Serving over 206,000 students across Fresno County, The Foundation @ FCOE raised over $1.6 million in 2023-2024 to support programs and services that ensure students obtain a well-rounded education with Excellence, Access, and Innovation at the forefront.
Excellence: To support academic and co-curricular student events coordinated by the Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, such as Academic Decathlon, College Night, Science Fair, Spelling Bee, Young Authors’ Faire, and Career Tech Expo.
Access: To help fund countywide programs that promote opportunities for student success, such as early care and education, empowerment and equity supports, graduation rate improvement, college and career-tech readiness, libraries, technology and more.
Innovation: To provide grants to school programs across the county that demonstrate innovation and improve student educational success.
The FCOE Honors is an annual honor given to local community members who enrich education and the lives of Fresno County students through Academics, Agriculture, Arts, and Athletics. The honorees are recognized at the FCOE Honors Gala awards banquet and fundraiser. Proceeds from the Gala help build, enhance, and advance essential programs and services coordinated by the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools.
The Bonner Family Foundation made a generous $10,000 gift to the Scout Island Outdoor Education Center. The Scout Island Outdoor Education Center is located along the San Joaquin Riverwith within Fresno City limits. Scout Island provides outdoor educational experiences for students throughout the eighty-five acres of invaluable habitat for native wildlife and riverside vegetation.
Approximately 600 students in grades 3-12 pushed their academic limits to compete in this year's elementary and secondary competitions of the Science Olympiad hosted by the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools STEM Department. The Science Olympiad competition is like an academic track meet with a series of 23 team events.
Increasing access to the arts has long been a priority of the Foundation and building strong partnerships in the community contributes to students having a variety of opportunities. Aaron Bryan, Director of FCSS Arts Education, and his team, partnered with Mike Gibson at Fresno Lexus and Broadway in Fresno to give students a wonderful theatrical experience.
The annual FCSS Kids Day event welcomed 1,500 students with special needs to embark on a day full of fun and learning. Many organizations came together for this one-of-a-kind event including Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff's Department, Fresno Fire Department, and many more, to engage students and their families in an experience they might not otherwise have been able to enjoy.
The Health Youth Corps Showcase was held at Fresno City College with tremendous success. The Showcase is the culminating event for students who participate all year-long in the Health Youth Corps program as student ambassadors promoting positive health choices among their high school peers.
In 2023, Washington Unified School District was a recipient of the Kaiser Permanente Economic Opportunity Grant. The goal of the Economic Opportunity Grant was to support programs that help students excel in school and become equipped to pursue careers and quality jobs. With the grant funding, the district was able to transform the Life Skills classroom at Washington Union High School to better impact students with disabilities gaining essential job skills for life after high school.
The FCSS-Health Services Department held the first-ever Health Youth Corps Conference at Washington Union High School. Over 250 Fresno County students learned about the role they will have in the future to positively impact the health outcomes in the Central Valley.