The Foundation for Palm Springs Unified School District

Charged as a 501(c)3 with providing a stream of external funds to district schools, The Foundation for the PSUSD represents a public-private partnership dedicated to supplementing federal and state support of education. It underwrites existing initiatives and pilots new initiatives that are unfunded or underfunded, builds visibility of the District's needs among community stakeholders and potential donors, and functions as the fiscal agent for external funds that come to the District.

The establishment of The Foundation for the Palm Springs Unified School District represents a strategic initiative on the part of the district to fund additional teaching efforts, ensure high-quality education, and support funding of curriculum-enhancing activities in the areas of health and wellness, science, math, technology, and the arts.

The Foundation's original mandate of distributing classroom micro-grants to teachers -- still a key component of its work -- has been expanded to include donor-naming opportunities; commercial and business underwriting of specialized curriculum academies; formal appeals to venture philanthropists; major donors; aggressive grant-seeking; and the formulation of local and national sponsorship opportunities.

Importantly, The Foundation is more than a grant-making organization. It aims to improve lives and strengthen our community through furthering public education. The Foundation believes every student in the Palm Springs Unified School District deserves the opportunity to be prepared and to succeed in either postsecondary education or in a career after high school.

Testimonials

When asked why she believes funding for programs such as wellness centers is crucial, RebeccaTartaglini, counselor at Desert Springs Middle School says, "there is a lot of social anxiety and our students are in need of a comfortable and safe space to let their guards down, students in crisis can request to talk to a counselor or they can also be referred by their teachers."

As a part of our mentorship program to high school students, Yovana Valdivia from Rancho Mirage High School shares, "prior to the SMART program and these trips, I never saw any college or university as attainable, I
was only considering community college as an option for me."

Desert Springs Middle School Robotics Instructor, Clint Wyatt, says students are being challenged to bring out the best in themselves Wyatt says, "I never refuse a student from staying longer because I want them to be passionate and this program has really inspired so many of my students."

Mike has received the Classroom Mini Grant for the past few years which is used to purchase equipment for participating Desert Hot Springs elementary and middle schools that are part of a mentorship program that teaches young kids about renewable energy and prepares them for the REAL Academy at DHSHS. "There is no red tape when it comes to purchasing the necessary materials for your project," says Mike Phelan.