Geneva Academic Foundation comes through in tough times

Even though the Geneva Academic Foundation is facing the same troubling economy as many other organizations, it was able to partially fund 19 grants addressing school district needs.

“We are having difficulties, like every other nonprofit,” GAF project chair Mary Bencini told more than 200 community leaders, school officials and students Wednesday at the annual Community Leadership Breakfast at Geneva High School.

“We had $163,000 in requests for the grant funds, and it was very difficult to decide,” Bencini said.

When those decisions were narrowed down, GAF provided $52,429 toward numerous projects and supplies, including digital books, art posters, language enrichment materials, science class materials, software for college searches and career exploration, a freezer and refrigerator for the high school culinary arts program, laptop computers, and mannequins for CPR classes.

After accepting the check from GAF, Geneva schools Superintendent Kent Mutchler thanked the foundation and those in attendance for continued support of the district.

The leadership breakfast is held each year during American Education Week, and Mutchler acknowledged what that meant to him.

“Great education, a basic right, and our responsibility,” Mutchler said. “Those are my words to describe it, and this is the backbone of our democracy.”

Mutchler highlighted the achievements taking place in Geneva classrooms, stressing that all efforts point toward the goal of “building a sense of belonging and value” for the students.

Before her presentation, Bencini said she was leaving GAF membership and donation information at the tables to encourage people to join, and for students to take home to their parents.

“Donations and memberships are way down at this time, and it's probably as bad as I have seen it,” said Bencini, who retired five years ago after 34 years of teaching in Geneva schools. “So, I'm really going to make a plea this morning.”

School board President Mary Stith spoke about the dramatic changes in the education landscape in just the past few decades, saying that the Geneva community has always had “a level of understanding for what the community really needs” and has shown it through support of referendums or being part of the academic foundation.

Bencini said that GAF is seeking year-end donations to help it prepare for the 2011 grant requests and encouraged people to visit the gafgeneva.org website to donate or learn more about the foundation.