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BPEF Executive Molly Fraker with representatives from Wells Fargo's East Bay team.

In accepting the check, BPEF Executive Director Molly Fraker noted with gratitude that the funds were arriving at an auspicious moment,  since BPEF had just completed its announcement of grants totaling $224,000 for the 2011-12 school year, and was hosting a celebration for teacher recipients that same day.   “A grant this size makes an enormous impact in how many more projects we can fund.  Wells Fargo is our largest single corporate donor for this vital program and we are tremendously grateful.”

Wells Fargo has a long-standing commitment to local education. In Nov. 2011, Wells Fargo announced that the company is donating $1 million to benefit education throughout the Bay Area. Including the $1 million dollars, Wells Fargo has donated more than $13.3 million to schools and nonprofit organizations for educational purposes in the Bay Area, since 2009.   The grants presented at this event are designated to benefit select school districts with significant enrollment from students coming from low-to-moderate income families.

BERKELEY, November 18, 2011—Berkeley Public Education Foundation (BPEF) (bpef-online.org) announced today the 2011 recipients of its annual Classroom Grants. Due to continued annual budget cuts, and the constant reallocation of discretionary funds to maintain the essentials, schools are in constant search for resources to pursue projects that enrich teaching and learning.  “Every year, the amount of dollars requested exceeds the previous year, and this year was no exception.   We are delighted, thanks to the generosity of our donors, to be awarding the highest number of dollars ever for this central BPEF program—grants to support educator-initiated projects at every grade, in every school,” said Molly Fraker, Director of the nonprofit organization.   Multi-year grantee and art teacher Lucy Ames credits BPEF with helping her offer quality materials to her young pupils, “with the benefit to my students and my teaching being that we are inspired, enthusiastic, engaged.  Isn’t this what it’s all about?  We are so thankful to BPEF!”

A noticeable rise in requests to enrich math and science teaching was rewarded with nearly $80,000 granted for projects involving more than 100 teachers, including sending every 5th grader to a workshop (shown here) at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

The 2011 awards, 243 in all to teachers applying either individually or as part of collaborative teams, include 40 grants for field trips to venues as far as Yosemite and as near as UC Berkeley’s Cal Performances; 58 grants for technology equipment or educational software purchases; and more than 65 grants that fund dance, theater, music and visual arts projects. In addition, BPEF has partnered with the school district on a single $44,000 grant to complete an extraordinary two-year effort to build permanent book collections in every classroom throughout Berkeley’s eleven elementary schools.  Other grants range in size from $7,000 for a year-long pre-school project to align teaching with Kindergarten readiness benchmarks, and $8,900 for a class set of microscopes at King Middle School, to $500 for professional printmaker residencies at two middle schools, and $700 for pilot projects to test music and language arts applications of the iPad.  Technology requests are steadily on the rise, particularly from Berkeley High School, and awards to teachers there include $4,500 for a pilot project with the Green Academy, to test the effectiveness of having a classroom set of Google Chrome computers.

Unrestricted dollars that BPEF raises underwrite 1) classroom and other grants that go directly into academic projects and programs; 2) a school-day and after-school volunteer program that infuses over $1 million in donated time into the district; and 3) support for unique programs offered within the public schools by partner non-profits.  BPEF’s School Volunteers, initiated in 1991, brings donated time, talents and skills of over 2,000 community members into all Berkeley schools. Funded organizations include Berkeley Repertory Theater ($8,000), which is conducting 10-week workshops at all eleven elementary schools; Berkeley Symphony ($15,000), whose Music in the Schools serves nearly 4,000 students in all eleven elementary schools with a year-long program of instruction and performance; Community Resources for Science ($9,0000), which helps K-8 teachers in Berkeley build confidence in their science teaching by providing information and lessons, scientist volunteers and support with extracurricular activities; and the Writer Coach Connection ($9,000), whose 250 volunteers  undergo six hours of rigorous training to prepare them for the job of coaching middle- and high-school student writers.

Berkeley Public Education Foundation was begun in 1983, when the impact of Proposition 13 property tax restructuring was being felt in public school classrooms.  A group of Berkeley parents and community leaders responded by establishing BPEF, to raise awareness and funds on behalf of the city’s public school teachers and students.  This core leadership group began building an annual source of funding that educators could tap to enrich their classrooms and expand the horizons of their teaching, and today BPEF has grown to become Berkeley’s single largest source of private outside funding available to every Berkeley public school, from Pre-K–12.    “BPEF has always believed that directly supporting teachers is one of the best and most efficient ways to help students achieve and succeed,” notes current board Chair Chris Hudson.

Highlights of BPEF’s many years of support include early seed funding for the Columbia Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, which with BPEF’s help was piloted by lead teachers and then adopted as the new Language Arts curriculum across all Berkeley K-5 schools. This year’s $44,000 grant for thousands of leveled fiction and non-fiction books is the capstone of this collaboration.  In the early 1990s, BPEF was asked and accepted the challenge to raise an extra $1 million to build a Family Resource Center at Rosa Parks School during its reconstruction following the Loma Prieta earthquake. When music was in jeopardy in our schools for a year due to a funding gap, BPEF spearheaded a campaign raising over $300,000 to keep music teachers and instruction going uninterrupted.

