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The Auburn Education Foundation: A Vision Fulfilled

In 1985, Steve Brown, a retired Auburn Union School District (AUSD) principal, felt the frustration of shrinking school budgets. Beneficial curriculum and activities were falling by the wayside, cut by limited funding. He saw dedicated teachers reaching deeply into their own pockets to buy those special activities and programs that helped to enrich and extend the classroom curriculum. Steve’s own dedication to kids didn’t stop with his retirement. He dreamed of ways to help fund the dreams of teachers. He contacted school staff, parents, the community, and local businesses. His challenge-how can we work together to provide funds for important projects not funded by the district?

The result was the founding of the community-based non-profit Auburn Education Foundation (AEF), a 501c(3) organization. The sole purpose of the AEF is to secure and distribute funds to provide education experiences and curriculum materials for the benefit and enrichments of students that would not otherwise be funded by the AUSD.

Today, under the direction of Dr. Edward Gilligan, retired superintendent of AUSD, the AEF is a thriving organization. The board of directors is made up of staff and parent representatives from each of the schools and members of the community. Funds are raised through fund-raising activities, membership, sponsorships, memorial donations and grants. 

In order to get the funds into the classroom, AEF has grant process. Teachers, aids, secretaries and administrators are all able to apply for funds through submission of the mini- or maxi-grant application. Grant applications are reviewed by the Grant Committee and approved by the AEF board. At the end of the year, the recipient submits a report on the project to the AEF. Project descriptions and summaries are available to all staff so that successful ideas can be shared across the district.

Steve Brown pursued a dream to benefit school kids. The AEF keeps the dream alive. 

Auburn Education Foundation  t PO Box 6313  t Auburn, CA 95604

Last modified: 10/03/2010