Barry Hollis , President GSF

Green Schools Foundation was formed 16 years ago on the principle that the success of our local schools should be a shared responsibility. 

 In 1992, the Foundation provided its first student scholarship – a single $500 award – and $5,000 in classroom grants.  Since then, our organization has provided more than $150,000 in direct financial support to students of Green Local Schools.  This growth has been made possible by the enthusiastic support of our members and contributors. 

 We are proud of our past and we want to take steps right now to ensure our future.   Recently, the Foundation board conducted a day-long retreat designed to help us better understand how to continue helping meet the growing needs of our schools.  The result, in part, was a stronger, more focused mission:  To promote academic excellence in the Green Local Schools.

 We will do this in the following ways:

• Ensuring we have the right operating structure to be efficient and effective

• Expanding our scholarship and grant programs to offer larger awards to more students

• Working with other local organizations to make sure our efforts complement each other for the most positive impact on our community, and

• Increasing our visibility within Green so that more people know what we do and why we do it.

Finally, we decided that it’s time to lay the groundwork for an endowment fund.  This will ensure the long-term viability of the Foundation and make the most of the resources our community so generously provides.   I plan to head up this effort, and assure you that you’ll be hearing more about it in the coming months and years.  We have big dreams for our schools and our students.  And, I am confident that our community can meet this challenge and help us make these dreams a reality. 

As always, thank you for your support of the Green Schools Foundation.