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From the Foundation Board
A Message from Our New President: Chris Buchignani I joined the Education Foundation board because I believe in public education. Both of my parents were public school teachers. So, I have a really deep personal appreciation for the value of public education as an enterprise, and specifically how blessed we are here in State College to have such a great school district. I am honored to assume the role of president, following the lead of Doug Loviscky who has done a tremendous job setting up our organization for success. On behalf of the entire board, I thank Doug for his leadership and continued service to our community. We are all incredibly proud of what the Education Foundation has accomplished in just a few short years, supporting both academic and extracurricular activities, establishing a unique fund for student mental health services, and helping to raise commitments for a major facilities project at Memorial Field. More than anything, all of us who are involved with the Education Foundation are humbled to have helped play a critical role in supporting local families in a time of crisis. You can read more about this effort on page 3. We'd like to acknowledge the more than 500 donors and donor families who contributed to an emergency fund to help their neighbors facing urgent financial hardship. These individual acts of generosity illustrate the Education Foundation’s mission to create and assure opportunity for every student, down to helping to meet their basic needs. Speaking for our entire team, I express my sincere thanks, and look forward to partnering with you to continue to support our students through community generosity. Sincerely,
Chris Buchignani
The official registration and financial information of State College Area School District Education Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
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We'd like to acknowledge the more than 500 donors and donor families who contributed to an emergency fund to help their neighbors facing urgent financial hardship.
SCASD Education Foundation Board Members Chris Buchignani
Paul Olivett
Mike Desmond
Executive Director
Penni Fishbaine
Dr. Robert J. O'Donnell
Michelle Frisco Carol Grim
Superintendent of Schools
Randy Brown
Finance and Operations Officer/Open Records Officer
Doug Loviscky Ann McGlaughlin Mary Kay Montovino
Contact Us SCASD Education Foundation 240 Villa Crest Drive, State College, PA 16801 814‑883‑8067 | www.scasdfoundation.org Paul Olivett: pgo11@scasd.org
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Success for Every student
How a Drive to Support Student Mental Health Became a Lifeline for Families in Crisis Community Generosity Fills Urgent Need in Response to COVID-19 Shutdown Last spring, the Education Foundation board of directors was planning the second annual Maroon & Gray Society Banquet, and turned to district administrators to learn about priority needs within individual schools and district-wide. During the previous year’s inaugural event, new uniforms for the Little Lions Marching Band had been identified as a need, and nearly $60,000 was raised toward that goal. In 2019, the district administrators identified student mental health as a priority need. Director of Student Services Jeanne Knouse presented compelling data showing how programs implemented by the district were working to improve student well-being, but there was more to do. The presentation resulted in creation of the Mental Health Matters Fund, a permanent fund that became the beneficiary of $50,000 raised at the 2019 banquet. The fund has helped to support professional development for faculty and staff; special events and projects organized by the My Mental Health
Making a Difference NOW— Mental Health Matters Fund for Emergency Support
Help for families facing financial strain
Support for SCASD Food Services team to provide nutritious meals for 5 days of the week
Extra mental health and well-being services during a time of crisis
Innovative learning experiences, inside
Support for students in
and outside Making antheImpact on Student Success, Thanks to Donorneed Support classroom
Innovative learning experiences, inside and outside the classroom
New and upgraded equipment for STEM education
Supplemental books and materials for classrooms and libraries
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Sensory spaces for students of all ages
Support for students in need
Students and teachers around the district are sending encouragement through chalk art. Photo: Easterley Parkway Elementary
