Beaverton Education Foundation

Author: Jade Gonzales

  • GROW Grant Supports Student Success

    GROW Grant Supports Student Success

    Last summer, BEF received a $10,000 GROW Grant from Advantis Credit Union to support student-run businesses in Beaverton School District high schools. The GROW Grant is a competitive process that relies on community votes to determine the winning proposals. BEF created an application opportunity for high school student-run businesses to propose how they would use grant funds to launch or grow their businesses. In the end, BEF provided three schools with resources to create innovative, career-connected learning opportunities for their students.

    Advantis Grow Grant Supports Student Success

    At the Beaverton Academy of Science and Engineering (BASE), students participating in the after-school Engineering Tech Team used the grant funds to purchase a fiber laser machine. In this program, students manage the entire process of receiving orders, creating work plans, and delivering products to the school community. One student shared, “It’s been really fun to learn how to control the laser and make it work right. I am learning a lot of new skills.” This hands-on learning experience helps develop skills in technology, finance, and project management.

    Southridge High School’s Hawk Shop, a collaborative, student-run enterprise, used grant funds to buy a vinyl printer and cutter to expand printing services for the school community. Like the BASE Tech Team, Hawk Shop students encountered challenges in calibrating the new equipment and learned valuable lessons about problem-solving and resilience and are moving ahead in expanding product lines to meet customer demands. Teacher Kyle Chamberlain is proud of the program: “The students are completely in charge of the Hawk Shop from training to project completion. They own it completely.”

    Sunset High School’s Maker’s Space used the funding to purchase a screen printer, an embroidery machine, and other supplies to support their Maker’s Market events. Students in the Product Design class and the Fab Lab used the new equipment to design and create artwork for sale during Makers’ Market. One event was held before winter break, and another is planned for the spring. Profits from sales are reinvested to help Maker’s Space become self-sufficient. By combining art and entrepreneurship, the program allows students to develop a range of valuable skills. One student shared, “I’ve always loved being artistic, but this market has let me explore the business side of making and selling, which makes it feel more real-life and less of a hobby. Now I feel like I have a good reason for spending my time on it!”

    These three examples illustrate the positive impact of the Advantis GROW Grant: empowering Beaverton students to learn through hands-on experiences, develop business acumen, and explore future career pathways.

  • Thanks to Our Community For A Better Winter Break

    Thanks to Our Community For A Better Winter Break

    With full hearts we express our appreciation for the 243 individuals, local business and community leaders who came together to make a difference in the lives of our students and families and helped us deliver the requested number of winter break food gift cards to all 54 of the Beaverton schools.

    From long-time supporters to first-time donors, this campaign truly embodied the spirit of community. Every member of the Beaverton City Council and Beaverton School Board made a personal commitment to this effort. The entire board of directors of the Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce made a donation. Numerous school PTOs contributed to the campaign, on top of their own fundraising efforts for their individual school communities. The Beaverton Education Association and individuals in BSD Central Administration donated to support students over winter break. Beaverton area auto dealers, the Beaverton Police Department, and leaders in the construction industry all rallied support. In the end, the collective effort meant that our students and families were impacted in a new and impactful way this winter break. 

    This giving season has reaffirmed that we are never alone in our mission to build a stronger, more compassionate Beaverton community. The needs of our students persist year-round, and this campaign demonstrated that together we can fill the gaps to support Beaverton students.

  • Grant Update – Summer Construction Trades Exploration

    Grant Update – Summer Construction Trades Exploration

    Measure twice, cut once!

    The Middle School Trades Exploration Pilot Program students mastered design, demolition, drywall, carpentry, and concrete work, all while team building and creating a professional quality, useful installation.

    Summer Trades Exploration offered a four-week program connecting students to the construction trades. Thirty middle schoolers participated, and an additional fifty were on the waiting list to attend the pilot. The program was designed to bridge the opportunity gap for Beaverton School District students who may want to explore other high-wage, in-demand employment options outside of traditional college pathways as they move through their high school careers. In collaboration with industry partners, students designed and completed a construction project on-site at BSD Central Office, worked with multiple professionals in a variety of trades and visited real-time District building projects as part of this summer program. The program provided a hands-on educational foundation for students in the following areas:

    • Equipment safety
    • Industry safety procedures
    • Construction math skills
    • Basic drafting, design and building techniques

    Regional industry growth in the area of construction expects employment openings to grow by 31% through 2022. Current projections challenge economic expansion in our state beyond the 2022 mark with the expectation that the trades will lose 17% of the workforce as older workers retire. Industry partners agree that engaging students at the middle school level in non-college-bound careers is a gap to bridge in order to meet workforce demand.