November 13, 2011 from 4 to 5:30 pm

From Preschool to Kindergarten:

An Informational Reception for Parents

The Berkeley Public Education Foundation invites you to learn more about enrolling your child in Kindergarten in Berkeley public schools. Francisco Martinez, Manager of BUSD’s Admissions Office, will explain the background on BUSD’s school choice system and assignment process, and answer your questions.
(Note:  This event does not provide information on individual schools or other school programs.  For that overview, the Berkeley School District is hosting their annual Kindergarten Fair on December 10th at Rosa Parks School.  You can find out more on their website. )

Join us on Sunday, November 13, 4:00-5:30 p.m. 
Northbrae Community Church -  941 The Alameda, Berkeley

(Street Parking and limited parking in lot behind church, off of Solano Ave.)

For more information or to RSVP please contact us at:
(510) 644-6244 or bpef@berkeley.net

Light refreshments will be served.

No childcare available
( children welcome — but it is 90 minutes of adults talking!)

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5% Day to Support Berkeley Schools!

A special day when 5% of all sales will be donated to the

Berkeley Public Education Foundation

Berkeley Whole Foods Market

Wednesday, September 14

8am – 10pm

Telegraph @ Ashby

invite you to attend a special evening with

State Superintendent Tom Torlakson

At Hs Lordships at the Berkeley Marina – $40 per person.  Reservations needed.  For more information, click here

BERKELEY, November 23, 2010—Berkeley Public Education Foundation (BPEF) (bpef-online.org) announced today the 2010 recipients of its annual Classroom Grants.  “Due to repeated annual budget cuts, our schools are in an exceedingly difficult spot which is reflected in the highest number of dollars requested and awarded for these grants in the organization’s history,” said Molly Fraker, Director of the nonprofit organization. “BPEF has answered the call.” Begun 27 years ago in a volunteer’s living room, BPEF has grown to become Berkeley’s single largest source of private outside funding to reach teachers and programs in every Berkeley public school, from Pre-K–12. BPEF believes that directly supporting teachers is one of the best  and most efficient ways to help students achieve and succeed.

The 2010 grants, 230 in all to over 300 teachers applying individually or in teams, range from $150 for a class of second graders to collect and publish their writing, to a $9,000 District-wide grant for books that support the newly adopted K-5 Language Arts program. A sampling of other grants include books and storytelling puppets for Franklin Pre-school teacher Karen Sudjian ($500); printmaking materials for Cragmont School’s Art teacher Joe McClain ($800); ten laptops for a portable computer lab requested by a team of teachers at Willard Middle School ($10,000); and half a dozen document cameras plus expanded wireless service for Berkeley High School humanities teachers ($3,000).

Unrestricted dollars that BPEF raises underwrite classroom grants, a large district-wide volunteer program and support for unique programs offered within the public schools by other organizations.  BPEF’s School Volunteers, initiated in 1991, brings donated time, talents and skills of over 2,000 community members into all Berkeley schools. Funded organizations include Berkeley Symphony, whose Music in the Schools serves nearly 4,000 students in all eleven elementary schools with a year-long program of instruction and performance; Community Resources for Science, which helps K-8 teachers in Berkeley build confidence in their science teaching by providing information and lessons, scientist volunteers and support with extracurricular activities; and the Writer Coach Connection, whose 250 volunteers, from Cal students to retirees, undergo six hours of rigorous training to prepare them for the job of coaching middle- and high-school student writers.

Berkeley Public Education Foundation was begun in 1983, when the impact of Proposition 13 property tax restructuring was beginning to be felt in public school classrooms.  A group of Berkeley parents and community leaders responded by establishing BPEF to raise awareness and funds on behalf of our city’s public school teachers and students, who were bearing the brunt of the dramatic reduction in public education financing.  This core leadership group began building an annual source of funding that educators could tap to enrich their classrooms and expand the horizons of their teaching. “BPEF has always been about enrichment, innovation and leadership,” said Fraker.

Highlights of BPEF’s many years of support include early seed funding for the Columbia Teachers College Reading and Writing Project which, with BPEF’s help, was piloted and then adopted as the new Language Arts curriculum across all Berkeley K-5 schools. In the early 1990s, BPEF was asked and accepted the challenge to raise an extra $1 million to build a Family Resource Center at Rosa Parks School during its reconstruction following the Loma Prieta earthquake. When music was in jeopardy in our schools for a year due to a funding gap, BPEF spearheaded a campaign raising over $300,000 to keep music teachers and instruction going uninterrupted.

Congratulations to the teachers who were awarded BPEF grants and to the all the students in Berkeley public schools who are the beneficiaries of the community’s donations and commitment to excellence.