The Elmbrook Education Foundation mission is to promote educational excellence by providing scholarships and grants to District of Elmbrook public school students and schools.
The Foundation is a non-profit organization dependent on the time and energy of community volunteers who share a passion for the value of public education. 2008 marked the Foundation's 50th year of investing in the School District of Elmbrook and its students.
Why does the Elmbrook School District need an Education Foundation?
- To Recognize Excellence in our Students: The EEF administered scholarship program is truly a community based scholarship program. It has consolidated many of the scholarship programs previously provided by community partners and businesses to ensure a fair and objective process that rewards and/or supports as many graduates as possible each year while maintaining the individual selection criteria of each scholarship sponsor. Excellence includes a commitment to one's education, a sincere desire to serve others, and an indominable spirit that allows one to overcome challenges in an effort to achieve personal goals.
- To Recognize Excellence in our Staff: The EEF provides opportunities to visibly recognize Elmbrook staff members who go above and beyond to continually improve instructional practices and/or provide opportunities for Elmbrook students that might not otherwise be available.
- To Continually Improve by Fostering Innovation: All public schools are under tremendous fiscal constraints today. In a time of revenue caps and declining enrollment, the Elmbrook Education Foundation plays an important role by funding projects that the district would not otherwise have the financial resources to undertake. The EEF sponsored grant program leverages the generosity of the community to ensure that inspired Elmbrook students and staff are able to implement and share their ideas to sustain the level of excellence provided across the Elmbrook School District. Innovation allows Elmbrook to not only remain competitive, but also allows students and staff the opportunity to develop ideas to help overcome challenges the budget crisis has created for public education.
- To Proactively Save for the Future of Elmbrook. The current funding model for public education guarantees that the District will be unable to take in enough money to cover expenses without annual cuts to programs/services and or increases to teacher:pupil ratios. The EEF's permanent endowment will provide an annual gift that is not dependent on fundraising to either preserve current Foundation programs and/or support needed programs/services that otherwise might be cut in the future. The EEF feels a sense of urgency to build the endowment so that it is prepared to meet the needs of Elmbrook students and schools in the not-so-distant future.
We believe that the success of the Elmbrook Education Foundation is a critical factor in maintaining Elmbrook as a school district of choice in our region.
