Education Foundation for Fort Worth Schools

The Education Foundation for Fort Worth Schools is…..
A community organization dedicated to supporting programs that accelerate the academic performance of the FWISD's 87,000 students. For donors, the education foundation provides a tax-deductible way to support critical programs with assurance that all funds go to the intended purpose with defined goals and objectives. For the FWISD, the education foundation fills the funding gap for proven academic activities that are unable to be funded through the District's traditional sources, such as property taxes.

The EF4FW, established in 2014, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, guided by a volunteer board of directors dedicated to the success of the Fort Worth ISD students and staff.

Our Needs

Your support is translated into an investment in the future of our students in the areas of literacy, health & wellness ((asthma & vision), scholarships, and special FWISD District initiatives that are not covered by state, federal, and local funds.

Literacy First
100 x 25 Literacy Initiative - Elementary School Library Upgrade
All elementary school libraries should meet or exceed the state standards so that students have access to a wide variety of newer library books to increase reading capacity and reading for pleasure. A comparison study of Fort Worth WISD's elementary school libraries determined that 81 of the 83 elementary school libraries are below state standards: 20 libraries have an average of only 7,800 books in collection, 17 libraries do not have enough books per student, and 44 libraries have outdated books that are 17 years old or older. The library program is funded by the campus allocation from the Fort Worth ISD, and the library often competes with other campus needs and priorities. Over the past nine years, 36% of the Fort Worth ISD elementary school campuses have not received adequate funding to maintain their library collection. The schools will be ranked by highest need with 20 schools per year until all have been updated.

Kids Vision Fest
Reading proficiency starts with being able to see the words on the page clearly and that is why the Fort Worth ISD, in partnership with various community partners, created Kids Vison Fest (KVF). KVF is a citywide event held at Tarrant County College - Trinity River Campus, where optometrists, nurses and trained volunteers perform the initial screenings and eye exams on children from low-income families with no health/vision insurance. If the optometrist issues a prescription, free glasses are provided. The kids get to choose the frames from a wide selection of options. The KVF event provides Fort Worth ISD children with the vision care and eyeglasses they need to succeed academically. The event currently serves 800 children and their families.

Scholarships

The EF4FW's Academic Distinction scholarships are awarded based on high school academic achievement. The first-in-family scholarship recognizes a student achieving the milestone of being the first in a family to study at the collegiate level. Education has the power to change lives, and we are proud to have the opportunity to make the dream of a college education a reality for graduating seniors of Fort Worth ISD. The EF4FW makes a difference in the lives of many students because of our generous donors, volunteers and partners. The Scholarship program is funded by an EF4FW-run Fort Worth ISD Employee Giving Campaign in the spring semester.

Communities for Learning

My Brother's Keeper
The My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Community Challenge encourages communities to implement a coherent cradle-to-college-and-career strategy to improve life outcomes for all young people, ensuring they reach their full potential, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or the circumstances into which they are born. The EF4FW partnered with the community in 2017 and raised $15,000 for the MBK Suit Drive. Each MBK senior who completed the program received a tailored suit, dress shirt, dress pants, tie, belt, socks and shoes.

Miscellaneous Request - This area allows the education foundation to help pay for unexpected student and campus expenses i.e. registration fees, technology fees, playground equipment, musical instruments, art equipment, etc. when students and campuses do not have the funds.