What We Do

Established by the WJCC School Board as an independent non-profit organization in 2015, the WJCC Schools Foundation has successfully developed new programs that impact almost every aspect of a student’s education. To date, WJCC SF has awarded over $300,000 in Innovative Learning Grants to more than 300 teachers. In 2022 the Schools Foundation became the lead sponsor of the annual WJCC Teacher of the Year celebration, recognizing 28 of our most outstanding teachers.  In 2023 $10,000 in seed money was provided to start a Teacher Store for school supplies, so teachers no longer must dig into their own pockets to provide the intermittent but necessary tools for learning. 

The maximum Innovative Learning Grant amount is $4,000, but many teachers develop creative ideas for much less. It’s exciting to support these endeavors which provide cutting edge opportunities to students, and it is amazing to see how creative teachers can be with just a little bit of help.

Several years of successful Innovative Grant funding was used to create a ‘green room’ in the media center of one high school so students would have access to professional audio and video equipment; as a result, two WJCC students used the equipment and were recognized in the NPR student podcast challenge. Drones have given elementary students exposure to aeronautics and training in the computer coding necessary to fly. A hydroponic garden has practical knowledge for high school students to learn how aquaculture can help meet future food needs and provides practical lessons in biology and horticulture. And there’s so much more! From soft skills to hard data, students now know the terminology, practice the skills, and operate the equipment that will make them more confident to succeed in a changing world.  

We all want WJCC Public School students to leave school as educated, self-directed and productive members of society, and our 20+ member volunteer board of directors, one staff member and countless other volunteers work hand-in-hand with WJCC Public Schools to make it happen. Virtually every student is touched by our Innovative Learning Grants, and many of the grants get duplicated from one classroom to another, most are repeated year after year, and some transfer to other schools, demonstrating that the grants impact classrooms and students in countless ways and for many years.

Our 20+ member volunteer board of directors and countless volunteers reflect our community by including a wide range of supportive stakeholders. The board works to raise community awareness of the need for funding innovative educational trends through equipment and devices. Our grants are made available to WJCC Public School educators to further supplement the outstanding teaching and learning that goes on in WJCC Public Schools.