St. Johns County Education Foundation matches program funds to support local students and teachers
The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (Consortium) recently awarded Investing in Kids (INK!), $119,450.60 in matching funds through the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program. INK! matched the funds with $160,949.03 in local donations and grants to support two core programs: Five Learning Years (FLY), an early literacy intervention program, and the Tools 4 Schools classroom supply initiative. 
“We are honored to receive these critical grant funds,” says Cathy Newman, INK!’s Executive Director. “We are deeply grateful to Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate President Albritton, House Speaker Perez, and the Florida Legislature for valuing and investing in our programs and for their continued commitment to Florida’s students.”
Two Core Programs Supporting Local Teachers and Students
INK! has operated FLY! (Five Learning Years) for 11 years in collaboration with the St. Johns County School District and local school teams to support the district’s youngest learners in closing the literacy gap and reaching grade-level reading expectations.
Tools 4 Schools is a community-powered program that has provided classroom tools and resources to teachers and students across St. Johns County, free of charge, for over 15 years.
State Matching Funds Double the Impact of Local Investment
The Consortium has received legislative matching funds, which provide a dollar-for-dollar incentive for local education foundations to raise private contributions for eligible projects for more than 20 years. Since the program’s inception, more than $173 million in combined private and state dollars has been provided for local projects that serve students, support literacy initiatives, encourage STEM and career/technical education, increase classroom innovation, support teachers, and/or increase graduation rates. The Consortium is the membership organization for Florida’s school district-wide local education foundations. Established in 1987, the Consortium connects individuals, organizations, and financial resources to build the capacity and effectiveness of local education foundations throughout the state in achieving student success. In the last year, the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program:
- Saw an investment total of $17,574,275,
- $7 million in State allocation was matched with over $10 million in private-sector investment,
- 60 school districts participated, and 109 projects were funded,
- Participating education foundations serve 99% of Florida’s K-12 public school students.
To learn more about the Consortium and the program’s statewide impact, visit www.educationfoundationsfl.org.
