| |  | Dear Friend of EEF, As 2020 comes to an end, I hope this finds you happy and healthy, and maybe also taking a well-deserved holiday rest. Although this has been a challenging year for students and staff in Eugene School District 4J, the support of the community has been so inspiring. Thank you for helping us to provide opportunities for equity, access, and engagement, even through distance learning. Outlined below are the many ways we invested in students this year, thanks to your generosity. Your support this year has brought light and hope, helping to ensure that all of our students have a brighter future. |
| | With Warmest Holiday Wishes to You and Yours,  Dana Fleming
Executive Director
Eugene Education Foundation  |
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 | | P.S. There's still time to support EEF in 2020! To ensure that your donation is credited in the current calendar year, your check should be dated (and your envelope postmarked) no later than December 31. If you are worried about the delays in the postal service this year, you may also donate online. |
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| | | EEF Grants
Support of EEF helps make learning happen, and even though the school year looked very different, EEF grants helped to keep students engaged. For example, a 2019-2020 school year district-wide grant to fund an adaptive online math platform allowed every 4J elementary student access to that core subject during distance learning, while giving teachers real-time data to track their progress. Our grant process looked a little different for the 2020-2021 school year. We pivoted to more realistically meet the needs of schools by splitting the Standard Grant cycle into two rounds of applications, with the October 2020 cycle already awarded, and another cycle to be awarded in January 2021. In addition to our Standard Grants, we are also awarding Urgent Needs Grants, on a rolling deadline, to support unplanned needs that cannot wait for the standard application periods. A list of grants that have been awarded during the first Standard cycle, as well as Urgent Needs Grants, can be found here. During the months ahead, renewed support for 4J learners will be critical to ensure they can successfully re-enter our schools. We look forward to work in partnership with the school district to help students make up for lost time and to get back on track with their education. We need your help to make that possible. |
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| | | Literacy Initiative EEF adopted a strategic multi-year initiative, targeted at grades K-3, to fund programs to help to improve reading proficiency in 4J students by third grade. Approaches have included: - Heggerty Phonemic Awareness, a district-wide supplemental curriculum. With funding from the Cressey Family Trust and the Pape' Family Foundation, EEF supported the training of 130 educators, as well as the materials needed to deliver the program, in the fall and winter of the 2019-2020 school year.
- Results: Students in grades K-2 made exceptional growth in their phonemic awareness skills, helping to establish a strong foundation in reading.
- Distribution of free books to students in 4J elementary schools and programs, including Kindergarten Readiness Bags, River Road Elementary School, and the BEST Afterschool Program.
- Introduction of an online literacy application, targeting specific skills and additional practice for students. The application allows teachers to extend their teaching to students while they are at home, leading to better quality instruction.
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| | | Student Needs Now During the pandemic, 4J families experienced an increasing need for basic support. In response, we established the Student Needs Now Fund, and contributions from the community have been overwhelming! - Food and supplies are being regularly distributed through 4J’s Wraparound Team
- Warm clothing was purchased and distributed to unhoused students
- Internet connectivity was provided for families previously without, including year-long subscriptions to Comcast
- Clothing for 4J students was made available at JC Penney shopping events
When basic needs are not met, our children cannot learn. Support from the Student Needs Now Fund reduces obstacles that are preventing students from focusing on learning. |
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| |  | Rosie's Fund This fall, a very generous donor initiated the creation of Rosie's Fund, in order to provide resources for intervention for 4J students who have experienced severe trauma. This fund could not have come at a more crucial time! The protracted time away from classrooms and other impacts from the pandemic have put more pressure on families, and students are likely at higher risk for trauma. When students return to classrooms, experts anticipate that the need to address this will be even greater than it was prior to the pandemic. When students come to school exhausted and stressed, they are not ready to learn fractions or write an essay. Their emergency needs take precedence over academic work, and they need additional support to be successful. Rosie's Fund will provide the necessary support to help break the cycle of adversity.
Please support Rosie's Fund so that we can continue this important work. |
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| |  | Youth Drop-In Center Students experiencing homelessness are at great risk of dropping out of school and suffering from chronic homelessness. Access to food, mental health services, and educational support can help them stay in school, and off the streets. 4J is partnering with Youth Era, Cahoots, and15th Night to open Eugene's first youth resource center and hostel at 44 W. 7th Ave. Building renovations are currently underway and programming will be opening in phases. Starting in early 2021, 4J students will be able to access support for distance learning, food, mental health services, and health care evaluations at the site during school hours. In the second phase, hours will expand to include afterschool programming and other supports. In the final phase, expected in fall 2021, students needing emergency shelter will be able to access the youth hostel for one night stays. We need your support to raise a 1 to 1 match for the lease. Our goal is $48,000. |
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| |  | Save the Date!
In Lieu of our usual in-person Annual Dinner, please mark your calendars for:
A Brighter Future: our Virtual Gala
Tuesday, March 30
We hope you'll join us to ensure that all 4J students receive the education they deserve,
helping to provide a brighter future for them, and their communities!
More information to come! |
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| | Eugene Education Foundation
P.O. Box 1015, | Eugene, Oregon 97440
Question? Email us at eef@4j.lane.edu or call (541) 790-7744 |
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