Mission 

             To promote and support excellence in education:

            by developing supportive relationships between the private sector and the Lafayette Parish public school system.

            by providing private sector support to launch creative
education initiatives.

            by implementing strategies to stimulate optimism and inspiration among educators, parents, and students.

            by encouraging and facilitating lifelong learning initiatives.

Grants Program

Grants are offered annually to Lafayette Parish Public School educators grades K-12.

Two types of grants are offered:

   Mini Grants

    Up to $1,000

 Individual teachers

Directly to classroom

        School Impact Grants

Up to $5,000

Groups of teachers

Directly to schools

Application Process

• Applications and guidelines are available on the LEF website each fall.  Educators may also call LEF office for details.
• Grant Writing workshops are offered by LEF staff . (TBA)
• Application Deadline is March 1.

Funding

• LEF Grants are funded in part by interest from LEF endowment (determined by LEF board) and in part by grant partners such as, but not limited to Woman’s Foundation, Wilkinson Family Foundation, Chevron, BellSouth, Beaver Club, Marathon Oil Company Foundation, Avec Souci, Jr. League of Lafayette, Lafayette Board of REALTORS, Woodmen of the World Lodge 982, BESE.
• Amount to be funded is recommended by Programs VP and approved by the board of directors.

Review Process

• Grants Panels review the applications, which are anonymous, and decide which to award, based on academic merit, innovative approach, and available funds.
• Grant Review Panels are composed of volunteers:
    1 LEF Board Member
    1 ULL representative
    1 Former Educator
    1 Business or Community Volunteer
• Proposals are divided into groups, panels meet for an overview of guidelines, and 
  proposals are reviewed and scored by each panel member over a two week period.
• A final meeting is held where each panel determines which grants will be funded 
  within given guidelines.

Award Process

• All applicants are notified in writing as to the determination of grant funding. 
• Those applicants whose grants are approved are sent invitations to an annual grant reception, usually held in June.  LEF Staff, Board Members, Grant Panel Members, Grant Partners, Grant Recipients and their principals are invited.  Lafayette Parish superintendent, school board members and members of the media are also invited to attend.
• Grant Recipients receive award packets during reception.
• Packets include grant award and pertinent information regarding evaluation and follow up of grant.   Any grant recipient not in attendance should contact LEF office to receive their packet.

Grant Visits and Evaluation

• Under guidelines set forth, all original receipts must be turned into LEF office by November 30 of the implementation school year.

• Grant Visits are scheduled as projects are implemented upon notification of teachers.  Board members, grant panel members, and partner funders are encouraged to participate.
• During the year of grant implementation, all recipients must complete a project evaluation.  Data is used for project evaluation, as well as for United Wayand other funding reports.
• LEF Executive Director and Programs Director monitor and evaluate grants process, making recommendations as necessary.  Board members are also encouraged to participate in the evaluative process.

Publicity

• All recipients are asked to provide LEF with pictures of grants in action, as well as participate in news media interviews acknowledging LEF and/or the grant partner.
• Grants Award information is shared with Lafayette Parish School System public relations coordinator, and it is requested that the recipients and their schools be publicized within the school system.

IMPACT:

• LEF funds approximately $50,000 annually, and has funded over $914,000 in grants to Lafayette Parish Public school classrooms and schools.  These funds go directly to the classrooms and do not cycle through the school system.
• The focus is on innovative and creative approaches to learning.
• High percentages of teachers and students annually report that they are more motivated and have increased knowledge as a result of LEF funded grants.

LEF Grants Program directly supports our mission to promote and support excellence in education by rewarding grants to those educators that value excellence and work tirelessly to foster student achievement.

LEF Teacher Awards

Teacher Awards is the heart and soul of promoting excellence.   

On this special evening, we honor those teachers who go beyond the call of duty to not only educate, but to inspire. 

Funding

The event cost is funded through the generosity of our major sponsors.  Each year cash awards are given to the sixteen finalists, along with other gifts donated by the community.  We raise these funds from community contributions and smaller sponsorships.

Nomination Process

Each year, as school begins, the community is asked to send in nominations of active academic educators, in Lafayette Parish public, private, or parochial school systems, in grades K-12.  Nominations are received from students, former students, parents, teachers, and others—all of whom have been positively affected by a teacher. We receive somewhere between 250 and 900 nominations each year.

Teacher Awards Selection

In mid November, a panel of LEF board members, retired educators, ULL professors, Community Business partners and volunteers read the nominations and choose sixteen finalists:  four each in the categories of inspirational, elementary, middle, and high school.  This panel considers each nomination to determine whether or not the nominee has gone beyond the scope of his/her job description to impact the nominator. Reading the nominations is extremely touching and inspiring.  Finalists are kept secret until late December.  LEF staff completes status checks with principals to ensure all finalists are in good standing.

Pin Patrol

In early December, a group of LEF volunteers, board members, and Lafayette Chamber of Commerce volunteers go out to all of the schools and acknowledge all nominees.  Hundreds of nominees are recognized on this day. 

Finalists’ Pin Patrol

Finalists are acknowledged by a surprise visit by LEF volunteers and Board Members in late December.

Publicity

Public Service Announcements air on radio stations September- October 31 and late December through the time of the event.

Event and Nomination Posters are displayed throughout the community.

Teacher Awards Chairperson, LEF Executive Director, Programs Director, sponsors and board members all participate in morning and noon news show interviews to promote the event and ticket sales.

