BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
Critical Work
"EFEC is an incredibly effective and innovative leader in Colorado's education landscape. Colorado has the least competitive teacher salaries in the nation. Addressing that requires outreach, action, and advocacy at both the state and local levels. That's why organizations that support our schools and kids should look to the EFEC team and their extraordinary efforts in Eagle County. EFEC is the gold standard for this critical work."
- Lisa Weil,
Great Education Colorado
Our Mission
The Education Foundation of Eagle County is committed to supporting public education and the intellectual and emotional growth of students, specifically focusing on in-school enrichment, mental health support services, and efforts to retain top teacher talent. EFEC’s top priority is to maintain an excellent learning experience for students by supporting teachers and schools in Eagle County.
OUR PROGRAMS
We are making a difference in the lives of our local teachers, students, and community with these great and rewarding programs! We fund programs that enrich the learning experience, provide mental health support, and attract and retain top teacher talent.
E•f(ec) SUCCESSES
Equitable Classrooms
To date, E•ƒ(ec) has provided over $500,000 in school staffing, primary literacy support, counseling services, AVID tutors, paraprofessional classroom support, STEM materials, teacher support services, technology, musical instruments, art supplies, and programs, and equitable access to the innovative curriculum.
Staffing
Children spend over 1,000 hours each year in a classroom. Highly qualified teachers and low teacher-student ratios keep that time E•ƒ(ec)tive and impactful. E•ƒ(ec) members recognized that the most significant need and common request from principals was for additional staffing. Donors have given over half a million dollars to increase staffing in our schools.
E•f(ec)tive Teachers
Distinguished Teacher Awards: Presented at Evening of Stars, these academic scholarships promote excellence in teaching by providing educators financial support to advance their own career knowledge and skills in specific educational areas and obtain advanced degrees or certification. In the past five years, we’ve awarded over $50,000.
During the school year, a $500 prize is awarded monthly to an outstanding teacher to promote excellence in teaching. Any student, parent, administrator or staff member may nominate a teacher for this cash prize. Total Awards Given: $16,000 to 32 teachers.
For Mental Health
EFEC is committed to identifying and backing a new, more equitable approach to social-emotional learning support for students in schools. We seek to ensure that every Eagle County School is staffed with a behavioral counselor, and that each professional has the resources they need to be effective. EFEC has invested over $300,000 in mental health support for our schools.
While EFEC has always committed to teacher mental health, during the COVID-19 pandemic we learned the increasing need for this work. We have developed and established a menu of immediate and long-term impact programs to support teachers' mental health. The programs are designed to provide time, self-care tools, "brain breaks", and increase morale by expressing gratitude.