Fundraiser firms up kids' educational foundation

West Allis - Kids in West Allis-West Milwaukee schools will benefit from a lot more extras than before because of the phenomenal success of last year's fundraising effort of the West Allis-West Milwaukee Education Foundation.

It announced giving $18,400 in grants to teachers who applied for them, $7,000 more than last year. Grants are given for innovative learning programs, new technology, and field trips that go above and beyond the normal classroom experience. Foundation grants fund things that the regular school budget cannot.

Sara Everts, foundation president, attributes the fundraising success mainly to two factors.

One was a raffle where donated computer tablets were given away. That alone raised $3,500 more, she said.

The second factor was that many teachers and other school staff and city workers swung their United Way contributions toward the foundation, she said. For about the second year, the foundation has worked with the United Way to give donors the option of targeting their donations to the foundation, said Everts, who praised the generosity of the public employees.

Because of all the donations to the various fundraisers, the foundation was able to grant 44 of the 74 grant requests received. The selection committee concentrated on making sure the maximum number of students would benefit from grants, Everts said.

Grants went for such things as:

A "cross-age" tutoring program

A Do the Right Thing positive behavior program

Fitness equipment

Classroom calculators for a high school math department

Percussion band equipment at an intermediate school

An anti-bullying/self-control program at an intermediate school

Pedometers to promote physical fitness and active lifestyles at an elementary school

A student-designed community service learning project (elementary)

$4,820 in electronics purchases for elementary through high school

$2,870 for seven field trips

But just as the need for the extra funding never stops, fundraising can't stop, either, Everts said. Even now the foundation is in the middle of its WAWM100 campaign seeking 100 businesses and individuals to give $100 each. The goal is $10,000.

Foundation volunteers also are contacting area businesses and organizations to sponsor additional targeted grant categories such as wellness/fitness, fine arts, technology and vocational tech.

Donations are tax-deductible. For information, go to the foundation's website, wawm.k12.wi.us/Education_Foundation.

- Jane Ford-Stewart