HOLLAND — As it enters its 40th year of serving students and staff of Holland Public Schools , the Holland Educational Foundation is looking to have a bigger and better effect on the district.
The nonprofit group recently announced a series of new goals and additions to its leadership in an effort to meet those goals.
HEF has established a lofty goal for fundraising in 2024-25 — $1.2 million. It’s looking to raise $100,000 for teacher grants, $60,000 for experiential learning opportunities, $30,000 for staff wellness, $50,000 for Teachers Live Here and the Power H Impact Awards and $1 million for the HEF Endowment.
Funds will help the organization with its focus on increasing student engagement, ensuring equitable funding for experiential learning, attracting and retaining teachers to the district and building for the future through the endowment.
To help with those goals, HEF is turning to a pair of new leaders.
“To support HEF’s expanded goals, we realized we needed to have someone fully focused on the vision of the foundation. Today we have two such people,” HEF President John Johnston stated in a press release. “Kate Bolt and Wendy Schregardus have been volunteering and serving Holland Public Schools long before joining HEF. The board fully believes their dedication and passion will drive the Foundation to even greater impact.”
Bolt will serve as HEF’s executive director, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the foundation including fundraising, program development and community engagement.
Schregardus, meanwhile, will be the director of operations. She will support fundraising, donor management, the granting process, board communication and general financial management.
Bolt discussed the 2024-25 initiatives in a recent podcast on the district website .
“We have been thriving for 40 years. This year we’re really trying to step things up,” Bolt said on the recording.
She added that the foundation looks to provide support in areas where families may struggle.
“I think the best part of the educational foundation is we are an arm of the school that’s volunteer,” Bolt said. “We can assist every family by getting in the classroom, getting extra hands in there, and funds, when busy families can’t make that happen.
“Let’s be the people that make more things happen that busy parents can’t always do. There’s just a big group of caring adults. We see that need being more and more of a thing in schools.”
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The HEF was established in 1984 to provide community and business support to students of HPS. It serves as a way to channel private dollars into programs and projects providing additional learning opportunities for students.
Among the initiatives of HEF are twice yearly classroom grant disbursements to teachers, handling funds for the Teachers Live Here program, supporting student clubs and expanding field trip opportunities.
In the fall, HEF will host a 40th anniversary gala at Holland High School. Details will be shared as the event approaches.
For more information on HEF, visit hollandeducationalfoundation.org .
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com .
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland Educational Foundation enters 40th year with big goals, new leaders
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