FOUNDATION FOR EAST BATON ROUGE SCHOOL SYSTEM

The Foundation encourages integrated approaches to learning that guide students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers and exemplary citizens. In partnership with community stakeholders in both private and public sectors, and with input from professional educators, academic research, local parents and students alike, we seek measurable gains in three critical areas: student achievement; community involvement; and the support of innovative and effective teaching.

The goals of the Foundation are to:
1.   Promote successful practices that support academic excellence and the development of 21st century workforce skills for students, with an emphasis in strengthening the science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) skills of students.
2.   Increase the number of technology-rich and workplace relevant experiences for students.
3.   Increase opportunities for teachers and principals to obtain progressive and effective professional training and skills, while growing the quantity and quality of STEAM educators.
4.    Provide a range of opportunities for the community to invest in its future through education.

The Foundation for East Baton Rouge School System is a tax-exempt public charity and grant-making organization that provides vital support to area students, teachers, and school administrators by building effective partnerships and funding high-impact projects for which tax dollars are not available.

The STEM Connection
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (known as the STEM fields) inform and improve nearly every aspect of our society, making these skills necessary for all students regardless their later career choices. As our region's information-driven economy develops, business and civic leaders report growing demand for STEM-trained employees across a spectrum of rewarding, high-wage occupations.

In addition to providing grant support for STEM programs system-wide, the Foundation for EBRSS is proud to advance its own unique approaches to STEM education, STEMup Baton Rouge: A Mentoring Program.
Lack of a STEM “identity" is one reason young people don't pursue technical fields. We believe that middle school mentoring by field professionals can play a major role in nurturing a STEM identity early on, thus increasing students' chances of graduating from high school prepared for success in college and career in Louisiana's growing knowledge economy.

SEAPERCH Marine Robotics Program
Robotics programs engage students in the practical applications of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Students in upper elementary through high school work in small collaborative groups on progressively challenging robot building and programming projects. The robots are entered into local, regional and national competitions with an emphasis on engineering and underwater remote sensing capabilities.

The Chess Initiative
As a game of strategy, chess has been proven to teach students to focus, think critically and creatively and to apply math and logic to solve problems. In partnership with the United States Chess Federation and local chess clubs, the Foundation's Chess initiative is designed to introduce and expand K-12 Scholastic Chess programs in all East Baton Rouge Parish School System's elementary, middle and high schools.

The Distinguished Speaker Series
Since 2011, The Distinguished Speaker series has hosted notable authors, scholars, researchers and practitioners with expertise in early childhood issues to speak to local educators, education stakeholders, policy makers, parents and the community. In collaboration with The Academic Distinction Fund, early education topics will now alternate with topics on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM).

STEAM Professional Development Initiative
The addition of art to the science, technology, engineering and math creates STEAM, a modified approach with proven benefits in developing creativity and logic skills within the classic STEM curriculum. The Middle School STEAM Professional Development Initiative provides year-round professional development focused on science content, leadership strategies, and collaboration with local universities, scientific institutions and businesses.

The Foundation for EBR Schools works closely with all stakeholders (teachers, principals, administrators, and parents, as well as the business community) to understand and address the most pressing, unmet needs of the local public schools. With the generous help of individuals, private organizations and corporations, the Foundation supports a variety of programs, specifically targeting the development of skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering, art and math.

Kim Fossey leads the organization's programmatic efforts to bring STEM opportunities to students. Fossey, an educator for almost 40 years, has dedicated her career to increasing deeper and more engaged learning by students and broadening access to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for students not represented in STEM fields today, such as students from low-socioeconomic households, youth of color, and girls.

Seeking to promote successful practices that support academic excellence and the development of 21st century workforce skills for students, with an emphasis in strengthening the science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) skills of students. the Foundation has partnered with Academic Distinction Fund to bring high-quality speakers on STEM to the community. This series provides opportunities for the engagement of educators, administrators, business and community leaders as well as parents. The Foundation also hosts professional chess training from the United States Chess Federation annually for teachers. The teachers are then encouraged to implement chess in the classroom as well as competitive chess clubs for students. In two years the Foundation has hosted summer training institutes annually which have trained more than 100 teachers. Weekend tournaments have grown to host more than 150 students from 32 schools int he region.

STEMup Baton Rouge, middle school mentoring program has provided technology-rich and workplace relevant experiences for middle school students. In the first two years of implementation the program has implemented seven-week middle school mentoring program with 952 students at 12 middle schools. 278 adult mentors have led these mentoring sessions. The volunteer mentor teams represent various industries. 89% of students in mentoring program surveyed report increase interest in pursuing STEM-related career. 98% of volunteer mentors report satisfaction with their mentoring experience.

Robotics continues to show growth and impact. There are now four high school and eight middle school programs with robotics programs in the classrooms and afterschool clubs. Almost 700 students participate in robotics. The Sea Perch Underwater Robotics program led four teams from the school district to the regional challenge hosted by LSU.