Matters Club; and direct care for students whose insurance coverage runs out, or when services are not covered. Fast forward to March 2020. As school closings were announced in Pennsylvania to combat the spread of COVID-19, Ms. Knouse and her team quickly saw a new need taking shape. Major financial hardship among many families in the district. Facing layoffs, job loss and the closing or scaling back of their businesses, families were struggling to afford the most basic necessities—food, utility payments, transportation costs and other unique needs. The district and the Education Foundation wasted no time announcing that the Mental Health Matters Fund was immediately open for contributions to help cover these emergency needs. The district used a needs assessment process to provide urgent support while the Education Foundation raised funds on its website. In just over a month, more than $100,000 has been raised—and much of it distributed—to help families. Continued on Page 4 The Foundation | 3
Success for Every student
Wear your State High Pride Alumna creates jewelry and donates portion of proceeds to Education Foundation Lori Moyer ’85 knows jewelry. Her family’s business, Moyer Jewelers, had a downtown State College store for decades. After the store closed, Lori started L. Moyer Designs, putting her 35 years of fine jewelry experience to use. She offers beautiful collections online, including a collection of licensed Penn State jewelry. One of Lori’s designs pays tribute to her Little Lion roots. A lifelong State College resident and graduate of State High and Penn State, Lori created a State
Corner Room Donates Tee Shirt Proceeds to Foundation’s Fund for Families Thanks to our friends at the Corner Room and Collegiate Pride for creating this fabulous tee shirt and donating proceeds to the Education Foundation’s fund to support families during the COVID-19 shut down. Get your shirt and help a neighbor by visiting the Corner Room’s Facebook page! 4 | The Foundation
High “S” necklace. As an alum and an aunt to two nieces who attend State High, she decided to give back. Lori donates $5 from the sale of every necklace to the Education Foundation. “Living in State College my entire life, it’s been my honor to fulfill the jewelry desires of those who live here,” Lori said. You can check it out and purchase your own State High S at LMoyerDesigns.com. The Education Foundation thanks this talented and generous State High grad for her support! l
Support Student Mental Health Continued from page 3 This incredible display of generosity has changed lives not only by filling basic needs, but also by showing that during uncertain times, our families can rely on one another for help. The district continues to receive emergency requests for help from families. In addition, the student services staff anticipates a significant increase in the need for mental health services in 2020-21 while the district will face major budget strains in the coming years. In response, the Education Foundation has determined that all funds contributed through the end of its fiscal year on June 30 will be unrestricted and prioritized for these areas: emergency funds for families, mental health services and emerging priorities identified by the district. On behalf of the Education Foundation and the district staff, thank you to all who generously supported the Mental Health Matters Fund to help their neighbors during such a difficult and uncertain time. Giving remains open at scasdfoundation.org. l
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Teaching & Learning in New Ways
Corl Street teachers team up to share a message to their students.
Ferguson Township's students stay connected completing at-home learning.
Park Forest Middle School held a virtual Spirit Week.
Left: Eifrig Publishing donates books with lunches. Right: SCAHS competes in virtual Quiz Bowl.
Yard signs from Easterly Parkway teachers brightened up the day!
Students from Grays Woods Elementary show their love for the school.
Teaching & Learning in New Ways‌ Continued
Volunteers help with food services.
Above: Radio Park students say goodbye to their principal from their cars. Right: A Radio Park student shows off her Lego creation.
Teaching & Learning in New Ways‌ Continued
A Spring Creek student plays with an alphabet ladder.
A Spring Creek student learns while helping Dad.
Spring Creek takes geography home with map coloring.
Outdoor math fun for this Spring Creek student!
These Spring Creek siblings do school in a fort.
Spring Creek heads outside!
Spring Creek's virtual talent show highlighted student skills.
