Over the years we have heard many creative ideas about how schools fund involvement in the Schools Attuned Program. Recently the Sacred Heart School in Bellevue, Washington planned for summer courses for all of their staff and initiated a fundraising machine to ensure success.

The Sacred Heart School is a private K-8 school of 415 students. Having learned about the Schools Attuned Program from Holy Rosary, another archdiocesan school which hosted a course last summer, Sacred Heart contacted All Kinds of Minds to schedule their courses.

Every year Sacred Heart holds an auction to raise money to supplement the school’s operating budget and endowment. In the middle of the traditional auction, they pause for a special, high-dollar auction called Fund-A-Need. Last year’s Fund-A-Need, which was earmarked for a school security system, brought in approximately $100,000 on its own. Other years have focused on the library, curriculum updates, and playground equipment.

This year, Dr. Carola Whittman, the school’s principal, wanted to focus on staff development. The school recently completed the accreditation process and one of their key recommendations was to focus on differentiated instruction. They saw Schools Attuned as a natural link. The staff agreed with a vote of 100% support that All Kinds of Minds would be the beneficiary of this year’s Fund-A-Need auction, and that they all would participate in Schools Attuned.

So how did it work? The fun filled night included cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, classroom project viewing, a seated dinner, and dancing. In the midst of the activities, bidding on other auction items stopped for the Fund-A-Need. The lights went down and a 5-6 minute video was presented about this year’s auction ‘beneficiary’, the Staff Academy (i.e. the Schools Attuned Program). Then the bidding began. Starting bidding was $100 and increased in increments -- $500, $1000, etc…Donors enthusiastically raised their paddles indicating their willingness to donate.

To learn more about the event, Sacred Heart’s commitment to professional development in the areas of school leadership, instructional methodology, core content, and use of modern technology in order to enrich instruction and enhance student achievement; and how they chose Schools Attuned to fill this need, visit the event’s website at http://ipcrew.com/ThinkGreen/?page_id=4 or the school’s website at http://www.sacredheart.org/School/index.htm.

To make an online gift to All Kinds of Minds, please click here.