There’s no beating around the bush. Coronado Schools Foundation (CSF) provides crucial funding to execute STEAM-related education at our schools. While originally we allocated CSF funding toward enrichment and extra-curricular activities, as budget cuts went deeper, it has become a necessity to providing many core fundamentals in our education.
In the 2016-2017 school year, CSF endowed a critical $680,000 into our public schools.
We pride ourselves on strategically investing these funds into STEAM academic areas. Education nationwide has increased focus on these areas (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), particularly in cross-curricular environments. It emphasizes how different subjects work together and that learning should not be in isolation.
Each school creates a campus-specific game plan for their funding. They then present their site’s Program Funding Grant Request for approval. Once approved, the school creates a formal presentation for the CSF Board.
This process is important because it puts educators working directly with CSF to design where these funds will have the biggest impact. While all funded programs must be STEAM related, they can cover a wide range of programs and take on a variety of different shapes. For example, some schools look to hire a technology teacher or look to create a math enrichment after school program. Others have used funds to support their band program or start a choir.
You can see each school’s break down here. Each school outlines the category where every dollar is spent in school-specific graphs. You can then click through to see detailed funding allocations.
The relationship between CSF and CUSD is designed to be completely transparent. That’s why we post the financial breakdown online. It’s important to know where those dollars are going.
Former teacher, Coronado business owner, and current CSF Board Member Renee Cavanaugh commented, “The level of accountability that CSF has is unparalleled. Everything they do is student centered and student focused. Every dollar raised, every student they work with, the outreach, it’s just incredible.”
In fact, we encourage community members and parents to look behind the scenes at the critical role CSF plays in providing a top-notch education. Last year we started CSF led tours at each of our school sites. This gives stakeholders the opportunity to put a face on the day-to-day activities and learning that this funding makes possible.
It’s more than just talking points and numbers. This tour focuses on tactical implementation and impact. Hear from students and teachers directly about how they view the programs and how they are influencing education.
We invite you to join the upcoming school tours. Contact CSF for specific dates and times.