The Maroon & Gray Society Honorees 2020 2020 Honorees
1976 Boys’ Soccer State Champions Made History The 1976 Little Lions were something special. The team will go down in history for securing State College High’s first (and still, only!) PIAA state soccer championship. Ken Fogleman was the team’s head coach. The team went 15-4-1, finishing second to Middleburg in the Tri-Valley League. After defeating Altoona 2-0 for the District 6 championship at Jeffrey Field, State College went head to head with Middleburg, the District 4 champions, in the state quarterfinals at Selinsgrove. Legend has it that “a lucky penny, found by Coach Fogleman, sparked the team to a stupendous win over arch-rival Middleburg, 3-2,” according to the 1976 yearbook. That victory earned the team a place in the PIAA play-offs held at Reading Municipal Stadium. There, the boys defeated WPIAL (District 7) champion North Allegheny 3-2 in the state semifinals. The team beat District 11 champion Bethlehem-Freedom 2-0 for the title. Congratulations to the 1976 Boys’ Soccer Team for being such a big part of State High history and for being inducted into the 2020 Maroon & Gray Society. l
Pictured, first row, from left: Co-captains Mark Cunningham and Don Rung. Second row: Kurt Huntley, Chet Johnson, Dan Brewer, Dave Shelow, Bob Langton, Jay Infield, Chuck Gill, Shawn Muthersbaugh, assistant coach Donn Wagner. Third row: Head coach Ken Fogleman, manager Bonnie Bloom, Walt Gotshalk, Jeff Harpster, Tim Frey, Jim Guthrie, Dean Pearce, Dave Beik, Chris Schein. Fourth row: Manager Sally Harding, Sam Ergler, Eric Diethorn, Denis DeMartino, Roland Moore, Terry Brush, Jeff Harper, Jamie Hettema, manager Chris Marro.
2020 Honorees
Joyce Lee: Dedicated to Helping All Children Succeed There wasn’t a truer calling for Joyce Lee, than to help all children succeed. State College was fortunate to have her as a long-time educator. Now retired, her lengthy career made an incredible positive impact on students and the district. Her colleagues say Joyce is the type of teacher that was not only effective at her life’s work, but also put a smile on 8 | The Foundation
children’s faces when she taught and interacted with them. Joyce started out teaching English at State High before moving to the elementary level where she was a Title I reading teacher throughout the ’70s and ’80s. During this time, she developed a simple and effective composition technique she taught students, as well as an exceptional elementary reading program and curriculum that is still being used today. Later on, in the early ’90s, Joyce became the K-6 Language Arts/Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator. She was assigned Continued on Page 9 www.scasdfoundation.org
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the immense task of leading a team of teachers to create and implement a standards-based, cohesive district-wide Language Arts/Social Studies curriculum for grades 1-6, in a condensed timeframe. Joyce took the task in stride.
Joyce’s impact on students and on the district as a whole was significant and a force for good, and way ahead of the times. “Until that time, each of the eight elementary schools had devised their own curriculum,” explains Nancy Baumrucker, a friend and colleague. “This was quite a challenge and no easy task that Joyce willingly undertook, working with her small staff of reading specialists and classroom teachers to develop an exceptional curriculum to meet the needs of all students.”
“Joyce was a remarkable Title I teacher and also brilliant Curriculum Developer and leader. State College has not seen anyone as dedicated with a drive as passionate in a leadership position as Joyce. We all wondered when she slept! She wore many hats and her knowledge base was endless. I couldn’t have been mentored by a better teacher,” added her colleague Melinda Cocolin. As education psychologist William G. Spady said, “all students can learn and succeed, but not in the same way and not in the same day.” Nancy says Joyce was dedicated to helping each student reach higher levels of learning no matter the pace or setbacks they faced along the way. “Joyce’s impact on students and on the district as a whole was significant and a force for good, and way ahead of the times,” says Nancy. “Behind it, and behind all that Joyce accomplished in her career, was her dedication to meeting the needs of all children.” The SCASD Education Foundation is delighted to add Joyce's name to the Maroon & Gray Society! l
2020 Honorees
Thomas Gentzel ’69: Former Little Lion Mascot has Strong National Voice in Public Education Thomas Gentzel has an impressive 35 years of experience advocating for school boards and is known as a thought leader in public education. As executive director and CEO of the National School Board Association, he is one of the country’s strongest voices for America’s public schools. Back in high school though, he was best known for a different role: the Little Lion mascot! During football games, pep rallies and other school events, he transformed from a selfdescribed scrawny kid to enthusiastic mascot. “I was a scrawny, 115-pound kid — not especially athletic — so having to do pushups after each touchdown was probably the biggest challenge,” he recalls. “Although we didn’t score a lot that season! It was a lot of fun.” Thomas says his State College teachers were supportive, www.scasdfoundation.org
but made sure classes were challenging. When asked about a favorite teacher, he shares this story: “One day, I was talking with a group of education professors at Penn State, and I was asked who my favorite teacher had been. I said, probably with a big smile, ‘My first grade teacher, Miss Catherine Carr.’ One professor, Don Willower, turned to me and said: “That’s my Continued on Page 10 The Foundation | 9
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wife!” We laughed about that on several occasions. Years later, after Don passed away, David Monk, the dean of the PSU College of Education, set up a luncheon at the Nittany Lion Inn. He invited Catherine to join him, several faculty members who had worked with her late husband, and me. I brought her flowers and we had a great conversation. Later, she surprised me by sending me a picture of our first grade class. It says so much about her that she had kept it all those years. I have it in my study and smile every time I look at it.” After graduating from State High, Thomas received a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Development and a Master of Public Administration degree from Penn State.
