COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORT SUPPORTS
ENDOWMENT FUNDRAISING TARGET OF $2M BY 2023.
Burlingame Community for Education Foundation (BCE) Endowment Council is proud to announce a series of community outreach and educational events that serve to build the health and well being of the Burlingame community and its public schools. BCE has recently launched two free community event series- the Investing in the Future of Burlingame Speaker Series and the Financial Literacy Series aimed at engaging 6th through 8th Grade students and their families to learn how banks work, how money works and how to save and spend wisely. The inaugural event in the Financial Literacy series was yesterday, February 10, 2021 with an overwhelming community response of over 110 registrants and two premier sponsors: Grupology and First Republic Bank.
In recent national surveys, only 40% of respondents said they have a budget and keep track of their finances, and nearly 20% say they spend more than they earn. Data also shows that there is a gap in financial literacy among low-income backgrounds, and with 12% of our Burlingame students from low socio-economic households and many more struggling to make ends meet during a difficult financial time in our district, the sessions could be especially impactful.
“The Financial Literacy Series is a small sampling of the educational enrichment that’s provided through financial support from BCE,” said Matt Potter, Endowment Trustee. “Financial literacy is all about acquiring knowledge, proper behavior and confidence regarding money. We get to highlight those elements as we manage the BCE Endowment by balancing saving, investing and spending.”
The Financial Literacy Series is a virtual event delivered by Grupology, a family-owned Burlingame business that creates engaging and fun content designed to draw in kids with an open, fun and collaborative approach to a topic that is not normally addressed in school. ”Grupology designs educational experiences for kids K-8 with programs that inspire creative thinking, promotes applied learning and empowers a diverse workforce” said Rosy Cohen, Founder, Grupology. “We are proud to partner with the BCE Endowment to bring this important educational program to our community and present our kids with the skills they will need to help secure their financial future.”
“We registered our son Christopher to expose him to a topic that was important for his future. We are thankful for BCE to have brought this program forward for our kids,” said John Dokoza, a Burlingame parent. His son Christopher Dokoza went on to say: “I wasn’t sure what to expect but I really liked how the teacher made the session fun and interesting.”
Though BCE was founded almost 40 years ago, the BCE Endowment Fund is relatively new and differs from the BCE Annual Campaign. The endowment’s principal is invested and its earnings support the BCE annual grant. The Endowment, when added to the Annual Campaign effort, would provide greater financial stability in perpetuity for our schools. To make a donation to BCE Endowment, go to www.BCEendowment.org.
More About the Burlingame Community for Education Foundation
Burlingame Community for Education Foundation (BCE) is a volunteer fundraising organization that helps Burlingame School District (BSD) sustain and enhance an exceptional public education for all TK-8 students. Working together with parents, the school district, and community, we provide BSD with financial resources to create a rich and inspiring education for our children beyond what is possible with public funds. BCE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit benefit corporation.
