Connecting our Community in Support of Beaverton Students

Even as a parent, it’s hard to truly understand the daily challenges our 34,000+ students face. This year, in my role as Executive Director, that gap has become an everyday education. With 2 in 3 Beaverton residents not currently connected to a school, BEF’s role as the philanthropic partner of the Beaverton School District matters more than ever. To help our community see the potential in Beaverton students, the Board, staff, and our community partners have focused this year on building deeper community connections.

We created unique opportunities to build awareness of what Beaverton students face: a donor screening of Counted Out, which makes the case for math education as a force for healthy, informed communities; Feed My Body, Feed My Brain; BEF Dog Biscuit Day, when high school students in special education put their culinary skills to work in a commercial kitchen; and Build It with BEF, when local business partners got hands-on with a beloved classroom STEM tool.

One highlight builds on the math conversation we started this fall. In partnership with the KLA Foundation, BEF launched a multi-year initiative that transformed 15 elementary classrooms into “math-rich” environments, backed by before- and after-school math programs and family engagement to extend learning at home.

Research is clear: a strong early math foundation shapes a student’s entire academic trajectory. Our goal is to equip teachers to prepare thousands of Beaverton students for a math-driven world.

I’m energized by the arrival of Dr. Tony Smith, our new BSD superintendent. Dr. Smith emphasizes leadership by personally being inside of school buildings, listening to the community, and creating a culture of feedback.

Looking ahead, BEF is ready for what’s next.