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Foundation for Rural Education Excellence
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Supporting Academic Achievement in
Rural Northeast Florida Communities
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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.
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Education Innovation and Research Grant
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U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos recently announced $123 million in new grant awards to 41 school districts, nonprofit organizations and state educational agencies across the United States as part of the
Education Innovation and Research
(EIR) program.
These grants provide funding to create, implement, or take to scale an evidence-based innovation to improve academic achievement for high-need students, and for a rigorous evaluation so that others may learn from its results.
The North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC) received an early-phase, field-initiated innovation grant of $3,943,486 over five years. The grant is entitled Rural Connect and has three goals:
- Increase achievement and literacy engagement of high-need, rural students;
- Increase collective efficacy and motivation of rural teachers; and
- Refine an innovative, replicable model for rural professional learning, collaboration, and support.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant to assist our districts in providing the highest quality literacy instruction to struggling students. We look forward to its
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implementation and impact,” said Dr. Patrick Wnek, Executive Director of NEFEC.
In addition to serving 11 eligible NEFEC school districts, Rural Connect will also expand to include 18 small, rural school districts in the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium and the Heartland Educational Consortium.
"For too long, the one-size-fits-all approach to education has failed too many students," said Secretary DeVos. "Through the EIR program, grantees have the opportunity to rethink education and approach student learning in new ways. I'm excited to see states, school districts and nonprofits proposing more creativity, innovation and personalization on behalf of students."
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Counselor Forum Delves Deep Into Practice
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Nearly 100 counselors from the region attended the NEFEC & ISRD School Counselors Forum. Representatives from FLDOE (Andrew Weatherill) and UNF (Dr. Rebecca Schumacher) presented on the importance of using small group counseling with students. Attendees were given the opportunity to participate in a demonstration on the process for starting and facilitating a small group in their schools.
Amy Lane of FDLRS/NEFEC delivered a session entitled Seeing Behavior Through the Lenses of Trauma & Poverty. This session provided different perspectives through which counselors could see their students’ behaviors.
Afternoon sessions focused on brain-based approaches to behavior, secondary student progression, and advising students through the financial aid process.
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22nd Annual Golf Tournament
FREE's annual golf tournament is scheduled for March 27, 2020, at The Palatka Golf Club.
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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.
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Foundation for Rural Education Excellence
(352) 317-0621
foundationruraled@gmail.com
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