundation.
With the remaining funds, the Foundation plans to open the new Tools 4 Clay Schools Free Teacher Store for year-round school supply shopping to Clay teachers in January 2021, funds innovative teacher projects in the areas of STEM and literacy known as “Grants 4 Great Ideas”, and supports K-3rd grade literacy.
Through the collaborative efforts of its members, the Consortium successfully advocates for the creation of legislative matching funds in 2000 which has provided a dollar-for-dollar incentive for local education foundations to raise
private contributions for eligible projects. Since then, more than $114 million in combined private and state dollars has been employed for local projects that serve low-performing students and literacy initiatives, encourage STEM and career/technical education, improve teaching quality, and/or increase graduation rates.
The Consortium is the membership organization for Florida’s school district-wide local education foundations. Established in 1987, the Consortium maximizes the individual and collective strength of Florida local education
foundations to support local partners and schools in achieving student success. The Consortium now has 64 members foundations with 1,100 business and community leaders serving as volunteer board members. The Consortium has
facilitated more than $56 million to local education foundations since 2002 through various private- and public-sector partnerships, including the State of Florida School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program.
To learn more about the Consortium and the statewide impact of the program, visit www.educationfoundationsfl.org.
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About Clay Education Foundation:
The Clay Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and the direct-support organization of the Clay County School District, dedicated to strengthening our schools and community by empowering students and educators, building
relationships, and providing the necessary resources to help all students reach their potential.
For more information, please contact Makayla Buchanan at info@clayeducationfoundation.com
