2015
  September  Newsletter
Welcome to the Mobile Area Education Foundation's September 2015 enewsletter. MAEF is Mobile's only community based non-profit leading a county-wide partnership of citizens, businesses, public schools, and public agencies working together to ensure all children are given the opportunity to succeed, experience a rigorous and relevant education, and graduate college- and career-ready. It is important to us to make sure all of our partners and the community know the state of our public education system. Together we can work to make vital improvements, and help build community schools that are on the right track to graduating all students ready for college and career. 
Register Today for Our Learning Forum


On Thursday, September 24, 2015, MAEF will host the  Education by the Numbers Learning Forum at the Alabama Cruise Terminal from 11 AM - 2 PM. 

Educators throughout this region have been working on improving our graduation rate for the last few years and have made amazing progress. This is a defining moment in Alabama and in Mobile as the largest school system in the State takes on the challenge of not just graduating more students, but graduating all students READY. It is essential that our community- K-12 educators, parents, higher education leaders, elected officials, CBO leaders and business partners be at the forefront of this conversation of building a well-educated and highly skilled workforce through the Graduate Ready Initiative that we are embarking upon in Mobile. We need to learn from experts like Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) about what makes a difference and understand what your role, as community leaders, is in the transformation that is required to meet the demands of business and industry. 

We encourage you to attend the Education by the Numbers Learning Forum along with other school-community partners who are willing to align their talents and resources to ensure students graduate ready. We are counting on you!
 
Special Guest include Mayor Sandy Stimpson, City of Mobile and Bill Sisson, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. 

Click to  Register today! 
J. L. Bedsole Foundation  
Graduate Ready

Help MAEF Make 500 Reading Buddy Volunteers a Reality
MAEF has set a goal to have 500 Reading Buddy volunteers in elementary schools this year, and we need your help! If you are looking for a fulfilling volunteer experience where you can change the life of a student, but also change yours as well then you need to become a Reading Buddy. 

Reading aloud with a child who needs to improve their literacy skills is one of the most effective ways to do so. The MAEF Reading Buddy program pairs volunteers with elementary school students who need extra time to work on reading skills. Our "Buddies" commit at least one hour a week for a school year to helping students improve their skills. Reading is fundamental in fostering a love of learning, and assisting MAEF as we strive to support the essential indicators of what is needed to graduate ready. 

If you are interested in learning more about the program or becoming a Reading Buddy contact Lee Williams by  email  or by calling 251.470.5219. New Reading Buddy Volunteer Orientations are underway. Upcoming trainings are scheduled for Wednesday, September 23rd, at 1 p.m., Tuesday, September 29th, at 11 a.m., and Wednesday, September 30th, at 1 p.m. All trainings are held at the MAEF Offices, located at 605 Bel Air Blvd. More trainings will be scheduled throughout October. 

 

Support MAEF
As a vital partner to public schools, MAEF innovates and creates programing that enhances the quality of education our students receive, builds up our teachers and principals, and provides alternative pathways to obtaining a high school diploma.  Investing in MAEF means that our community will be provided with accurate actionable data for assessing the effectiveness of our initiative through it's data driven platform; MAEF will continue to develop and coordinate strategic partners like you; and secure matching funds through grants and contracts to make your donations go farther.  Visit our website  to make your contribution or sign up to volunteer today. 

The Mobile Area Education Foundation, founded in 1992, is Mobile's only community based non-profit leading a county-wide partnership of citizens, businesses, public schools, and public agencies working together to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to succeed, experience a rigorous and relevant education, graduating college- and career-ready.