I have become an ardent advocate for public education and for effective local governance of our schools, I see both as being absolutely critical to our democracy.
But that’s indeed what happened. It was 1980 when Thomas became a lobbyist for the association and five years later, he was named head of the association’s Office of Governmental and Member Relations, a position he held for more than 16 years. He became PSBA’s CEO in 2001, directing a staff of 150 people who provide publications, conferences, and seminars, as well as insurance, management, and legal assistance, and advocacy services for local school officials. He served in that role for 11 years before joining the National School Boards Association (NSBA) in 2012. “Along the way, I have become an ardent advocate for public education and for effective local governance of our schools,” Thomas says. “I see both as being absolutely critical to our democracy. Although I will soon be retiring, I hope to remain engaged in that important advocacy.” As the Executive Director and CEO of the National School Board Association, Thomas leads a staff of nearly 80 people and is the chief spokesperson for more than 13,000 school boards across the United States plus the Virgin Islands and Continued on Page 11
Notable accomplishments: He calls his entrance into the education field “an accident.” He didn’t plan on getting involved in education, he was interested in public service. In fact, as a senior at State High, he approached the mayor of State College, Chauncey Lang, with a proposal to appoint high school students to municipal boards and commissions. Lang agreed and created the Mayor’s Regional Youth Council, which Thomas chaired. “A number of us were appointed to planning, zoning, and other panels — some as non-voting advisors, others as full members,” he says. “I was named a voting member of the State College Traffic Commission, a seat I held throughout my college years at Penn State. That really planted the seed of public service for me.” His early career involved working in rural development programs and then for county government. One day, he was approached about a lobbyist job at the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA). “I was still in my 20s, with a young family, and it looked like a good opportunity,” he says. “I certainly couldn’t have known then that I would go on to be the chief lobbyist and later executive director of PSBA, and then CEO of its national organization.” 10 | The Foundation
• Former chair of the Organization of State Association Executive Directors • Former officer for the National School Public Relations Association • Member of the Outreach Advisory Board for The Pennsylvania State University • Appointed by Gov. Tom Ridge (R) and reappointed twice by Gov. Edward Rendell (D) to the Pennsylvania State Advisory Panel on Special Education • Named by the governor to the Pennsylvania Early Learning Council in 2009. • Previous chair of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Education • Founder and coordinator of the Alliance for a School Aid Partnership • 2014 recipient of the Edward Donley Award by the Education Policy and Leadership Center • Recognized in TrustEd’s 2017 list of 20 Education Thought Leaders for his contribution to the nation www.scasdfoundation.org
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some of Canada. He routinely meets with elected officials, the Secretary of Education, and members of their staffs. He speaks and presents at his organization’s annual conference to 6,000 attendees, as well as to audiences around the United States, in British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and London. In 2017, Thomas had the honor of delivering the commencement address at the Penn State College of Education, and he received the Service to Penn State Award from the college the following year. He and his wife, Sherrin, are parents of three sons and grandparents of two boys and three girls, who he says are his greatest pride and joy. He’s eager to spend more time with
them in his retirement. He has more plans to keep busy. “I love to travel, having visited every state, and enjoy touring state capitol buildings — 44 so far — and have taken numerous river cruises and tours in Europe with friends,” he says. “Much more travel in store, I hope. Walking, bike riding, volunteering, exploring anything to do with history (including a growing collection of old maps), and occasionally hacking at a golf ball round out my interests.” The SCASD Education Foundation is delighted to honor Thomas this year and to add his name to the Maroon & Gray Society! l
2020 Honorees
The Late Ron Pavlechko: Beloved Colleague, Coach, Teacher and Friend In January, the district and the State College community mourned the loss of not only a great coach, but a great teacher, friend and mentor. Ron Pavlechko had 40 years of service at State College Area School District, first as a teacher, then as the Little Lions head football coach, and later as the full-time director of athletics.
