A limited number of tickets remain available for Public School Proud, a new signature event being launched by the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation.
The student showcase and fundraising event will be held from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7 in the lower level of Raven Industries’ headquarters in downtown Sioux Falls.
The casual gathering will feature performances by students, and appetizers and desserts prepared by students at the school district’s Career & Technical Education Academy. A reverse raffle also will be held; tickets will be drawn throughout the night, and the person whose ticket is drawn last will receive half the proceeds from ticket sales.
Gathering space for the Public School Proud showcase is limited, but there still are tickets available. Tickets may be purchased online at https://sfpsef.kindful.com/ or by calling (605) 367-4484. Tickets cost $100 each.
The goal for the event is to raise more money for the Education Foundation programs, including grants to help teachers with creative educational projects, said Allison Struck, executive director of the Education Foundation. Last spring, the organization awarded 22 grants totaling more than $57,000 to faculty members.
“Each year, the Education Foundation receives more applications for educational projects than we can fund, and we’re working to close that gap,” Struck said. “We want to be able to reward more teachers so they in turn can help more students.”
Grants for classroom projects awarded by the Education Foundation formerly were known as Innovation in Education grants. The organization updated and rebranded its programs in August under the name Public School Proud. Grants are intended to fund projects not covered by local or state tax dollars.
The Education Foundation also helps first-time teachers buy classroom materials. In partnership with the Mary Chilton Daughters of the American Revolution Foundation, the Education Foundation annually awards first-time teachers $200 each to help them equip their classrooms.
The Education Foundation also hosts an annual breakfast before the start of each new school year to help update the community on the state of the Sioux Falls School District. The breakfast event will continue.
The new showcase event is designed to be the primary, annual fundraiser for the nonprofit Education Foundation. Board members have been talking on and off for a few years about launching a signature fundraising event. The addition of a full-time executive director made the objective achievable.
“We’ve got a great cause to sell – the educational advancement and well-being of the 25,000 students who attend Sioux Falls Public Schools,” Struck said. “The more that local businesses, organizations and individuals who care about our schools learn about what we do, the more they are willing to help. That’s a wonderful trend, and we hope it continues.”
Public School Proud is sponsored by Sanford Health; Vance Thompson Vision; Cutler Law Firm, LLP; Eide Bailly, LLP; Omnitech; Reliabank; Scooter’s Coffee; Dakota Vision Center; First Dakota National Bank; and Showplace Cabinetry.