News Briefs
July 2020 News Brief
YMCA Power Scholars Academy
Grantee Spotlight: YMCA Power Scholars Camp
YMCA Power Scholars Academy
The Wood River Valley Power Scholars Academy addresses summer learning loss for children to help boost their opportunities for academic success. Designed as targeted educational intervention, the program enhances overall youth development, academic performance, and graduation rates, while increasing students’ knowledge, self-esteem, and confidence. WRWF granted the YMCA Power Scholars Camp $15,000 to help conduct the five-week summer program.
ZIP Education Sessions Kick Off with Beth McCaw
Beth McCaw and ZIP Session participants
On June 24, the first Education Session on the ZIP platform featured WRWF member and Washington Women’s Foundation President/CEO, Beth McCaw, who talked about recognizing our privilege. Beth spoke with participants about how to be aware of our privilege by noticing where our lives are easy, by taking inventory of how we choose to use our privilege, and by continuing to learn. She stressed the importance of moving from “intellectualizing into your heart so you can begin to act with your hands.”
Beth shared a short history of how the WaWFdn started its diversity efforts several years ago after its membership began asking how their grants could make more of an impact for persons of color. Several actions were investigated and implemented, beginning with the process of understanding what knowledge they, as individuals, needed to have. They then began building bridges with people and organizations of color, and adopted language that fostered a sense of belonging rather than differentiating between “us” and “the (black/LatinX/minority) community” in recognition that “We all are ‘the community’; we are working together IN community.”
In her forty-five minute conversation with Kat Vanden Heuvel and member Q&A, Beth shared many more experiences and observations. The full ZIP Session is available on WRWF’s YouTube channel found at the bottom of the WRWF website page or by clicking HERE.
Our Annual Meeting Goes Virtual!
If you haven’t already done so, register for the Annual Meeting today! Our meeting will be held via Zoom on August 3rd from 3-4:00 PM MDT. Covid-19 may have forced the cancellation of our planned gathering at Trail Creek Cabin, but we still have the chance to get together virtually to hear about all the amazing work the WRWF has done in 2019 and will continue to do in 2020. Register here. We look forward to seeing you August 3rd!
Knowing Our Community: Blaine County Schools
Our school district is one of the largest year-round employers in the county, with over 500 staff. We have three elementary schools: Alturas for Woodside, Bellevue and Hailey, Hemingway STEAM School for Ketchum (PK-8), Carey public school (PK-12), Wood River Middle School (in Hailey), and two high schools, Wood River and Silver Creek, both in Hailey.
Of the approximately 3400 students, close to half (47%) are children of color, including 43% of Hispanic origin. More than a quarter of all students (28%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Last year there were 92 students who qualified as homeless. In grades K-3, 66% of students were proficient in literacy, according to the Idaho Reading Indicator, with 45% of Hispanic students and 83% of Non-Hispanic, or White students demonstrating proficiency. The graduation rate is 87% overall, with 79.4% of Hispanic students and 92.7% of non-Hispanic students graduating from high school.
From the Education Committee, July 2020
Fifteenth Anniversary Virtual Celebration
Celebrating our Fifteenth Anniversary!
The best is yet to come! WRWF celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a champagne toast on July 6, via Zoom. Since 2005, we have made amazing differences in the lives of the non-profits in our community. We recognize and thank all of the wonderful women who have made our impactful work possible. Although we were unable to celebrate in person, we are already planning our Sweet Sixteen Celebration, to be held on July 6, 2021! Mark your calendars and save the date!
Speaking of Anniversaries . . .
Christina Bauer, Executive Assistant of the WRWF
Christina Bauer, our amazingly wonderful Executive Assistant, has been with the WRWF for two years! Please join us in wishing her a very happy anniversary. We literally could not function without her!
