Foundation for Rural Education Excellence

Supporting Academic Achievement in Rural Northeast Florida Communities

February 2020 Newsletter

The Foundation for Rural Education Excellence, a registered 501 (C)(3) organization, was founded in 1998 to facilitate philanthropic support for rural school districts of the   North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC): Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Nassau, Putnam, Suwannee and Union Counties as well as Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and PK Yonge Developmental Research School. Working collaboratively, our mission is to enhance academic success and career opportunities for rural students in northeast Florida.

Visit our website

NEFEC & FREE Host Computer Science Camp

An estimated 170 educators from ten school districts, including Bradford, Gilchrist, and Flagler, are participating in the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Computer Science Training Camp in St. Augustine. The week-long camp is designed to prepare teachers for the computer science subject area certification exam. FDOE partnered with FREE and NEFEC to coordinate the North Florida camp. Other regional camps will be offered in South Florida and the Panhandle. With $ 10 million invested to train more computer science teachers and new flexibility in course requirements, it is the hope that more students will enroll in computer science courses and stick with it on into college.

ESE Leaders Gather for Hybrid Conference

ESE Directors and key leaders of exceptional student education services gathered at NEFEC for the 2020 CASE Winter Hybrid Conference, sponsored by Presence Learning.  This face-to-face professional development for administrators of special education was live-streamed from Phoenix, AZ, to virtual sites across the country. Participants heard from experts in behavior change and special education law.

Upcoming Events

22nd Annual Golf Tournament FREE's annual golf tournament is scheduled for March 27, 2020, at the Palatka Golf Club. For more information or to register to play, click on the link below: Registration Flyer

Summer Leadership Conference NEFEC's Annual Summer Leadership Conference is scheduled for July 20-21, 2020, at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Conference Registration & More

Foundation for Rural Education Excellence (352) 317-0621 foundationruraled@gmail.com freeneedsyou.org

‌