    The pilot focused on three primary objectives:

    1. Develop skills that carry over into the traditional classroom

    1. Summer program participants developed a building design project focusing on teamwork, creativity, and professional work skills
    2. Construction Technology incorporates core content skills that are critical in increasing student outcomes in math and reading
    3. Students benefit from a conceptual application to real-world hands-on problem solving.

    2. Introduce Middle School students to CTE in our district

    1. This program helps build middle school interest in CTE programs across the district before students enter high school
    2. Nationally, 93% of all students who take one CTE class in high school graduate with their class
    3. We believe that a free summer program will attract families of all backgrounds.

    3. Expose students to alternative high-wage, high-demand careers in construction industry

    1. Provide our middle school students opportunities to explore careers that they are not ordinarily exposed to in the classroom setting so they might add that experience to their career exploration tool belt before they enter 9th grade
    2. Exposure to Construction Technology also leads to other related fields such as design and engineering

    Current partners in the work include:

  • Grant Update: Highland Park Middle School

    Grant Update: Highland Park Middle School

    Ben Lloyd of Highland Park Middle School shared the experiences and outcomes of the Mini Arcade build and Library Transport Vehicle (LTV) projects. Both projects were generously funded through BEF’s Beaverton’s Choice Program with matching funds provided by Intel Corp.

    “We wanted to identify hands-on experiences to teach design and engineering in a fun and relevant way. We were able to achieve this by having the kids come up with an original arcade cabinet design and solving a challenge in our library.

    The response to the mini arcade build was overwhelmingly positive among the kids. I can honestly say that the kids have had more fun through the design and building process than even playing with the arcades afterward, and that is saying a lot.There was a core group of about a dozen kids who were involved with the initial design of the mini cabinets and then dozens more who have gotten to tinker with the kits and learn how the Raspberry Pi software platform works.

    As our team worked to minimize our expenses, we determined we had enough money to take on another design challenge. The students identified challenges in our school that they could design and assemble and came up with this amazing electric vehicle solution – the LTV. Over 100 of our current students worked on both the electric vehicle and the arcade games.

    With the support of BEF and all of the donors to the project, we are positioned to carry out the same type of project each year. We developed a kit for the arcade cabinets which we can easily tear down and redesign with a different group of kids. We have found the Raspberry Pi boards to be challenging but also extremely open-ended for future use. The LTV also gives our students a clear visual reminder of what they can do.”

  • Reflections – Bill Piwonka Board Member

    Reflections – Bill Piwonka Board Member

    Bill Piwonka is nearing the completion of his second and final three-year term as a Board Member of the Beaverton Education Foundation. We asked him to share some reflections on his service and BEF.

    “I am a strong proponent of public-school education and believe all students should have access to innovative educational experiences. I passionately believe in the work the Beaverton Education Foundation does to help provide all Beaverton students access to the people, tools and experiences that expand the depth, breadth and relevance of their academic journey.

    I grew up in the public schools, am a father of two boys who attended Beaverton schools. It shocked me how far funding for education has decreased since I was a student. BEF helps fund innovative classroom activities and experiences that otherwise could not be offered.

    I am nearing the completion of my sixth year on the Board. Two things stand out for me:

    Helping students. I quickly realized how much fun it was to work with the students during the annual BEF Phone-A-Thon as they reached out to the community to help us raise funds that enable us to support so many projects.

    Being part of the group that launched Beaverton’s Choice, which is the crowd funding site that brings together the community and our classrooms. There are always projects that need your assistance with a monetary donation, resources or even volunteering time. 100% of your donation goes to the project you choose.

    There are so many ways to get involved and support something that is meaningful to you individually. The BEF was my first non-profit board experience and I’ve really enjoyed it and now have expanded to other ones. I just find it incredibly rewarding to contribute in some way for the betterment of our community.”

    In response to our final question for Bill, what news story about BEF would you most like to see in the future?, he explained, “I’d love to see a story about how Beaverton’s Choice has taken off and has the backing of the entire Beaverton Community – families, those without children in our schools, businesses, etc. – helping to fund these cool, innovative and educational projects.”