Seeking New WRWF Photo Coordinator
Hello. My name is Carol Shephard, and I have been serving as Photography Coordinator for the past several months. My health issues require that I step away from this job, although I have really enjoyed doing it and look forward to training my replacement—is that YOU?
This role is relatively easy and is the perfect job for someone who has good organizing skills. The surprising thing is that it does not require that one be a photographer or take any pictures. I filled in one time, and my cell phone took perfectly acceptable photos!
The main responsibility is to receive (by email) all photos taken, upload them into the WRWF Google Drive, and organize them by date, event, and photographer. Most of the past photos are currently organized, and future ones will use the same organizational plan.
The WRWF has a team of volunteer photographers who have provided amazing photos of WRWF events. The Photo Coordinator also recruits, coordinates, and assigns photographers to WRWF events.
The Photo Coordinator is a member of the WRWF Communications Committee, which meets monthly. If you are interested in stepping into this position, please contact me at this email: clshephard30@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Congrats, Kat!
Kat Vanden Heuvel
Congratulations to our own Kat Vanden Heuvel, WRWF Board Secretary, who was recently crowned State Champion of the Women’s Recurve category in archery. Way to go, Kat!
Social Media Committee Needs You
The Social Media Committee is seeking new team members. The committee is an active part of the Communications Committee, which oversees the Website, News Brief, Marketing, Sponsorship, Advertising, Media Relations, Photography, Publicity and ZIP. As a member of the Social Media Committee, you will learn more about WRWF communications, becoming part of a savvy group of women working to coordinate our mission-driven communications.
The Social Media Committee is a standing committee that oversees WRWF mission-centric communications via Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Using these platforms, the team shares timely information about our community engagement, interaction with our grantees, our educational forums and our member activities with our membership and the public at large.
If you are interested in joining this amazing team or would like to hear more about the Social Media Committee, please contact Carrie Morrow at cmorrow1314@gmail.com or 858-922-8857.
Volunteers Needed
If you have Grant or Impact Committee experience and would like to be on the 2020 Impact Team or would like more information, please contact:
Terri LeFaivre at SVTerri@gmail.com or at 208-720-1719.
Reminder from the WRWF Finance Committee
The WRWF Finance Committee kindly reminds members to write checks out to the WRWF instead of the ICF. We also ask that you send checks directly to our P.O. Box 3686, Ketchum, ID. Please inform your charitable trusts of the change of address.
Support the WRWF by Shopping on AmazonSmile
Shopping through AmazonSmile helps fund WRWF’s operating expenses. Through this program, Amazon donates .05% of eligible purchases to a selected charity. This allows you to donate automatically to the WRWF whenever you shop. To link Wood River Women’s Foundation AmazonSmile to your Amazon account, click here and get signed up. This simple adjustment to your Amazon account will not change anything about the way you currently shop or pay. You will need to use the smile.amazon.com website whenever you shop to generate donations to WRWF.
Now more than ever thank you for participating in this worthwhile opportunity!
Terri Bullock – President of WRWF Closing Message
WRWF President, Terri Bullock
Member engagement is a vital part of our organization. Every member gets an equal vote. You have all received your Annual Meeting Materials packet, asking you to vote on board officers and directors, and on our revised Bylaws. I encourage each of you to read the Materials packet carefully to be an informed participant. Participating in our voting process, whether it be for board leadership or during our granting cycle, is extremely important. Your voice and your vote matter!
As I mentioned in last month’s News Brief, our Annual Meeting will be held virtually. Please mark your calendar to participate in this virtual event on August 3 from 3-4:00 PM MDT. During the meeting, you will hear from our Treasurer and our Governance Chair about the amazing work that we accomplished in 2019, as well as the important work we are doing in 2020. You will also have a chance during the meeting to ask any questions you may have.
An invitation to register for our Annual Meeting was sent to your email on July 21, along with helpful tips on using the virtual platform, ZOOM. Please register as soon as possible! We look forward to seeing all of you at this important event!
Until next month,
Terri Bullock
