Alameda Education Foundation Offering Enrichment Program and College Finance Workshop

Information submitted by Alameda Unified School District:

The Alameda Education Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises funds and provides programs to support Alameda’s public schools, is offering a wealth of excellent programs and events over the next few months, including:

College Finances 101

The statistics are startling. Student loan debt now tops $1.2 trillion dollars. Seventy-one percent of all students graduate from college in debt. And the average student loan debt is $33,000 – up from $17,550 in 2000 and $12,850 in 1996.

To help families and students navigate the new world of college financing, the Alameda Education Foundation is offering a “College Finances 101” presentation this coming Monday, March 23rd from 6:30 - 7:30 PM at the Alameda High Little Theatre (at the corner of Walnut and Central).

“College Finances 101” will provide students and their parents/guardians with advice on making sound financial decisions, from the early stages of college planning to understanding college financial packages. Specific topics include:

• The relationship between college selection and earning potential
• Calculating the true cost of attending college
• Understanding different types of loans
• Analyzing your Return on Investment

No registration is required for this event, and it is not affiliated with any financial institution, loan provider or financial aid service.) You can find more information here.

Summer Enrichment Program Registration Open

Making your summer plans? Registration is now open for AEF’s summer enrichment camps. This year the foundation is offering several exciting new camps, including business entrepreneurship for high school students, solar/renewable energy for middle schoolers and photography for elementary students. Other camps include Mandarin, Spanish, coding, and a variety of camps in the arts, sciences, and technology. All camps are taught by experts in their fields and have no more than a 14-1 student-to-teacher ratio.

The camps will be held on the Otis School campus, 3010 Fillmore St. and will run from June 22 - July 31st. You can find a full listing of the offerings, plus registration information, on the AEF website. (Note: an early bird discount on registration is available until April 30th.)

Salute to Education – Just a Few Weeks Away!

If you’re a fan of public education, cool programs, and dedicated volunteers, you won’t want to miss this year’s Salute to Education, which will be April 24, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm, at Rhythmix Cultural Works. Every school site and the district office nominate one innovative program and one cherished program to be honored at this event, which means you spend the evening being inspired (as well as mingling with friends and enjoying excellent refreshments!). Advance tickets are $30 and are available on the AEF website.

“We are so grateful to the Alameda Education Foundation for their year-round support of our students, families, and school communities,” says Superintendent Sean McPhetridge, Ed.D. “For a school district like ours to have such solid partners is truly a blessing.”

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