During last Friday’s graduation, Superintendent Venable announced that the MVSD had recently been notified they are the recipient of a one million dollar endowment.
The endowment, provided by an anonymous donor, represents a significant investment, strategically aligned to the Methow Valley School District’s goal of ensuring every student graduates prepared to pursue the widest range of post-secondary educational, career, and life opportunities possible.
Supported by research associated with the current and anticipated needs of today’s/tomorrow’s workforce, the endowment is part of a broader commitment made between the MVSD, Methow Valley Education Foundation (MVEF), Winthrop-Kiwanis Club, and the Public School Funding Alliance (PSFA) to remove barriers and open all doors by providing youth in the Valley with a clear pathway that includes access to industry standard tools, technology, training, and exposure to possible careers in a variety of areas (skilled crafts and trades, healthcare, culinary arts, green energies…) currently in high demand, that provide a livable wage, and require continued training and certification, but do not necessarily require a four-year degree.
As part of this collective effort, the Winthrop-Kiwanis Club selected the MVSD’s “Tools of Trades” to serve as this past year’s Bite of the Methow “Fund-A-Dream” project. It generated approximately $10,000 that will be used to purchase tools for the contractor’s trailer. This will allow our students enrolled in the advanced construction trades course, to engage in relevant, off-site projects in support of our community.
Better yet, the money raised through the Winthrop-Kiwanis Fund-A-Dream project is being enhanced by a donation of neary $8,500 from PSFA.
The endowment will be managed by MVEF. The interest generated (anticipated to be around 3-4% annually) from the endowment, will be used to fund scholarships to students who apply to MVEF and are selected. More information will be forthcoming as to the parameters associated with the number of scholarships, amount awarded, the application process, and the selection process once finalized this summer.
Further, it should be noted that as an organization committed to supporting all youth, including university and college bound graduates, continued support in the form of donations to MVEF will be needed to ensure financial support remains available for recent and future MVSD graduates.
On a related note, during the same ceremony, Scott Barber, LBHS History teacher captured the hearts and minds of our graduating seniors, their parents, and a gymnasium filled with community members by sharing what American novelist, Wendell Berry refers to as “homecoming.” In the process of doing so, he reminded us of our rural community’s growing need for highly skilled workers (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, welders, masons, chefs…) and the desire of our community for our young people to be able to acquire the training and skills necessary to consider making the Methow Valley their home.
We couldn’t be more grateful… Only in the Methow!