“No matter whether we’re a private individual, private organization, or civic organization, we have a responsibility to be good citizens and do what we can to make sure the next generation grows up and is successful.”
~Joe Van Deuren, AACPS Volunteer & Philanthropist
Behind each one of Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ nearly 81,000 students, there are thousands of educators and employees across the school system—from the bus driver to the teacher—who dedicate their time and energy to help make sure our students can meet their fullest potential. But even this dedicated team cannot do it alone. Across the county, AACPS depends on countless individuals and businesses who give their time, talent, and money to support our students and our schools. With the continued private support from our community, AACPS is able to offer resources and opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach for the school system.
To better understand what motivates these private citizens and organizations to support our schools, we stepped outside of the school building. AACPS is privileged to have the support of thousands of volunteers and business partners who give back every day to our schools. From mentorship programs to guest speaker appearances to internship opportunities, members of our community find unique and meaningful ways to contribute to our children’s education. For this story, we met with just two of our many community partners and asked how private dollars can impact our schools, why they choose to dedicate their time to our students, and why more members of the community should be investing in the future of our students.
The Power of the Private Dollar
“When we hear the school system is getting a billion dollars that’s a lot of money to all of us,” says Joe Van Deuren. “But what we don’t think about is how far they have to stretch that money.” As Owner and Founder of Balanced Life Skills, a local martial arts school dedicated to helping families and the community bring out the best in our children, Mr. Van Deuren understands the challenge of making any budget meet the diverse needs of the school system. With over 120 schools, thousands of employees, and tens of thousands of students, AACPS is responsible for providing programs and opportunities that reach all children and prepare them for success after high school. So yes, Mr. Van Deuren says, the school system gets a lot of money, but there are still needs that cannot be met by public funding alone, which is why private support is so critical.
From participating on a high school’s Signature Integrated Stakeholder Community Team to visiting an elementary school to read to students, there are many different ways that individuals can use their time and talent to give back to their local community. For Mr. Van Deuren, Balanced Life Skills has partnered with public and private schools throughout the county to support bullying and suicide prevention programs, career day presentations, and other enrichment programs to help encourage students to be safe, healthy, and successful. But while he has been pledging his time to support the schools since 2003, Mr. Van Deuren wanted to find a way to give back in a larger way to the school system that served three of his own children.
The answer came to him during a conversation with an art teacher who had been asked to teach a water color class for his students, but because he did not have the right tools in his classroom, used his own money to purchase water color supplies for his students. Shocked by this story, Mr. Van Deuren did some research and found that that almost 100% of public school teachers spend some money out of pocket on school supplies, instructional materials and other classroom supplies, with many teachers spending more than $500 each year. “You have those moments where you hear the story of the teacher who has to take money out of their own pocket…,” said Mr. Van Deuren, “and you just know at that time that you have to do something.”
To support these teachers, Mr. Van Deuren chose to create a grants program that would supply money for public schools teachers to fund creative ideas of engaging their students that would not be funded any other way. In 2009, Mr. Van Deuren partnered with the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) and the Grants 4 Teachers program took off. (The CFAAC is a charitable organization, supported by local donors, dedicated to support the people and non-profit organizations of Anne Arundel County). Since its creation, the Grants 4 Teachers fund has provided over $53,000 to fund 122 different projects at throughout Anne Arundel County. As one example of the many ways that individuals support our school system, the Grants 4 Teachers program has allowed teachers to help students find and follow a passion—from providing musical instruments to gardening tools—that could not have been covered through the school’s budget alone.
Whether it’s a $15 donation to your local Parent Teacher Association or a $1,500 gift to support a strategic AACPS initiative throughout the county through the school systems, every private dollar matters. As best said by Mr. Van Deuren, “Getting involved certainly makes you feel good that you’re doing your part but more importantly it sends a message to our teachers, it sends a message to our students that we believe in them and we believe that they are going to be successful.”
Cultivating Relationships to Support Our Schools
Contributions come to the school system in many different ways. In addition to working with the CFAAC, many of our schools have active Parent Teacher Associations who work tirelessly to raise money and support for their schools. But like many other public school systems, AACPS also has a private foundation that helps develop partnerships and raise money beyond what taxpayer money is able to provide.
The 21st Century Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to promote partnerships that match the needs of AACPS with the financial resources of surrounding businesses, industries, and communities. Through events, fundraising campaigns, and sponsorships, the Foundation organizes opportunities to raise awareness and funds for the school system. In 2014-2015, the 21st Century Education Foundation raised over $150,000 that will be used to further early literacy initiatives, student leadership and enrichment opportunities, and classroom technology, among many other AACPS initiatives.
By taking the time to get to know members of the community, the Foundation helps local businesses and organizations find ways to target and maximize their support. Over the past 12 months, alone, the Foundation has worked with AACPS and members of the community to secure Chromebook tablets for an AVID Digital Classroom at both Corkran and Marley Middle Schools and media center and classroom materials for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme at Eastport Elementary. Through the work of the Department of Partnerships, Development, & Marketing and the foundation, AACPS has been able to nurture partnerships with local businesses who have chosen to make supporting education a priority for their organization.
Investing in the Future of Our Community
Investing in education is a priority that Vic Samuels, Vice President of Community Relations for Educational Systems Federal Credit Union (FCU), knows well. “In the general scope of things, giving—in addition to helping fill the gaps—is at the core, and very, very important to our future, Giving teaches our students how to give. Giving lets our teachers know that we appreciate everything that they do,” she says, “and we’re not always looking for something in return because it comes back to you…with students that are prepared to help us make giant leaps in the future. That’s really what it’s all about.” As a credit union focused on helping members of the educational community achieve their financial dreams, this fundamental belief in the power and importance of giving back is at the core of everything the Educational Systems FCU does.
Throughout Maryland, the Educational Systems FCU currently works with seven different public school systems and three community colleges to support education at all levels—including as a A+ sponsor for AACPS’ 21st Century Education Foundation. Every year the Educational Systems FCU sponsors 115,000 students from 350 elementary schools in its baseball reading program, donates 6,500 backpacks to middle school students, and awards over $40,000 in scholarships to local students and educators. In addition, to sponsorships and ongoing philanthropic initiatives, this business reminds its employees to make giving back a priority, as well. Each year, 100 employees volunteer over 759 hours to support local school reading programs, spelling bees, financial literacy seminars, science fairs, and other academic programs to further education within their community.
By offering their time, talent, and money, Educational Systems FCU helps ensure that our children have the tools they need to be successful after graduation. “How prepared [students] are for college or careers depends on what they get from the school system, and we want to be a part of that…,” Ms. Samuels says, “It’s about helping—it’s about helping this education community.” And the Educational System FCU knows that making this investment now will benefit their community in the future: “We want to have a part in [our local schools] because the school system wants to do the best to have the students be college and career ready; the businesses are looking for students to be career ready. It makes every sense in the world that you participate and you help to sponsor things and you give your input to get the output you’re looking for in the end. That’s really why all businesses need to participate with school systems in the counties that they serve.”
Giving Thanks
As we reflect at this time of year, we are so grateful for the individuals, business partners, and volunteers, who have given their time, talent, and money to support our schools. From providing access to technology to providing backpacks full of food, individuals and businesses alike continually find opportunities to use their own means to provide our children with the tools and resources they need to learn. By offering their private support today, can help Anne Arundel County Public Schools prepare our children to become the leaders of tomorrow.
If you would like to learn more about how you can make a gift to support our students, please click here.