INVESTING IN STUDENTS…VPS levy will be on the February 2023 ballot

Invest in kids by voting yes on Feb. 14 Vancouver kids and community need your support for the renewal education & operations levy on the February 2023 ballot. The levy is not a new tax, it would replace the existing education and operations levies that expire at the end of 2023. If approved, the renewal […]

MAKING AN IMPACT – Supporting Student Welfare and Engagement

In schools across the nation, the need for student behavioral and mental health support is unlike anything seen before. Many students are facing challenges adjusting to changes in their learning environments, recovering from lack of social interaction, and in some cases, coping with instability in their home life that has been amplified by COVID and […]

ENGAGING STUDENTS…PALs bring summer enrichment to Fruit Valley students

The Foundation for VPS provides funding throughout the year to offer students mentoring and enrichment opportunities for little or no cost. The ultimate goal is to increase engagement in learning, build confidence, and help connect them to their passions. Last summer around 100 children participated in the Mad Science, STEAM, and forensics camps offered through […]

MAKING AN IMPACT – Help for Students in Need

One by one, cars enter the parking lot of Harney Elementary. Drivers are greeted by Hilda Lail, the school’s Family-Community Resource Center (FCRC) coordinator. Wearing a face mask and gloves, Hilda and other staff members hand out food bags for families impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Many families, even those who used to be able […]

$250,000 Raised in Virtual Event

The Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools’ (VPS) biggest community fundraiser of the year raised over $250,000 in donations from generous businesses and individuals through an online giving event. The total includes $80,000 in matching funds from the “Give a Fox” Fund, a partnership between LSW Architects and Slumberkins. Over 600 guests initially planned on attending […]

DONORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE – LSW Architects

For over 30 years, the Vancouver community has come together to support families in need by donating to the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools (VPS). LSW Architects is one of our “Community Champions” who has stepped up to support VPS students and families for many years in many ways, including providing Thanksgiving dinners for families, […]

Annual Luncheon will be Virtual

Out of an abundance of concern for the safety of students, guests, and community, the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools (VPS) has canceled its annual Luncheon scheduled for March 19th. Instead, the non-profit will host a Virtual Luncheon with details to be announced next week. The Luncheon is the biggest community fundraiser for the Foundation […]

MAKING AN IMPACT…Keoni’s Keychains

(Pictured: 8-year old Keoni presents check to Franklin Elementary School Principal, Woody Howard after selling keychains to pay off classmates’ cafeteria debt. Photo courtesy, April Ching.) An act of kindness by a Franklin Elementary School second-grader has received national attention and made a big impact for students with cafeteria debt. Keoni Ching, 8, wanted to […]

ENGAGING STUDENTS…McLoughlin students see nature from new angle

Most of Celia Antonini’s students had never experienced the natural beauty of the Columbia River Gorge until a Foundation for VPS Engagement Grant funded an 8th grade trip to Multnomah Falls. The students were not there just for recreation, or to study natural science, they would be learning linear functions. As part of their math […]

Donors Making a Difference: Beaches Community Fund

For more than 20 years Mark Matthias has supported the mission of the Foundation for VPS through the Beaches Charity Fund, personal contributions, and events at his restaurants – Beaches and Warehouse ’23. A former Foundation for VPS board member, Matthias has been a leading champion of Foundation for VPS initiatives, pledging $100,000 over four […]