During practice, he would make his rounds, being sure to connect with each and every player. They didn’t just talk about football, but about class, life, and their homes. Winning wasn’t his only priority. It was taking care of kids. Ron grew up in the Youngstown suburb of Austintown. After graduating from Austintown-Fitch High School in 1967, www.scasdfoundation.org
he attended Penn State where he received a degree in Secondary English Education in 1971 and also earned three varsity football letters. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education in 1973, also at Penn State. He began working at the SCASD in 1971 as an English teacher and the assistant football coach, then took over as head coach in 1977, leading the Little Lions for the next 19 years. During his tenure, the team won 116 games and had undefeated regular seasons in 1981 and 1992, with the 1992 team advancing to the PIAA semifinals. Most importantly, though, Ron was known for his compassion and positive attitude, and for always lending an ear. Just ask any of the players he coached. During practice, he would make his rounds, being sure to connect with each and every player on a personal level. They didn’t just talk about football, but about class, life, and their homes. Winning wasn’t his only — perhaps not even his top — priority. It was taking care of kids. Continued on Page 12 The Foundation | 11
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In fact, Ron once advised a former coach — Chris Weakland, who is the current athletic director — to talk with his players every single day about something other than the sport. Although the concept was new to him and at first seemed unachievable, Weakland quickly became a big believer. To this day, he encourages all coaches to follow Ron’s lead. Ron and his wife, Barb, raised two sons, both of whom followed in their father’s footsteps. Aaron is State College’s junior high wrestling coach, and Tim is now the deputy director of athletics at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA. Beyond being an inspiration to his students, players, and
fellow coaches, Ron had many accomplishments to be proud of over the years. He was a member of the Austintown-Fitch High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Sigma Pi Fraternity, The Penn State Football Letterman’s Club, the Board of Directors of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, and the Board of Directors of the Centre County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Ron will be sorely missed by the entire SCASD community and the Education Foundation is honored to include him in this year’s Maroon & Gray Society induction. l
2020 Honorees
Mark Roland ’91: Serving his Country & Community with Courage & Humility Since Mark Roland graduated from State High in 1991, he has served his country and community in more ways than one. Mark served in the United States Army for 22 years and received recognition for his actions during the Global War on Terror. He earned the prestigious Silver Star for “exceptionally valorous action while serving as the Intelligence Sergeant for Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 732, Special Operations Task Force-71, Firebase Ripley, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 11 June 2007,” according to The Military Times. He was commended for both his courage and commitment to fulfilling his battalion’s mission. Mark’s courageous and selfless actions were essential to the victory that day. He cleared and destroyed enemy fighters at close range, rescued eight Afghan soldiers, led a split team, and “inspired those around him to extraordinary collective valor.” Mark is also known in the State College community for his giving nature. Now retired from the Army, he focuses his energy on helping those who are battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He also volunteers at the Pennsylvania 12 | The Foundation
Military Museum in Boalsburg, where he helps others learn about and make sense of war.
