The Foundation @ FCOE is close to reaching its $1 million goal for the Endowment for Excellence campaign, with less than $100,000 remaining. The endowment aims to provide long-term funding for educational programs that serve more than 12,500 students each year across Fresno County’s 31 school districts. These programs focus on academic achievement, leadership development, and career readiness.
Launched in celebration of the Foundation’s 15th anniversary, the “Raise to $1M” campaign seeks to sustain initiatives such as the Fresno County Science Fair, Academic Decathlon, STEM for Girls Conference, Career Tech Expo, and Summer Arts Academy. These efforts are designed to enhance learning opportunities and expose students to a variety of career paths in academics, arts, athletics, and STEM fields.
MaryEllen Galvan, executive director of the Foundation @ FCOE, explained the significance of reaching this milestone. “Reaching the $1 million mark will allow us to start drawing significant interest and dividends as soon as next year,” Galvan said. “This will contribute to sustaining programs for the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, ensuring they’re ongoing, as an endowment is forever.”
Unlike annual fundraising efforts that address immediate needs, endowment funding offers a steady revenue stream by utilizing investment earnings.
Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Michele Cantwell-Copher emphasized how the endowment helps fill gaps not covered by traditional funding sources. “The endowment exists to create opportunities we can’t fund with traditional streams,” she said. “It’s about providing above-and-beyond experiences, like national competitions, that make the difference between adequate and extraordinary for our kids.”
Programs supported by the Foundation have already made an impact in classrooms throughout Fresno County. Aaron Bryan, director of arts education at FCOE, discussed how arts education can help students find their voice early on. “Every student has a voice, and we can use the arts to help amplify that voice so that they can start to shape their future, not waiting until they’ve graduated,” he said.
Jason Horsman oversees STEM education and pointed out how early exposure is particularly important for girls considering careers in science and technology fields. “Our STEM for Girls Conference targets fifth- to seventh-grade girls, when research shows they decide on pursuing STEM,” Horsman said. “Foundation support makes events like this possible, showing girls they’re just as eligible for STEM careers, where the top jobs in the Central Valley lie.”
Anthony Ayerza directs Career Technical Education at FCOE and noted how hands-on learning opportunities benefit students from smaller communities as well as larger cities. “This funding allows us to provide consumables and upgrade technology, ensuring students use industry-standard tools,” Ayerza said. “It also helps us target rural schools, exposing students to opportunities in larger cities like Fresno and Clovis.”
The endowment is intended to ensure equitable access across both urban and rural districts—supporting resources such as robotics kits and mobile STEM labs.
(Disclosure: Business Journal Editor Gabriel Dillard is a member of the Foundation @ FCOE board of directors)
