What We Fund

From TK through graduation, WCEF is here for you and your family

Below you'll find more information about what donations to WCEF make possible. From our Math Coach, the Las Lomas Wellness Center, salaries for Art, Music, Science Lab specialists, and more. You'll also hear from the Walnut Creek School District Superintendent and the Acalanes Union High School District Superintendent, so keep scrolling!

For our 2020-21 Annual Giving Brochure, please click here.

GRADES TK-5

Full year of Art, Music, and Science Lab
Salaries for 20+ Instructional Specialists
Math Coach to deepen instruction and learning
Technology provided to all students

GRADES 6-8

Support for STEAM electives (Robotics, Computer Sciences, Digital Arts, Music, World Languages & more)
Full-time Credentialed Librarian and research databases
Math Coach to deepen instruction and learning
Technology provided to all students

GRADES 9-12

12 additional core academic classes - ensuring the 7-period day, smaller class sizes, more student choice
More classes geared toward college readiness like Advanced Placement
Support of the Wellness Center, serving the social-emotional needs of all students
Technology for students without access

wellness center
giving las lomas students resources and a place to go

With WCEF funding, the Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD) prioritizes wellness for its students. In 2017, in response to the rise of teen anxiety, depression, suicide, stress and emerging concerns with high vaping and e-cigarette usage, AUHSD opened its first of four Wellness Centers on the Las Lomas campus.

We are trying to de-stigmatize mental health so students can get the support they need and not have their learning disrupted. It gets stressful in high school and that impacts mental health.”
— Adriana Martinez, Director of Wellness, AUHSD

For the past three years, we have been a major source of financial support to accommodate the growing demand for services for students and families at the Wellness Center. The WCEF Board is proud of its commitment to increase staffing hours from 40% in 2018-19 to 100% in 2020-21. Our students need this support.

The Las Lomas Wellness Center offers individual/group counseling, crisis support, and other interventions aimed at addressing a multitude of teen-related issues: stress, depression, bullying, gender questions, grief, drug/alcohol abuse, and anxiety. Wellness staff also support student clubs, wellness initiatives and the counseling staff.

Additionally, the Center is not just for students. They offer group sessions for parents/guardians and training for teachers and staff. WCEF sees great value in getting students the support they need on campus when they need it.

For more information about the Las Lomas Wellness Center, go here.

TK-8 Math COach
alexandra thomas

Alex Thomas, the WCSD TK-8 Math Coach, works directly with teachers. She covers curriculum, modeling, and new teaching techniques. Her goal? Discover new, updated ways to support both student and teacher.

Education is shifting. We need to be educating students to solve for problems that we can’t even conceive of yet. We need to help them develop skills to ‘think out of the box’ and to use multiple methods. And most importantly, we need them to appreciate that ‘mistakes’ are opportunities for learning, not dead ends. We want students to break problems into pieces, and then persevere through the pieces to get to a solution.”
— Alex Thomas, WCSD Math Coach

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"(Alex) has been priceless to the math department. She is on campus providing real-time training and best practices, and that has a huge impact on what we can do for students every day." - Mrs. Gitta Kahangi, Walnut Creek Intermediate

Follow Alexandra on Twitter to keep up with her success! @WCSD_MathCoach

DONATE TODAY!

Teacher Grant PrograM

Background
WCEF launched a new avenue to support teaching and learning in 2019 - the Teacher Grant Program. Looking to fund innovative projects that will enhance and support 21st century learning in the Walnut Creek School District, more than 50 grant applications were received for $20,000.

The district’s mission is to inspire a community of learners empowered to positively engage with the world through discovery, innovation, creativity, leadership, and character. Providing ALL students with learning opportunities to engage in active communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking empowers them as agents and owners of their learning experience. The WCEF Teacher Grant Pilot Program expands the partnership between WCSD and WCEF, further demonstrating our commitment to supporting the students and staff in our community. Through this initial pilot program, WCEF and WCSD hope to learn from teachers and school communities and improve future teacher grant program efforts.

Questions? Contact Sandra Naughton at grantchair@wcefk12.org.

THE DISTRICTS & Schools WE SERVE:

WCEF and the WALNUT CREEK SCHOOL DISTRICT

"Our schools would not be able to deliver the type of excellent STEAM learning opportunities our students experience every day without WCEF support. We simply do not receive enough funding from the state to operate these high quality programs. WCEF fills that gap. WCEF support is invaluable to ensuring great schools in Walnut Creek."
– Marie Morgan, WCSD Superintendent

WCEF AND THE ACALANES UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

"Because of the support of education foundations (like WCEF), we can offer educational opportunities that exceed most private schools."
– John Nickerson, Ed. D. AUHSD Superintendent

Funding Guidelines

Funding of programs within the Walnut Creek School District and Las Lomas High School is a collaborative process between WCEF, the districts and the schools. WCEF meets with leaders at the schools – and at the two school districts – to identify and prioritize funding needs. The WCEF board maintains responsibility for ensuring that funds are directed towards programs that advance the Foundation’s mission and may decline to fund those programs which do not meet these funding guidelines. Funding decisions are made on an annual basis for the following school year.

Funding will support our mission and the strategic plans and needs of the districts.
Requests for funding will be endorsed and prioritized by the districts or site principals.
Funding will target curriculum, student and staff health and welfare, and capital projects.

Looking for more information?

Download the 2017-2018 Impact Report to read in details how your donations support essential instruction, tools and services.

Impact_Report_2017-18.pdf
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