Patty Venema, Snohomish Education Foundation President & Scott Peacock, Snohomish School District Assistant-Superintendent for Leadership and Learning
Due to the outstanding fundraising efforts of Snohomish Education Foundation and generous donations from motivated community members in 2015, Snohomish Education recently donated $20,000.00 to the Summer Arts & Science Academy and $20,000.00 to the ECEAP Preschool-Third Grade Reading Readiness Program with the Snohomish School District.
The $20,000.00 for the Summer Arts & Science Academy allowed for scholarships to low-income students that would not otherwise be able to attend. The goals of this Snohomish School District program fills summer learning gaps, creates a lifelong passion for learning, provides nourishing meals (through Kid’s Café program) and transportation. It also exposes students to new opportunities and helps build vocabulary and background knowledge.
“The SEF support of our Summer Arts & Science Academy is invaluable. The Foundation’s support has made it possible for dozens of students to engage in innovative, hands-on learning, who might otherwise have not been able to afford it. Our program is richer and more meaningful for the diversity of experiences that so many kids have brought to it.†– Scott Peacock, Snohomish School District Assistant-Superintendent for Leadership & Learning
During summer break, many low-income students suffer from “summer slide†as they lose skills learned in the previous spring from lack of use over the summer months which widen the education gap between low and middle-income students.
Teachers plan courses around popular topics such as underwater robotics, geocaching, hiking geology, nature, master-chef, native American studies, forensics, engineering, songwriting, sports, nutrition, CAD, yoga and drama, just some of the 40 topics offered.
Scott Peackock, SSD Assistant-Superintendent for Leadership and Learning; Sherri Williams, Director of Snohomish Education Foundation; & Miriam Mickelson, SSD Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
$20,000.00 for the Reading-readiness program allows for all children from ECEAP preschool through third grade to attend programs that promote skills to enable students to be able to read by third grade.  Each year, another grade level is added to the 5-year program. Statistically, we know that low and moderate-income populations or children at risk are demographically this highest percentage of students that begin slipping behind prior to the 4th grade. We also know that statistically, those students that are challenged going into 4th grade are less likely to graduate from high school.
“P-3 Literacy Alignment has been central to our work at the primary level in Snohomish. It has enriched the collaboration of our teachers, but most important, is an approach to writing and reading that places our students’ experiences at the center of learning.†– Scott Peacock
The Foundation sincerely thanks our growing list of supporters for the key role they play in Supporting Student Success.  Annual Sponsors: SBI, Boeing, Mt. Pacific Bank, Sodexo, Wells Fargo, Beresford, Coastal Community Bank, Heritage Bank, Kirtley Cole, Columbia Bank, Comcast, Dykeman, Foster Pepper, Ideal Communications, SkyDive Snohomish.