Latest news with #MidlandEducationFoundation
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
FMH Foundation awards $1 million grant to Midland ISD Fine Arts Department
Mar. 5—MIDLAND — Midland Independent School District has announced a transformative $1 million grant from the FMH Foundation to support Dreams to Reality: Reshaping the Future of Fine Arts. This generous investment will provide new and upgraded band and orchestra instruments for secondary schools across the district, enhancing the music education experience for more than 2,000 middle and high school students. "We are incredibly grateful to the FMH Foundation for this extraordinary gift," Anita Gamertsfelder, director of the Midland Education Foundation, said in a news release. "This grant ensures that every student, regardless of socioeconomic status, has access to high-quality instruments, allowing them to fully explore their musical potential. The impact of this investment will extend far beyond today — these instruments will serve thousands of students for years to come." The Dreams to Reality initiative seeks to remove barriers to participation in fine arts by equipping students with the tools they need to succeed. Access to quality instruments fosters not only musical talent but also essential life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and creativity. "Music education plays a vital role in student development, and we are proud to support MISD in their mission to provide exceptional learning experiences," said Joni Hires, Executive Director of the FMH Foundation. "We believe that investing in the arts enriches both students and the broader community." MISD will begin purchasing the instruments immediately, ensuring that students benefit from this investment in the upcoming school year and beyond. "We are so grateful to the FMH Foundation for their generous support of the student experience," said Brigido Beau Garza, MISD Executive Director of Fine Arts. "These new instruments will enhance performances across our band and orchestra programs, fostering students' musical development while deepening their connection to the community through a shared love of the arts." This grant aligns with the district's strategic plan to provide an equitable and enriching fine arts education for the student experience. The Dreams to Reality grant was made possible through the Midland Education Foundation, which plays a vital role in securing funding and community partnerships that enhance educational opportunities for all MISD students.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ATMOS Energy partners with Jones Elementary through Partners in Education
Feb. 11—MIDLAND — The Midland Education Foundation announces its first partnership with the new Partners in Education program, as ATMOS Energy became the official partner for Jones Elementary School. Partners in Education was an initiative created by the Midland Chamber of Commerce and is now operated by the Midland Education Foundation. The Midland Education Foundation aims to expand its reach and impact, ensuring that MISD students and staff across 39 campuses are supported and connected to the greater Midland community, including this partnership with ATMOS. ATMOS Energy's willingness to connect and support Jones Elementary School allows the campus to fulfill needs outside campus budgets and support its literacy initiative through a book vending machine donation. "Our partnership with ATMOS Energy has tremendously impacted our campus' use of innovative tools to encourage student literacy. Many of the students that Jones serves have limited access to books," Tanya Duewall, Principal of Jones Elementary, said in a news release. "The book vending machine will help bridge the gap by providing books directly to students to ensure they have individual reading materials at home. This interactive and engaging book vending machine makes book selection exciting, increases student motivation to read, improves literacy skills, and ultimately fosters a life-long love of reading." Jones Elementary, home of the Tornadoes, serves nearly 500 students from Pre-K through 6th grade. The partnership with ATMOS Energy will assist the school in showcasing its achievements while working together to provide enrichment opportunities for all of their students and support the staff. "Community service is a fundamental element of our culture," said Andrea Goodson, Public Affairs Manager for ATMOS Energy. "Because our employees live, work, and play in the communities we serve, they take great pride in being good neighbors." In total, six campuses currently have a designated Partner in Education. Through PIE, businesses are invited to adopt a campus by supporting campus needs, teacher appreciation, and student initiatives that fall outside of campus budgets. Campuses without a community partner or PTA to help fill these gaps often have high teacher turnover and low campus culture. PIE also allows organizations to connect to special projects across the district through the gift of volunteering, gifts in kind, or designated monetary gifts which in turn provide campuses with the essential programs and activities that are vital to a well-rounded education. Businesses and individuals interested in becoming a Partner in Education are encouraged to contact Lauren Hopkins, Community Connections Coordinator at Midland ISD. ([email protected])
