From the Braham Area Education Foundation:
"Thanks to tremendous support over the last three years from local businesses, individuals, and alumni, the Braham Area Education Foundation recently distributed $2,854 in its second round of classroom grants for the 2020-21 school year. The Foundation sought applications from faculty and staff within the Braham Area School District, for projects that expand learning opportunities for Braham’s students in ways that extend beyond the reach of the ordinary school budget.
This spring’s grants included funds to support enhancements to the college and career readiness tools available within the high school's guidance office, to strengthen the school’s support for students assessing their options after high school; and flexible seating and classroom lighting enhancements for first-grade students and fifth-grade students, to support the development of concentration skills and provide options for additional classroom arrangements supporting learning. These grants followed the Foundation’s two sets of grants announced during each of the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years, as well as an earlier round of grants from this school year awarded in the fall of 2020. The Foundation looks forward to seeking applications for its next round of grants in the fall of 2021.
The Braham Area Education Foundation announced its official launch in September of 2017, with a mission of providing Independent School District #314 with enhanced educational opportunities and resources, supporting academic excellence, and encouraging student achievement. The Foundation is a partner fund of the Initiative Foundation in Little Falls, which provides the Foundation with additional professional support in identifying educational needs, building relationships with donors, and managing the Foundation’s investments in Braham’s future.
The Foundation’s priorities were developed after the board gathered input from more than 120 members and friends of the Braham community, and its current focus is on building an endowment fund that will provide a consistent and sustainable source of support for Braham’s students long into the future. The development of that fund is off to a terrific start, thanks in part to a successful Spring Gala in April of 2018, with more than 300 people in attendance to hear a keynote speech from former Minnesota Lieutenant Governor and Braham graduate Marlene Johnson, and a second sold-out Spring Gala featuring Braham graduate and entertainer Tim Gabrielson in April of 2019. Thanks to several hundred contributions from individuals and businesses in the Braham area and beyond, the foundation succeeded in raising more than $100,000 in its first year of operations.
To add your support to the Foundation quickly and securely online, please visit www.ifound.org/give-BAEF. You can also contact members of the advisory board if you would like assistance with making a contribution to the Foundation by mail or in your will. The members of the advisory board include Chair Tim Nelson, Vice-Chair Terry Turnquist, Secretary Connie Gelle, Treasurer Kelby Jennisen, Carrie Davis, Tracy Fix, Peter Hesselroth, Tammi Johnson, Edie Kaunonen, Dan Klemz, Aitor Leniz, Marie Meyer, Sue Riesing, Heather Sward, and Steph White, with Superintendent Ken Gagner serving as a non-voting member of the advisory board."