Mark embodies the best State College High School can hope to give to the world. He is a man of deep conviction, who has served others with unimaginable courage and humility. “Mark embodies the best State College High School can hope to give to the world,” says the friend who nominated Mark for this year’s Maroon & Gray Society class. “He is a man of deep conviction, a man who has served others with unimaginable courage and humility. He is so reflective and works very hard to put his service into perspective and to help others who work to do the same.” Congratulations to Mark for being selected to the 2020 Maroon & Gray Society. l www.scasdfoundation.org
The Maroon & Gray Society Honorees 2020 2020 Honorees
Jane Snowdon ’77: Excellent Education Leads to Exceptional Career “I am truly honored to be recognized by the SCASD and the Maroon & Gray Society to benefit the Student Opportunity Grant program in 2020,” says 2020 honoree Jane Snowdon. “The talented and dedicated SCASD faculty afforded me many enriching experiences to learn and grow intellectually, creatively, and socially. I made many treasured and dear friends along the way through common interests in mathematics, science, Girl Scouts, dance club, home economics, choir, majorettes, and band. These friends have been with me through college, career achievements, family milestones, and travel adventures, and are an important part of my life to this day.” Jane attended Corl Street Elementary School for kindergarten through 5th grade, Fairmont Avenue School for 6th grade, Westerly Parkway Junior High School, and State High. She says she is thankful she had the privilege of obtaining an excellent education and learning many life skills and values from her teachers, and from her parents. “My father was a physicist at Penn State’s Applied Research Lab and encouraged me to pursue the field of industrial engineering, and my mother was a nurse,” she explains. One elementary school teacher stands out in Jane’s memory. Her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Mary Miller, challenged her students to see how many books they could read and to write the titles on strips of colored construction paper to create a bookshelf. “I was an avid reader of Happy Hollister mystery books at the time,” she recalls. “Much to my surprise, I won first prize and was awarded the book Pollyanna. I continue to love reading and currently participate in a book club.” At State High, Jane also found that she was surrounded by caring, supportive teachers. She recalls that her Advanced Placement calculus teachers, Mr. Dwight Mostoller and Mr. Mike Patrilak, invested extra time to help her master derivatives and integrals, which are essential skills for her career as an engineer and researcher. Both helped pave the way for her bright future. www.scasdfoundation.org
After graduating from State High, Jane received a B.S. from Penn State, an M.S. from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, all in Industrial Engineering. She went on to work for IBM and is now a renowned leader in the field of health and human services. Through her 38-year career, she has had the opportunity to work on a variety of challenging research initiatives and learn new industry domains. “Solving complex business problems from manufacturing, to travel and transportation, to energy and utilities, to healthcare and life sciences, all rely on the same underlying laws of mathematics and physics,” Jane says.
The talented and dedicated SCASD faculty afforded me many enriching experiences to learn and grow intellectually, creatively, and socially. I made many treasured and dear friends along the way. She has also been instrumental in laying the groundwork for partnerships between universities, businesses, and government agencies. In 2011, she joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg on stage to launch a New York City Urban Technology Innovation Center in partnership with Columbia, NYU-Poly, and the City University of New York (CUNY) for research in sustainable technologies. In addition, she and President Barack Obama announced an Energy Innovation Hub led by Penn State and a 23-member consortium for energy efficient building design and operations. Jane is currently the Associate Chief Health Officer in the Center for Artificial Intelligence, Research and Evaluation at IBM Watson Health, where she is responsible for the overall strategic direction and global leadership of designing, conducting, and disseminating results of rigorous scientific The Foundation | 13
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research related to Watson Health life sciences and genomics offerings. She also facilitates collaboration between IBM research scientists and academic institutions including Johns Hopkins and Vanderbilt, whose research is then published in academic journals and shared at conferences. Most recently, Jane led a corporate pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery core team to address COVID-19. She is passionate about her work and remains optimistic about the future of healthcare. She expects that artificial intelligence and precision medicine will help personalize diagnostics for patient, ultimately leading to prevention, earlier detection of disease, and improved prognoses. Jane resides in Connecticut. Travel and experiencing new cultures are among her many passions. “Last year I took a trip of a lifetime to Egypt and explored antiquities from Cairo and the Great Pyramids to Abu Simbel and Luxor, rode a camel, took a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings at sunrise, and cruised the Nile,” she says. When she’s not traveling, she enjoys swimming, spinning, attending concerts and theatre, or enjoying walks in the woods and the beach. She is active in her community and church and is a volunteer at her local homeless shelter. She also serves as a mentor at the high school, collegiate, and corporate levels. Over the years, she has provided guidance to university advisory boards — including CUNY, George
Mason, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Stony Brook — and not-for-profit boards ranging from iGiant to Intelligence and National Security Alliance Council on Technology and Innovation. The SCASD Education Foundation is honored to add Jane to the Maroon & Gray Society.
