A group of current and former Fairbanks teachers, parents and administrators started an education foundation aimed at raiing money for school projects not covered under regular district funds.
At the Monday board of education meeting, two retired educators, Mark Lotycz, once a principal in the district and Debbie Hegenderfer, a former teacher, formally introduced the board to the Fairbanks Education Foundation, started in 2023.
The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to “support Fairbanks students by enhancing their access to educational opportunities,” according to information from the group.
Lotycz said the FEF started after Hegenderfer pitched him the idea, saying the district has a foundation for the arts at Fairbanks but needs one for regular classroom teachers.
The organization now has a board of trustees made up of retired teachers Brenda Brill, Mark Geer and Hegenderfer; two parents, Steffanie Boerger and Eryn Staats; two active teachers Rachel Jones and Tina Hall and Lotycz and his wife, Donna.
Previously, the district established the Darla Hall-Barrett Memorial Scholarship after the former counselor passed away in 2008, but Lotycz said that money typically goes to something related to the arts.
“Debbie said ‘we have to do something for the regular classroom teacher,’” he said.
Hegenderfer said she wanted students to be able to participate in projects that “create, innovate and find a purpose” as well as those that “bring joy and connections with others.”
“Mark and I felt those types of experiences, it’s what all of us want for our Fairbanks students. So, of course, we’re on the school budget. School boards pay for operating costs and basic material and supplies,” she said. “Sometimes innovation costs extra.”
She said that’s where the FEF would come in since those educational extras can make the difference between an “excellent school and a good school.”
He said the group has gotten off to a slow start as they tried to figure out technology and how to direct people to donate and get involved.
The first attempt to get funds came in the form of going to local businesses, Lotycz said. That brought $12,000 into the group’s funds and then they held their first fundraising event last week.
“Then we made over $5,000 through purse bingo,” Lotycz said.
Purse bingo has players participate in a bingo game to win designer purses like Michael Kors, Coach and Kate Spade, according to the event description.
Superintendent Adham Schirg said that was the perfect fundraiser.
“It was something that was very different from what has been offered in the past in Fairbanks. I mean, one of the things you see in a community our size is fundraisers tend to go to the same people all the time, we’re going to the same group,” he said. “And so innovative ways to bring people in and different ways to make it a little bit more engaging and fresh, I thought it was tremendous.”
Now that the group has funds, they hope to fund projects that they plan to share with the board next year.
Hegenderfer said she has spoken to a similar group in Dublin and has gotten to see what those teachers have been able to do with the money raised.
“They had (for kindergarteners), they bought STEM toys to teach them coding. They had reading gardens; they planted flowers and put benches in,” she said. “The foundation also bought a makers space where they helped pay for 3D printers and laser engravers.”
The middle school also had a version of the TV show “Shark Tank” where students identified a problem within the City of Dublin. The school board and city council then evaluated projects and the group that won was able to work on their project to better the city.
“So those kinds of items I think our students would love to do, too,” Hegenderfer said.
Hegenderfer said they would work on an application this summer for teachers interested in getting projects funded.
“It’s going to be very simple. They fill it out, give it to the principal, the principal will make sure it fits the curriculum,” she said. “Once the principal signs off, they give it to us and we roll. If we have the funds we will grant it.”