Foundation for Rural Education Excellence

Supporting Academic Achievement in Rural Northeast Florida Communities

November 2018 Newsletter

The Foundation for Rural Education Excellence, a registered 501 (C)(3) organization, was founded in 1998 to facilitate philanthropic support for rural school districts of the   North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC): Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Nassau, Putnam, Suwannee and Union Counties as well as Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and PK Yonge Developmental Research School. Working collaboratively, our mission is to enhance academic success and career opportunities for rural students in northeast Florida.

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Richard C. Munroe Foundation Supports Computer Science Courses

FREE, through a $15,000 grant from The Richard C. Munroe Foundation, Inc., will offer 42 computer science enrollments through NEFEC’s MyDistrict Virtual School. The grant funds will be used to purchase the courses and contract with a computer science teacher who will teach these courses virtually across participating districts. The teacher will also schedule visits to the local classrooms to further facilitate the curriculum. FREE is endeavoring to get middle school students interested in these types of courses so they will be able to take more rigorous courses in high school that could lead to higher paying jobs and certifications. FREE will work with NEFEC’s Education Technology Services Department to monitor the progress of students taking these courses, their completion rate, and future scheduling of STEM related courses.   The Richard C. Munroe Foundation, Inc. is a small family foundation. Their primary areas of focus are human services (programs for at-risk youth and the impoverished), the arts (especially programs that will aid the at-risk population), and the environment .

New Teacher CONNECT Has Full House

On November 7th, 40 new teachers from eight NEFEC member districts gathered in Starke to continue their participation in the NEFEC CONNECT: New Teacher Network.  The day was crafted based on the participant’s feedback from the first session and was a jam-packed, collaborative event. Dawn Smythe, from FDLRS NEFEC, facilitated a general session in the morning covering the psychology of behavior and effective management strategies. The afternoon featured two breakout sessions: the first was “Organizing Students for Learning Part Two” and the second was “Successful Formative Assessment Strategies.” The next convening is scheduled for January 30, 2019, in Starke. Participants’ feedback from session two will drive the design and delivery of that upcoming session.

Upcoming Events

21st Annual Golf Tournament FREE's annual golf tournament is scheduled for March 22, 2019, at The Palatka Golf Club. Stay tuned for more information.

Summer Leadership Conference NEFEC's Annual Summer Leadership Conference is scheduled for July 8-11, 2019, at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

Foundation for Rural Education Excellence (352) 317-0621 foundationruraled@gmail.com freeneedsyou.org

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