Each of the Asheville City Schools Foundation's programs are grounded in a pursuit of equity and the desire to magnify the genius, encourage the curiosity, celebrate the joy, and support the aspirations of our students, teachers and staff. ACSF concluded an impactful year of innovative programming by celebrating our students, educators, teaching artists, and alumni!
This year, 1,443 students in Asheville City Schools experienced 76 days of TAPAAS offerings. Over 25 projects were awarded, including classroom residencies, field trips and special TAPAAS projects such as live performances of Breach of Peace by Mike Wiley and classroom glass blowing demonstrations by the NC Glass Center. TAPAAS not only provided students with an avenue for healing and mental health support, but also celebrated the strength, creativity, and joy of our city and county youth.
“My students were able to process some of their own struggles in an artistic format, and they were able to tap into how art and poetry communicates basic human experiences. Most students experienced this, and though some were scared to engage, they benefited from seeing their peers.” -Ariel Robinson, SILSA teacher

“Top-notch artists, who are also top-notch teachers, facilitate meaningful experiences for our students.” -Leslie Blaich, Asheville Primary teacher

"I am peace. I am love. I am fierce. I am brave. I am me." -Vivi, 1st grade


ACSF would also like to extend huge congratulations to TAPAAS artist Ginger Huebner whose TEDx Asheville talk was chosen for the TED.com website and the TEDx Editor's choice!


AND! Watch the WRAL feature on our amazing TAPAAS teaching artist, In Real Life After-School provider, and
ACSF board member, Jenny Pickens!
What an incredible year of In Real Life After-School! This school year, 149 unduplicated students showed up to programming ready to engage in new adventures, collaborate with one another, and learn something new! Over 46 positive adult mentors offered 41 unique clubs such as BAT-tastic Nature Crafts, Mic Drop: Podcast Posse, Lego Robotics and Young Engineers, Make Room for the Loom, and more!

To top it off, IRL hosted a year-end celebration on the last day of programming attended by over 150 students, families, service providers, and educators. This summer, IRL will continue to offer our students opportunities to live a curious life through pop-up activities such as Slay the Clay, Get WNC Wild, and Psyched to Hike!
ACSF was honored to award over $221,000 to 45 outstanding Asheville High and SILSA seniors this spring! 100% of scholarship recipients demonstrated financial need and 22% will be the first in their family to attend college! We are so proud of these graduates and know that they are poised to change our world for the better. Congratulations students!

The second cohort of the Racial Equity Ambassador Program did not disappoint! This year, 33 diverse students engaged in projects designed to increase cultural responsiveness such as Asheville 6 scenario practice with AHS and SILSA educators, the YWCA's 21 Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge, and presentations at the Color of Education Conference and the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity!

This spring, ACSF purchased several protest murals from the summer of 2020 and installed them on the Asheville High campus. ACSF dedicated these murals to the Classes of 1970 and 2021 in honor of 50 years of student-led activism.
The tradition continues! ACSF hosted our annual Celebration event for ACS staff and educators last month at Smoky Park Supper Club in honor of their extraordinary dedication to our students this school year.

In addition to Celebration, the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Teachers of the Year were each honored with a $500 award from ACSF at the Asheville City Schools Teacher of the Year Banquet:

"In the spirit of abundance and in honor of your extraordinary courage, vulnerability and love, ACSF is gifting each of you $500 to take care of yourselves this summer. I know most of you will buy books for your classrooms, Mr. Coleman will buy $500 worth of stickers and Mr. Bilich will buy $500 of snacks … but this money is for you. Please take good care of yourselves this summer." - Copland Rudolph, ACSF Executive Director
This month at the National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference in Los Angeles, ACSF received the Civic Engagement Award from the Institute for Educational Leadership for our work organizing youth, families, and our community to advocate for an equitable public education system.

“'We have been partnering with ACSF for over 10 years. Their programs are some of the most innovative in the country. We love how they remain both student-centered and community-centered at the same time,' said Kyle Garrett, United Way’s School Partnerships Director."

ACSF is humbled and honored to be recognized for our work in civic engagement.
Want to make a big impact without even touching your wallet? Here are 3 easy ways to support Asheville's students and teachers:
Support ACSF while you shop! Visit smile.amazon.com, sign in with your Amazon.com credentials, choose Asheville City Schools Foundation as your charity of choice, and start shopping! Don't forget to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return!

Sign up for a Go Local Card! The Go Local Card gets you access to discounts and special offers at over 570 local businesses in Asheville, all while benefiting our public schools.
Donate your IRA Required Minimum Distribution! If you are 70.5 years of age or older, you can make a gift to ACSF from your Individual Retirement Account! Your gift is free of federal income tax, counts toward your annual Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), and is excluded from your gross income.

Donations may also be made via cash, check, wire transfers, or online. Cash and Checks may be mailed to: Asheville City Schools Foundation, PO Box 3196 Asheville, NC 28802. Please contact Rebecca Abide, Development and Communications Director at (828) 350-6179 to receive banking information for wire transfers or to gift shares of stock.
Click here to view a full list of community businesses supporting our students.