June 2022

Education Leadership Conference Specialized Learning Track for School Foundations Friday, August 26, 2022 The Oklahoma State School Boards Association and the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration 2022 Education Leadership Conference will once again offer specialized learning tracks. A school foundation track will be offered on Friday, August 26, 2022. Specialized learning track registration will include one-day conference attendance featuring the daily general session, exhibit hall entrance and four 50-minute focused breakout sessions designed for foundation leaders, volunteers, and interested school district staff. School Foundation Breakout Session Topics Are: Opportunity Scholarship Act Tax Credits for Public Schools 101: Learn more about expanded access for public schools to tax credits for private donors to public education. This presentation will outline the basics of the law along with important information on registering to participate, setting up a system for success and implementing this donor opportunity in your district. Support Beyond Classroom Grants; Creating Strategic Alignment Between the District and School Foundation: School foundations can create real, lasting impact when they work as true strategic partners with school district leadership. Learn strategies for communication and collaboration in partnerships that advance student success. Community Connection; Going Beyond Fundraising: School foundations can play a critical role in connecting community supporters with the district. Find out how school foundations are sharing important messages on the positive work public schools are doing in the community and using those stories to leverage community support and forge game-changing partnerships.  School Foundation Round Table(s): A free flowing opportunity for discussion on school foundation issues. Oklahoma school foundation executive directors will host discussion on a variety of table topics, including fundraising events, board development, program management, and more. This is a great opportunity to connect with other school foundation leaders and to learn and get energized for a great 2022-23 school year. Registration for school foundations is $200. The Oklahoma School Foundations Network will offer a limited number of scholarships for school foundation volunteers, please contact Katy Leffel by July 15 if you are interested in attending the conference.

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School Foundation Literacy Partnership Opportunity The Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister join Dolly Parton to announce the Oklahoma statewide expansion of her namesake Imagination Library book-gifting program. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books each month to children from birth to age five, free of charge through funding shared by local community partners. The program’s unique funding structure centers on local community partnerships. The Oklahoma State Department of Education will provide a 1:1 match of all locally raised funds, ensuring as many as 264,000 Oklahoma children from birth to age 5 have free, high-quality, age appropriate books mailed to their homes on a monthly basis. The OSDE’s investment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Oklahoma will be funded through June 30, 2024.

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Program Award Nominations Open August 1, 2022 The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence annually presents one or more Outstanding Program Awards to recognize innovative programs sponsored or administered by school foundations in Oklahoma. Trophies and monetary awards of $1,000 each are presented to the winners.  Recognized programs may include but are not limited to: curriculum enhancement, arts integration, student leadership development, student scholarships, mentoring, professional development for teachers, public relations and fundraising. Nominations for recognition may come from anyone knowledgeable about the foundation, including its board members. Only one program per foundation may be nominated for recognition. Winning foundations must wait one full year before they are eligible to nominate another program.  Program nominations are open from August 1 to September 15 each year.

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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.