Virtual Spring Fundraiser

Virtual Spring Fundraiser

Mar 26, 2021

2021 SEF Spring Fundraiser

SEF Virtual Spring Fundraiser

Dear friends,

After this year of being apart, we invite you to join the Sunnyvale Education Foundation (SEF) community at one or more of our Virtual Spring Fundraiser events:

Adults, please join us for one, several or all of the virtual events in support of Sunnyvale School District (SSD) students. Tickets are $50 per event, and a portion of the ticket price will be matched. You can also donate a ticket so an SSD teacher may enjoy a virtual event.

Your support will be tripled with our challenge matching grants! Ticket price includes the activity and a donation to SEF, which is matched 2:1 by LinkedIn and Facebook.

Learn more about each virtual event, and purchase a ticket for yourself or a teacher, at SEF-events.eventbrite.com.

SEF is currently assisting all SSD schools, funding distance-learning items such as dignified workspace materials and supplies, STEM and art kits, extended reading materials, culturally sensitive books, music software licenses for middle school band students, and a portion of virtual Science Camp at all ten schools. The current round of grants also invests in materials such as microscopes and band shells, in anticipation of students returning to the classroom.

Thank you for all you do to support our children and our community. Every effort made to ensure a strong educational foundation for our children is an investment in a brighter future for us all.

Working together for our kids,

Melinda Hamilton, President
Sunnyvale Education Foundation

We would like to thank our event sponsors LinkedIn, Google and Facebook.

SEF_sponsors

Thank you Sunnyvale Cares: $11k to Support Sunnyvale Students

Oct 22, 2020

Sunnyvale, CA – Thanks to the city of Sunnyvale and the Sunnyvale Cares program for supporting SEF with an $11,000 donation to help fill our fundraising gap after we had to cancel our annual donor event in March.

From the City of Sunnyvale Website: To assist Sunnyvale nonprofits impacted by COVID-19, the City committed $150,000 to create a Sunnyvale Cares Nonprofit Grant Program. The City received 27 applications for a combined funding request of $600,005. Mayor Klein appointed an ad hoc advisory committee (Committee) to review the applications submitted and make funding recommendations to the City Council. The Committee members were Councilmember Russ Melton, Councilmember Mason Fong, and Mayor Larry Klein. The Committee forwarded its recommendation to the City Council and on July 28, 2020, the City Council approved the following funding levels for 15 agencies.

https://sunnyvale.ca.gov/news/topics/svcares.htm

Google Donates $100k to Help Sunnyvale School District Students Continue Studies During Pandemic

May 5, 2020

Sunnyvale, CA – To help students with the shift to distance learning because of the coronavirus pandemic, Google has donated $100,000 to the Sunnyvale Education Foundation (SEF). The money will be used for wifi hotspots, devices and learning materials for students and teachers in the Sunnyvale School District (SSD). 

“SEF is proud to have Google as one of our corporate supporters, and especially grateful for their assistance and support during this time of crisis,” said SEF President Melinda Hamilton. “Google has supported SEF from the very beginning, and we’re proud to work with them to bring a high-quality, enriched education to Sunnyvale students, even during a pandemic.” 

In March, the district shifted to distance learning under the county’s shelter-in-place order and started making devices available for students who didn’t have access to a computer at home, regardless of economic status. It soon became clear that some students didn’t have internet access, or that their wifi access was overburdened with parents and siblings all sharing the same bandwidth. Teachers having the same issue had trouble preparing lessons for their students. 

“Sunnyvale School District has a 1:1 technology policy, but this pandemic is stretching our resources and our staff,” said SSD Superintendent Dr. Benjamin Picard. “For some students, access to devices and wifi are a crucial gap to continuing their education. Google has stepped up and helped us fill that gap.”

Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein agreed. “Thanks to Google for its generous donation to the Sunnyvale Education Foundation, which enables distance learning for local families. Sunnyvale appreciates Google’s commitment to help bridge the digital divide in our community.”

In addition to the devices and hotspots, some funds will go toward classroom supplies to facilitate distance learning, such as small whiteboards, paper, markers and other materials for students and teachers who do not have those items at home.

SEF Mixer Postponed

Mar 11, 2020

Dear Friends,

We know the Sunnyvale Education Foundation Mixer is an event the Sunnyvale community looks forward to every spring! Unfortunately, we must reschedule the SEF Mixer. SEF is working closely with the Sunnyvale School District to assess safety risks for our community related to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Information will be sent out as soon as we are able to secure a new date for the event.

Because the SEF Mixer is a major fundraiser for our organization, we encourage you to attend our rescheduled event or donate via PayPal. This will help us reach our fundraising goal and allow us to do even more to help SSD schools.

Thank you for being a Champion for Sunnyvale schools!

Kelli
—
Kelli Cree
VP Communications
Sunnyvale Education Foundation