July 2021

2021 Outstanding Program Awards Nomination Portal Open NOW! Nominations for the 2021 Outstanding Program Awards for Oklahoma School Foundations are being accepted now. This annual award includes a $1,000 prize and is presented to school foundations to celebrate successful programs that positively impact students, teachers and districts. Nominations are welcomed from anyone associated with a foundation! To learn more about the Awards or to see past winners, head to our website.

Nominate a School Foundation

The Oklahoma State School Boards Association and the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration are set to present their annual Education Leadership Conference at the brand new Oklahoma City Convention Center August 26-29. For the first time ever, they will offer a one-day specialized learning track for school foundation members and leaders for just $175 on Friday, August 27, featuring presentations developed by the Oklahoma School Foundations Network.  Registration for a specialized track allows attendees to participate in the general session and specific breakout sessions related to school foundation work, including:  Strengthening the School District, School Foundation Relationship  Engaging Your School Foundation in Advocacy  School Foundation Funding Alignment  Implementing the Opportunity Tax Credit for School Foundation Donors

Register for the Education Leadership Conference

Fall Forum Webinar Wednesdays Coming in October! Oklahoma School Foundations Network is excited to announce the return of our virtual Fall Forum for 2021. We are working now to plan a series of FREE Wednesday noon webinars during the month of October. Mark your calendar now; registration and presentation topics will be made available soon! Head over to our website to watch the recorded sessions from 2020 at our Network Learning Hub.

View the 2020 Webinars

The Carolyn Watson Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation was started in 1995 to improve the quality of life in designated rural communities in southern Oklahoma. The Trustees established the Classroom Enhancement Grant Program to enhance the classroom experience in selected rural school districts in Oklahoma. Grants of up to $5,000 are available to eligible public school classrooms and public school libraries, grades pre-K through 12, for enhancement projects that provide an opportunity to enrich the teaching environment in the following areas: 1) Arts and Humanities, 2) Science or 3) Literacy. Projects should be integrated into the academic curriculum and provide students with a significant opportunity to expand their knowledge or understanding in the specific area of study. No virtual or distance learning projects will be considered for funding. The deadline for the next grant cycle is coming up in September. Visit their website for information on qualified counties and requirements for the application! Help spread the word about this grant opportunity to your school district.

Learn More

T- Mobile Opportunity to Partner with School Foundations Greetings Oklahoma School Foundations Network Members! T-Mobile dedicated account manager Natalya Kasha is ready to help you achieve your school foundation goals and meet your district needs. She will: Assist with employee appreciation events, back-to-school events, new-hire orientations, whether virtual or in person. Assist with education training, participate in career events, and health and wellness events. Help to identify the true needs of your school district and see how T-Mobile can support them. Find the additional resources to fund or sponsor the ongoing projects that your foundation supports. In addition, T-Mobile would like to share the program which provides exclusive savings for ALL public education employees. The uniquely designed Employee Discount/Employee Perks program provides monthly savings for public education employees and their families. The included free premium features add extra value and extra savings such as: All taxes and fees INCLUDED Unlimited talk, text, & data on the T-Mobile nationwide network 40GB 4G LTE mobile hotspot Scam-blocking protection with Scam Shield Free stuff every week with T-Mobile Tuesdays Netflix ON US on the 1st Line! (Basic) Netflix (Standard) remains on 2+ Lines Device Freedom provides contract buyout from other vendors or allows employees to bring their own devices and enjoy T-Mobile's largest and fastest 5G network. To learn more about how T-Mobile could partner with your school foundation, please contact: Natalya Kasha at natalya.kasha@t-mobile.com, 214-334-7293

Get more information

On-Call Help for Foundations Oklahoma School Foundations Network Director Katy Leffel provides FREE on-call help to all Oklahoma foundations. Have a question or need a sample document? Call or email Katy for support: (405) 922-5420, kleffel@ofe.org. Katy is also available to lead board retreats and strategic planning sessions.

The Oklahoma School Foundations Network is a program of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Follow us on Facebook, and find more information at www.ofe.org.