The education foundations founded in the Tri-Village area have committed to providing boundless opportunities for students and community members to engage with and pursue lifelong learning for decades.
Over the years, both groups have completed countless projects and funded various trips and opportunities that have helped past, present and future students.
Upper Arlington Education Foundation
Established in 1985 by then-superintendent Dr. Homer Mincy, the Upper Arlington Education Foundation (UA+Ed) is celebrating 40 years of helping teachers and students of Upper Arlington City Schools.
Alice Finley
Around the time the foundation was created, there were some uncertainties surrounding changes that were coming for school funding. No matter what was coming down the road, Mincy wanted to ensure the opportunities available for students and staff weren’t interrupted.
“Right from the start, (the goal) was definitely to build a foundation that would help kids in the moment, but also build into perpetuity and become something that would continue to grow permanently,” says UA+Ed Executive Director Alice Finley.
Over the decades, the organization has worked with teachers, staff and students as well as the Parent Teacher Organizations at each school to provide as much programming and assistance as possible.
The grants offered through UA+Ed support a variety of projects across the district, including everything from author visits at elementary schools to behind-the-scenes programs, such as the Beartique, that help students in need.
And these grants are not just available to teachers. Students, coaches, counselors and others have applied for grants that have led to countless new opportunities over the years.
In 2021, Upper Arlington High School welcomed Ferris, the facility dog, and he has become quite the celebrity not only at the school but in the community, with an Instagram following of more than 2,000.
When preparing for the move to a new building, the UA+Ed worked with the Upper Arlington Historical Society to install kiosks to house pictures and documents of everything from old team pictures to artwork.
However, not just any project gets approved. Finley says there is an extensive review process involving both the foundation’s board and the administration at the schools to review the impact and sustainability of each project.
Alice Finley
“We don’t fund anything until the principals and administrators take a look at it and make sure that it fits into the bigger picture,” Finley says. “If we fund something that is wildly successful, is it something the district can pick up and continue, or is it a one-time deal? If we fund something in one elementary school, what does that mean for the other elementary schools? How does it fit with the curriculum and the things that they already have?”
To continue to grow its impact, the organization itself has grown over the years to now include several full-time teammates as well as a part-time staff member. This expansion has allowed Finley and her team to specialize in different areas and help more people.
Looking to the future, Finley is looking forward to celebrating the past four decades with a gathering of current and previous foundation members. She is also excited to continue expanding the UA+Ed reach for years to come.
Grandview Heights-Marble Cliff Education Foundation
GHMCEF
GHMCEF
GHMCEF
GHMCEF
Since its inception in 1991, the Grandview Heights-Marble Cliff Education Foundation (GHMCEF) has been set on planting seeds of impact in education and lifelong learning for the Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff students and communities.
Its group of founders may have started with low funds, but they worked to make smart, strategic investments and grow the starting funds into the million-dollar endowment it holds today.
As president of the Sponsorship and Events Committee and mother of two students in the Grandview Heights Schools, Alicia Gaston has been involved with GHMCEF for the past eight years.
Throughout her time as a volunteer and board member, Gaston has seen the foundation's impact grow significantly, especially after it added senior scholarships around 2017-2018.
Since the beginning of this program, the foundation has awarded more than $350,000 in senior scholarships to students based on academic achievement, community service and financial need. It awarded $44,000 to 14 graduating seniors this past school year, selected out of the largest group of applicants the foundation has seen thus far.
Recently, the foundation received an anonymous donation that created a scholarship for students pursuing apprenticeships, certification programs, specialized training and technical schools.
"What gets us excited as community members is really being able to align those impact efforts with the dynamic needs of our ever-evolving workforce," Gaston says.
One event that Gaston remembers fondly from her volunteer days is the first-ever district-wide Hands of Gratitude project where students helped build prosthetic hands for kids around the world.
"It is one of the best memories I have, especially seeing my kids' classmates and everyone build hands for a child in need," Gaston says. "At my daughter's eighth-grade promotion ceremony, one of her photos was her holding that prosthetic hand. It's just such a great message for our students."
The foundation focuses on supporting the schools and supplementing their initiatives to make an impact on the students. This includes the initial investment towards new technology for the district and creating classroom environments that promote learning – wiggle chairs for Stevenson Elementary School, the outdoor discovery place at Larson Middle School, an ACT prep course for Grandview Heights High School juniors and more.
GHMCEF hosts The Grand Event gala each year to celebrate the community's impact by showing how donations, gala ticket sales and event sponsorship help students and community members across Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff. The event features a silent auction, including coveted art from students. The Grand Event will return early next year.
Rachel Karas is the lead editor and Jane Dimel is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