Tickets are $10.00 general admission and available at the Heymann Box Office and other designated locations.  $5.00 educator tickets are available at the Heymann center with
valid ID.

Cox Communication taped the 2007 event which aired on Cox Channel 4.

After the event, top finalists are invited to participate in interviews with TV 10 and AOC.

Event

The Teacher Awards planning committee begins working in July to put on an elegant, Academy Awards style evening for our inspiring educators.  Awards are typically held in late January.  The evening begins as finalists arrive at the Petroleum Club for a Pre-event reception.  Board members and sponsors are welcomed and encouraged to attend.  From here, finalists and spouses are taken by limousine to the Heymann Center.  Upon arrival, they are serenaded by local student trumpeters.  Awards begin at 7:30 p.m. After the awards ceremony a champagne / dessert reception is usually held.

IMPACT:

Since 1998, LEF Teacher Awards has honored 2,370 outstanding educators, and has awarded $198,000 in cash awards to finalists.  More importantly, we have shown teachers that they are important, they are valued and held in high esteem.  Based on the notes of gratitude we have received from past finalists, this event, unlike any other in our community, makes a huge impact on the teaching profession.  The honor and appreciation received by them that evening leaves a lasting impression.

Reading Initiatives

The Book Bug Drive has been an annual campaign which has recycled over 20,000 books from individuals not using them into the hands of those who desperately need them. Partners have included Barnes and Noble, Vita Adult Literacy, Kiwanis Club, J & R Educational Supplies, Waste Management, and local businesses.

Through evaluation of this program, and as a result of on site visits by LEF Executive Director with reading facilitators and supervisors, it has been realized that there is a more defined need to assist students in reading progress.  Books leveled according to a research based leveling system are now needed to facilitate small group instruction.  Current best reading practices are focusing more on individualized instruction. It is recommended that every child have an unfamiliar book to practice reading each day on their independent reading level. To address these needs and as part of our mission to develop supportive relationships between the private sector and schools, LEF has begun an effort to coordinate resources with which to fund these needed materials. The implementation of the Reading Initiative Model Grants program will be the next phase of our reading initiative.

Future board discussion will take place over modifications to the Book Bug Drive.

IMPACT: 

20,000 books were collected, recycled and distributed to Lafayette Parish public elementary school children.

Reading Initiative Model Grants

As the grants program developed, LEF board members began discussing ways to implement successful LEF grants in other schools.  As a result of this, the Model Grants Program is in its beginning stages.  We have chosen the area of Reading for our first model grant, based on the original grant:  “Matching Struggling Readers to Books that Fit!”

Funding

LEF has funded a total of 23 Model Grants in 13 Literacy Initiative schools for a total of $20,355.90.  Partner funders include:  Chase Bank, ConocoPhillips, Woman’s Foundation, and

LEF has also received the Capital One LA Education Initiative Grant of $100,000 which will be distributed to 13 Title I Literacy Initiative Schools in Lafayette Parish.  The Capital One Model Grant is based on the same original grant and will be monitored by LEF for three consecutive years.

LEF Executive Director has applied for and continues to apply for funding for the Reading Initiative Model Grants.  These grants will be subject to available funds. 

Projected IMPACT:

 
With the use of leveled texts, we expect:

·         the percentage of students reading on level by third grade will increase

·         students will become independent readers

·         reading success will carry over into other subject areas

·         there will be less discouragement and more motivation to stay in school

If we can show the community that this makes a difference, LEF will be in a position to gain future funding and community exposure, which will serve to increase the impact of our mission even more.

Lifelong Learning

History

As a result of Lafayette Education Foundation’s commitment to be the sustaining entity for the education initiative of Partnership for a Healthier Lafayette, the organization continues to develop lifelong learning initiatives by first helping to prepare youth for success. The initial recommendation that LEF develop a youth program career identification, direction and development was made in 1998 by an advisory council comprised of community volunteers and LEF board members.  Since that initial recommendation, two such programs have been successfully implemented and are now being maintained by LEF’s partners in the implementation.  These include the Youth Opportunities Program now maintained by Goodwill Industries of Acadiana and the Magellan program which has been maintained by the Lafayette Parish School System and Goodwill Industries.   On August 14, 2005, the LEF Board of Directors voted to accept Career Connections as a new LEF Lifelong Learning program and donate the Magellan program to Milton Elementary for continued use with seventh graders.

Career Connections

Initiated and administered for several years by the Greater Lafayette Chamber of commerce, Career Connections is an annual event for Lafayette, St. Martin and Iberia parish tenth-graders, designed to foster awareness of the preparations necessary for future careers and lifestyles. The career expo component of the program involves business representatives volunteering their time to mentor students as they share career information regarding their professions, including education, salary expectations and job responsibilities.  The second component is a reality store at which volunteers assist students with a “shopping” exercise; planning a month’s budget while visualizing lifestyle choices. 

The lifelong learning project is dynamic: many students do not understand the relevance of what they learn in school to their ultimate career choice.  Through this mentoring process, we are helping students see the opportunities before them, encouraging them to choose a goal, and showing them the relevance between school and jobs.  This program not only furthers our mission, but also helps to create bright futures for children. Through this valuable mentoring process, students will be able to make a connection between school and the real world, ultimately enhancing their chances for success.

Projected IMPACT:

We anticipate that if we can engage tenth graders in hope for the future by connecting them with mentors in the business world, the results will be:

·         an increased focus and motivation toward school

·         less possibility for drop outs

·         increased knowledge in career choices

·         more connection between school and workforce

·         a more successful community