CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Welcome to our latest Giving Grace as we highlight an organization that has been serving the community for over 30 years supporting education and the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation (CMCEF).
When you talk about who they are, the foundation says it exists to support the improvement of public education by providing the local school system additional funding for the support of programs and initiatives that contribute to student achievement.
CMCEF is a nonprofit foundation that offers fundraising support for the school system. Executive Director, Robin Burton, described it by saying, “we begin where the tax dollars end.”
“When teachers and school leaders see a need for resources that can enhance learning and student success but are not necessarily funded by the normal school budget, the foundation has the opportunity to step in and help,” said Burton.
Some of the programs and partnerships that are part of the work of the education foundation include:
The CMC Teacher Warehouse which allows teachers the opportunity for access to new and gently used donated school supplies for students. Each summer 5-Star Media Group hosts the Stuff the Bus event to collect educational supplies for teachers and students which are distributed through the Teacher Warehouse.
The 8th Grade Career Fair helps students make a connection between the courses they take and the real world for a smooth transition into high school.
CMCEF has partnered with the Kiwanis Club of Clarksville for Reading Readiness, to provide books to third grade students as part of the Kiwanis Club’s Reading Rodeo.
The Red Carpet Awards honors teachers selected by their schools to represent the school system as their building level Teacher of the Year for their hard work and dedication.
The annual fundraising banquet and auction, Vision to Reality, provides funding for scholarships as well as other programs that are part of the education foundation.
There are many more programs such as Clarksville City Saver, Pass and Go, Classified Employee of the Year, Google Rolling Study Halls, and Robotics, just to name a few.
With the 2019-20 school year now at an end as far as students going back to the classrooms. Education in Clarksville-Montgomery County, as well as across most of the nation, has taken on a new form with the many changes brought about with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Burton talked about some of the ways that CMCEF, along with help from the community is helping the school system. There have been donations to help the child nutrition department and they have provided several thousand items for learning packets for the students to use at home.
“We’ve taken this opportunity to step in and help where we can and fill in blanks where there may be needs for the various departments in our school system,” Burton said.
To learn more about the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation visit www.cmceducationfoundation.com, email robin.burton@cmcss.net, or call 931-272-4050.