Nevada Public Education Foundation (NPEF) has proven to be a real asset to the children of Nevada. The work of NPEF to create the Community Compact really brought key members of the northern Nevada community together in a way that has never been done before. The results of this incredible initiative are already coming to fruition and we are excited to see the long-term impact on our schools. I am proud to count NPEF as a strong ally with Washoe County School District as we move forward with our reform agenda.
The NPEF and its Ready for Life movement stepped forward in a huge way to support the Washoe Community Compact and its ME campaign. The Compact, a way for virtually all northern Nevadans to do something through their companies or individually to help schools, kicked off September 7th.The NPEF stepped forward with staff and management to make the Community Compact a reality. Laura Granier and her staff should be commended for learning about the Community Compact, immediately understanding the need and fulfilling it. The result will be more and more Washoe County youth graduating from high school Ready For Life. Many thanks.
On behalf of the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) I would like to express my sincere gratitude to NPEF and its outstanding staff for partnering with us in our Department of Education "GoToCollegeNevada" College Access Challenge Grant program. NPEF's partnership enabled us to bring 40 of our CSN faculty and staff out to 12 Clark County School District high schools and promote multiple career and technical education (CTE) programs and emphasize the importance of going to college to over 13,000 high school students and many of their parents. The successful project was wrirten up in the Nevada System of Higher Education newsletter.
Thank you again, NPEF. We look forward to working with you on future projects.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren Hioki
College of Southern Nevada
Academic Affairs
The foundation's role in brining together business, educators and students to discuss Nevada's Dropout Crisis which has l;ead to the Ready for Life initiative is invaluable to the State of Nevada. Keep up the good work!
The NVPEF has helped my school receive many needed technology upgrades that we would have not been able to access had it not be for their grants. We are now able to have such engaging items as activexpressions, ipods, and more computers in our own classrooms that allow children more opportunities to advance their skills and abilities. Thank you very much!!
NPEF's leadership in the Ready for Life movement has been excellent. They have been tenacious in stoking the embers of the fire long enough for the stakeholders to "get it". We are on the precipice of the Southern Nevada community taking ownership of Ready for Life Southern Nevada all thanks to NPEF. Their continued championing of this effort will be required for future success, but they are well able to meet this role.
I was first exposed to the Ready for Life Program when I was a Board Member of the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition's Committee on Youth. Ready for Life is a great program that helps reach those who have fallen through the cracks of the educational system. The people that work in this organization really care about their mission and approach their work with compassion and commitment.
Ready for Life is a collaborative cross agency effort that has brought awareness and knowledge to the state of Nevada. Through the utilization of educational, workforce development and service providing agencies, Ready for Life has placed statewide emphasis on closing the achievement gap and preparing Nevada’s youth for college and career readiness. Convened by the Nevada Public Education Foundation in 2005, Ready for Life is now statewide with grass root collaboratives in multiple communities with dozens of public and private organizations partnering to improve Nevada's high school graduation rate. As a national organization, The National Academy Foundation supports and applauds Nevada Public Education Foundation and the Ready for Life collaborative efforts and wins in this arena.
This public education foundation through its Ready for Life program has teamed up with the Reno area Council for Excellence for Education to launch the Community Compact which is already bringing out hundreds of volunteers to help change the culture of education and to respond in any way they can to support schools and/or other non profits help students move toward graduation and prepare for life.. The compact thus far has identified 17 sectors such as service clubs, businesses, fraternal and faith based groups, parents, law enforcement and the judicial system and provides specific tasks they can can commit to during the next year or more. This effort addresses the oft asked question "what can we do to help?' and recognizes the fact that teachers and principals cannot change or improve academic
achievement by themselves.
I am a 48 year resident of Nevada, twenty year resident of North Las Vegas and a twenty-eight year resident of Las Vegas. I am Byron A. Goynes, son of Theron H. and Naomi D. Goynes namesakes of Theron H. and Naomi D. Goynes Elementary School located in North Las Vegas. My parents are still living and we as a family, a village, are a dedicated education family. My sister, Kimberly Goynes is a Counselor at Arbor View High School and my sister Pamela Goynes-Brown is an Assistant Principal at Jesse Scott Elementary School. I have a cousin Cynthia Ireland who is an Assistant Principal at Cunningham Elementary School. And I am a licensed substitute teacher. We all embrace the Ready for Life movement.
Our youth who are educated and graduated and ready to learn are often ready to go onto college, graduate and become productive members of the Las Vegas and North Las Vegas communities. This organization believes in the ole saying “It takes a village to raise a child”. By connecting youth with adults and peers who “REALLY CARE” makes all the difference in the world. We whole heartedly support the Nevada Public Education Foundation.
Byron Goynes
I am the second of 3 generations that have attended public schools in Nevada. My parents did and my children now attend. I am a mt biker and started an annual ride across Nevada that other bikers may join. called Mountain Bike Nevada. The partial benefit ride asks folks to donate to NV public education on behalf of the riders. I have been working with the folks at NVPEF for two years now on ways to stimulate and increase donations to our public education system. NVPEF has been a cooperative partner in accepting donations and working with us to come up with new ideas. With their help we hope to reach and affect schools throughout the state as this event grows and develops.
NPEF has been a leader in organizing our community around the Ready for Life Initiative. Through RFL there are opportunities for all community members and systems to be involved in supporting our local youth. The business case document prepared by NPEF/RFL is a valuable tool for many other organizations in explaining our situation to funders, the public, potential partners, etc.