Notable Achievements Jane recently received the 2019 Achievement in Industry Award from the American Public Health Association’s Applied Public Health Statistics Section for outstanding contributions to statistics and public health. She was also awarded Best of IBM, one of IBM’s highest honors, shared by just 500 employees each year, for leadership of IBM Research’s Global Technology Outlook which became the company’s Cloud, Analytics, Mobile, Social, and Security (CAMSS) strategy and resulted in the MobileFirst product launch in 2013. Jane has also been honored with IBM Research Outstanding Technical Achievement Awards for pioneering work in Smarter Cities and Smarter Buildings. She is an elected member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, New York Academy of Science, and the Academy of Outstanding Engineering Alumni at the Georgia Institute of Technology. l
Update on 2020 Maroon & Gray Currently, new dates in the fall are being considered for the 2020 Maroon & Gray Banquet. Our volunteer committee that organizes this event understands that an alternate date may not be possible and is continuing to brainstorm other ways to celebrate our 2020 inductees. The committee and the entire Education Foundation board is grateful for your support for this annual event. Now in its third year, the Maroon & Gray Society Banquet has raised more than $100,000 for students, including $60,000 for new marching band uniforms and $50,000 for student mental health services. We look forward to celebrating with you as soon as we can and to honoring our Maroon & Gray Society Class of 2020! l
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Success for Every student
Making a Difference for Students through Centre Gives Thank you to the donors who helped the Education Foundation have its best year ever in Centre Gives, contributing a total of $10,695. This year’s Centre Gives event was one for the record books with 17,104 gifts totaling $1,839,143. In its third year of Centre Gives, the Education Foundation broke the $10K mark, raising $10,695 to directly benefit students and families. This year’s total will aid the district as it continues to respond to emerging priorities amid the COVID-19 crisis. The district has been providing emergency support to district families facing urgent financial strain and supplementing the efforts of our Food Services team as they work to feed local students. Donations totaling $100,000 (prior to Centre Gives) are making this possible. Also related to the COVID-19 crisis, the student services
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staff anticipates a significant increase in the need for mental health services in 2020-21, and the district will face major budget strains in the coming years. That’s why support for the Education Foundation is so important. Your tax deductible gifts are directly applied to areas where they are needed most throughout the district. All funds contributed through the end of its fiscal year on June 30, will be unrestricted and prioritized for these areas: emergency funds for families, mental health services and critical priorities identified by the district. Thank you to the donors who contributed through Centre Gives and to ALL donors who have supported the Education Foundation during this uncertain and difficult time. You are making a difference for students and families! l
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240 Villa Crest Drive State College, PA 16801
Be Part of the FOUNDATION News and notes on how you can SUPPORT SCASD students
Congratulations Class of 2020 WE ARE PROUD OF YOU
If you enjoy seeing how students and teachers are benefiting from your support for the Education Foundation, add your name and email to our mailing list! In addition to the FOUNDATION magazine, the Foundation keeps in touch with donors and friends through a monthly email featuring stories, photos and news on upcoming events. Complete the form on the Foundation’s website to make sure you’re on the list. Visit www.scasdfoundation.org and find the form on the homepage.
Make a Gift in 2019‑20
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Create new opportunities for students by making a donation to the Education Foundation online at www.scasdfoundation.org.
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