A Bright Spot in a Dark Time

Though money is tight, Impact on Education finds a way to help students in need.

Global, national, and local media is jammed packed with bad news about the state of the economy. Yet in the face of it all, Impact on Education made the bold commitment to grow its Opportunity Fund program that has come to support a growing number of Boulder Valley School District schools that find themselves short on resources to support students with financial need.

The Opportunity Fund enables students from economically disadvantaged homes to overcome economic barriers that inhibit access to academic and extracurricular activities that require participation fees. Last week, Impact on Education provided $130,000 to BVSD principals, allowing thousands of students to access technology, rent musical instruments, pay for class fees, participate in extracurricular activities, school field trips and much more.

Principals can triage funding within their student community based on their firsthand knowledge of those students experiencing financial need. One principal reported that Opportunity Funds provided a student the means to purchase much needed eyeglasses that the student’s family could not otherwise afford.

Another principal poignantly sums up the program with, “The Opportunity Fund creates equity between all students by leveling the playing field for them. All students have the opportunity to have the same experiences without worrying about how this will affect their families’ basic needs at home.”

Founded in 1983, Impact on Education is a private, non-profit community partnership for the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD). The organization solicits crucially needed resources from businesses, individuals and foundations for classroom projects. In over 25 years Impact on Education has raised over $11 million to improve educational opportunities for Boulder Valley School District students and teachers. Impact on Education programs make measurable contributions to increase student interest and learning in science, technology and math, create opportunities for “at-risk” students, and support and celebrate teacher excellence in all BVSD schools. For more information about Impact on Education, visit http:/www.ImpactOnEducation.org