2007 - 2008 Annual Update

Mission Statement

The Fort Bend Education Foundation provides opportunities to enrich and enhance the quality of education for all Fort Bend ISD students.

The Foundation

The Fort Bend Education Foundation provides the equivalent of research and development in our public schools supporting innovation and creative education throughout FBISD.

• Grants for Teachers and Schools Program – supports innovative classroom projects proposed by teachers for which conventional funding is not available.
• Grants for Experts Program – enables FBISD teachers to hear nationally recognized speakers from a broad range of education fields.
• Angel Gifts – provides teachers, just beginning their teacher career, a gift certificate to a local teachers’ supply store to help set up their classrooms.
• Tribute Fund – allows individuals to make contributions that honor or memorialize teachers, loved ones, or other special people.
• ABC Program – offers FBISD employees an avenue to support the Foundation through payroll deductions.
• Endowment Fund – ensures that the Education Foundation becomes self-perpetuating.
• Angels of Education Auxiliary – established to promote community awareness and to assist with Education Foundation activities.

Financial Snapshot

Who decides how the money is spent? The allocation committee is responsible for the solicitation, review, and acceptance of proposals for projects and programs that will improve and enrich classroom education.

Since its inception, the Education Foundation has awarded over $2.1 million to FBISD teachers and schools.

An endowment for the future – The Foundation has demonstrated good governance and fiscal responsibility by building a $1.8 million endowment and establishing objective growing guidelines. The endowment funds innovative education for Fort Bend ISD students for years to come.

Where does the money go? Every school in FBISD benefits from the Fort Bend Education Foundation grant programs that train teachers, provide equipment, and offer new instructional experiences to students of all ages. Each year, hundreds of grant proposals are submitted to the Education Foundation. Each proposal undergoes an extensive review process. The number of grants awarded depends upon the amount of money raised through the Education Foundation’s annual fundraising events.

2007-2008 Results

• Over $306,000 was awarded in grants to teachers and schools for the 2007-2008 school year.
• 272 Teachers beginning their teaching career received an Angel Gift from the Foundation.
• 177 grants were awarded through our Grants to Teachers and Schools Program.
• Every school in the FBISD was impacted by the Foundations programs.
• Additionally $128,868 was given to the endowment, ensuring we are able to support the District in future years.

Upcoming Events

Back to School Scramble

See attached sponsor packet [PDF]

Plan now to play in the eighth annual Fort Bend Education Foundation Back to School Scramble golf tournament set for Monday, August 25, 2008 at Sweetwater Country Club. Schlumberger and Sweetwater Country Club are presenting the “Back to School Scramble” chaired by Ron Bailey, and Rod Nelson. Lunch provided by Chick-fil-A. Your entry fee includes lunch, golf and cart, beverages, reception after the tournament and special gifts. Foursome teams are $1,000.00 and individual entries are $275.00.

The Education Foundation has partnered with the school district and created the “Grants for Experts” program. Fort Bend ISD teachers received the benefit of in-service training from nationally recognized education experts in such topics as classroom management, differentiated learning strategies and character development.

The Fort Bend Education Foundation has also implemented additional programs such as Angel Gifts which provides teachers, just beginning their teacher career, a gift certificate to a local teachers’ supply store to help set up their classrooms. Your participation in the annual “Back to School Scramble” helps make our mission a reality. All proceeds from the “Back to School Scramble” benefit the Fort Bend Education Foundation.

For information about the “Back to School Scramble” call Brenna Smelley at (281) 634-1113. The entry deadlines for sign production is August 15, 2008 and for players on August 22, 2008. Brochures are available on our website at: www.fortbendisd.com/foundation/

Your Passport to the World International Festival


2008 International Festival Committee

FLUOR Corporation will present The Fort Bend Education Foundation’s Passport to the World – An International Festival Showcasing Global Music & Fashion on November 8, 2008, from 11:00 am to 4:00 p.m. in Sugar Land Town Square. The event will celebrate the tremendous diversity in our school district by highlighting different cultures and showcasing their unique traditions in fashion, art, music and cuisine.

You will be offered a feast for all your senses as booths from 16 different countries display their cultural traditions and décor. During this international tour, you will be entertained from the steps of City Hall with talented artists and students from FBISD and a host of regional dance and music schools. In addition, new this year will be a colorful fashion show where some of our elected officials and community members will be spicing up the runway with an international flavor. The fashion show emcee will be Melanie Lawson from Channel 13. Elementary age children will want to be sure to visit the cultural crafts booth sponsored by the FBISD Fine Arts students and faculty as they visit each country’s booth and record their travels in their “Passports”.

In the spirit of supporting a diverse education and the arts, the Foundation will also be collecting gently used band instruments for refurbishing and will in turn, donate these instruments to students in the district that cannot afford to buy them.

Any individuals or groups interested in representing their country at this event should contact the Fort Bend Education Foundation at 281-634-1110. Booths are limited and will be assigned on a first come basis.

We are grateful for area companies such as Fluor, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land and Triumph Hospital Southwest for being generous sponsors of the international festival. If your company would like to be a sponsor, please contact the Foundation at 281-634-1110.

The Fort Bend Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports FBISD students, teachers, and campuses by providing grants to teachers and campuses for value added learning tools and opportunities. Now in its fifteenth year, the Foundation has provided $2.1 million in grants to teachers and schools. For more information regarding the Foundation, please visit our website at www.fortbendisd.com/foundation.

Foundation News



The Exchange Club of Sugar Land presented a check for over $44,000 to the Fort Bend Education Foundation on May 1, 2008. This represents the first installment of a total donation of approximately $55,000, which will be used to provide annual grants to teachers or schools for initiatives promoting Americanism, good citizenship, character development, or the prevention of child abuse. Shown in the picture, from left to right, are: Clark Walter, President Exchange Club of Sugar Land; Michael Schiff, FBEF Board Member; Dr. Tim Jenney, FBISD Superintendent of Schools; Sonal Bhuchar, FBISD Board of Trustees; Gary Moseley, President-Elect FBEF; Ann Schmitt, President FBEF; Brenna Smelley, Executive Director, FBEF and Dr. Betty Baitland, Exchange Club of Sugar Land, Board Member.

Teachers of the Year



The Fort Bend Education Foundation awarded the FBISD elementary and secondary teacher of the year with a laptop computer complete with software and carry case. Pictured left to right are Stephanie Williams, FBISD secondary school teacher of the year; Gary Moseley, Fort Bend Education Foundation’s President-Elect; and Arita Lacy, FBISD elementary school teacher of the year.