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Bounce into the Next Generation of education

John Stroud
Post Independent Staff
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

A fundraiser set for Saturday, Sept. 12, in Carbondale to enhance technology learning in local schools also signals a new focus for the Roaring Fork Public Education Foundation.

The foundation, which supports Roaring Fork District Re-1 schools in Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Basalt, recently reorganized as a completely volunteer organization.

In doing so, it has established a closer working relationship with the school district in terms of aligning its fundraising efforts with the district’s strategic plan, said foundation board member Nancy Ball.



The first event will be the Bounce into Education Carnival, a family-friendly, all-ages carnival presented by Denver’s Amberg Entertainment. It will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Carbondale Middle School soccer field.

The carnival will feature inflatable amusements, concessions and midway games. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be cooked by foundation board members. There will also be face-painting organized by district art teachers, school principals in the dunk tanks, and live music.



“We got all of the schools on board, and everybody signed up to help,” Ball said. “The carnival will raise funds for technology grants for the 12 Roaring Fork School District schools in conjunction with the district’s Technology for Learning Project.

“Proceeds will be used for school grants to increase student learning in classrooms in a way that will impact the greatest number of students and leverage current available technology in the school,” she said.

Previously, the foundation’s Innovative Teaching and Professional Development grants were given to individual teachers who submitted projects for consideration.

Now, schools will coordinate efforts to obtain those grant dollars through the Next Generation Initiative, aimed at providing students and teachers with innovative technology in the classroom, she said.

Re-1 Superintendent Judy Haptonstall said the district provides about $400,000 a year for technology infrastructure and support in the schools. But not much is left over for discretionary funding in the classrooms.

“The foundation wanted to make a bigger impact,” she said. “This way we can have teachers working together, maybe with some parent representation, to lay out a long-range technology plan for their school.”

The mission of the foundation is to “enrich the lives of our children by building community partnerships that foster excellence in public education.”

jstroud@postindependent.com


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