District 214 creates education foundation, alumni council
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 is launching an education foundation and alumni advisory council this fall in its continuing efforts to increase community engagement and fundraising.
The foundation will formally launch Sept. 21 with the inaugural Foundation for the Future golf open and dinner, officials said.
The mission of the foundation is to "support student success, innovation and lifelong learning" in the district's 10 schools and programs across eight communities.
"We are excited to host this event and begin funding new opportunities for student success," said Glenn Scoggins, a retired United Airlines employee and community volunteer who is chairing the Golf Open Committee. "District 214 is doing great work, and we want to make sure every learner is able to reach their full potential."
Officials said the foundation replaces the previous Community Education foundation and will raise money for the entire district. Additional fundraising is more important than ever since nearly 30 percent of District 214 students are now classified as low-income, and the future of state and federal education funding is uncertain, they said.
Other members of the foundation board include Carl Anfenson, Jim Galetano, John Eilering, Tony Guido, Cliff Higley, Maureen Jennings McKenna, John O'Conner III and Mimi Cooper.
Deborah Nelson, an alumna of Hersey High School, will join the board as the alumni advisory chair and will coordinate the new alumni advisory council. Nelson, of Arlington Heights, is a Daily Herald Media Group employee and vice president of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library board of trustees.
"I am honored and excited to join the District 214 Education Foundation Board and work broadly toward student success and specifically on alumni relations," Nelson said. "Hersey, and District 214, were influential in my life and are now impacting the lives of my children. I am so happy to give back."
The council will have two representatives from each of District 214's eight original high schools, including the now-closed Arlington and Forest View high schools. The group will meet four to six times a year and advise on building relationships that foster engagement and partnerships that enhance learning. Interested alumni should email foundation@d214.org or call (847) 719-7708 for more information or an application.
The district also hopes to hear more from its alumni with a districtwide alumni survey available online through Aug. 14. The survey is available at www.d214.org/alumni.
Feedback will be used to gauge alumni opinion and plan alumni initiatives, from potential networking to enhanced opportunities to pair alumni with current students as mentors.
"District 214's tradition of success was built in part by its alumni, who have accomplished tremendous things and who often still remember that influential teacher or class that made a difference in their life," Nelson said. "We're eager to reconnect with graduates and create new opportunities that benefit everyone involved."