Community Foundation of the Lowcountry

Beaufort County School District

In October 2007, community leaders and educators across Beaufort County were asked to Envision Education Excellence. "What would it looks like if every member of our schools were successful in attaining their aspirations - how would it feel as a community," recalled Superintendent Valerie Truesdale. What they proposed was a new Beaufort County School District Mission Statement: To ensure excellence in education for each learner that prepares each with the knowledge, skills and personal responsibility to succeed in a rapidly changing global society. The team then established six goals for achieving this mission. A key recommendation was the formation of a countywide education foundation to support, in part, teachers who strive to spark students' imaginations by providing enrichment activities and creative classroom projects that are beyond the regular school budgets. Established in 2008, the Beaufort County School District Education Foundation Fund, operating independently of school administration, represents a partnership between the community and local educators as they join together to provide the children of Beaufort County with the quality education that ultimately benefits us all. Teacher Innovation Grants Funds raised for the Beaufort County School District Education Foundation Fund will initially be used for teacher innovation grants. With successful fundraising, it is anticipated the grant applications will be available to teachers in spring 2009. Through teacher innovation, the possibilities for our students are endless. "Through the mini-grants we hope to stretch the learner just that much more," said Valerie. "We want to give our teachers those extra resources that help them to excel."