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Our Programs

The San Francisco Education Fund’s programming focuses on one goal: improving student success in San Francisco public schools. Because no single effort can yield the results we seek, the Education Fund utilizes a multi-faceted approach focused on teachers, volunteers, students, and strategic partnerships. The Education Fund’s ongoing research, policy and public engagement work spans all of our program areas.

Educators

• Leadership and Professional Development Grants. Competitive grants made to teams of teachers that focus on a specific issue, such as improving literacy, at their school. Teacher teams are trained to use student data to inform their work and are provided with on-site coaching throughout the yearlong grant. Learn more.
• Urban Teacher Residencies (currently under development). Aspiring teachers integrate their master’s level course work with an intensive, full-year classroom residency alongside an experienced mentor. In their second year, these residents become teachers with their own classrooms while continuing to receive intensive mentoring. Learn more.

Volunteers

• Individuals. Volunteers’ skills and interests are matched with teacher requests for help in their classrooms for a minimum of one hour per week for a semester. Opportunities to help include one-on-one and small group tutoring, Spanish or Cantonese interpretation, career speakers and enrichment activities such as art, music, gardening and sports. Individuals who cannot make a semester-long commitment can sign up to volunteer for special events. Learn more.
• Businesses. Allies for Education businesses develop formal relationships with individual schools and implement customized activities that utilize the business’ skills and resources to help schools reach their goals. Employees volunteer as a group on a weekly, monthly or bi-monthly basis. Businesses can also sign up to help with one-time events, special projects or in-kind donations. Learn more.

Students

• Peer Resources. Middle and high school students explore issues facing youth today through fun, interactive strategies that build safety, confidence and skills. Young leaders then help their peers and create positive change around these issues at their schools and in the larger community. Learn more.
• Service Learning. Elementary, middle and high school students participate in a variety of community service and service learning activities. Teachers are offered training on successfully implementing a service learning curriculum. Learn more.

Partners

• Citi Postsecondary Success Program (currently under development). A Citi/Public Education Network-sponsored partnership that provides 1,500 low-income, first generation students in San Francisco public schools with services and resources to attain college or career success. Students are supported at the beginning of high school through the completion of one or two years of college or career studies. Learn more.
• Permanent Campaign. A coalition of organizations that devote their work, resources, and passion to the improvement of San Francisco's public schools, the Permanent Campaign brings together different facets of the community to work toward the goal of ensuring a quality education for the city's children. Learn more.
  
• New Day for Learning. The Education Fund is partnering with New Day for Learning, a national initiative for learning that builds on a foundation of core academics by leveraging community resources to incorporate strategies such as hands-on learning, working in teams and problem solving. Learn more.

Research, Policy and Public Engagement

• Analyzing Teacher and Student Data. Data analysis on pressing issues such as student achievement, teacher recruitment and retention, and professional development informs our ongoing policy development work and is used to build awareness of the challenges facing our public schools and generate public will to make needed reforms. Learn more.
• Creating a Framework for Professional Development. As co-convener with the San Francisco Unified School District, the Education Fund brought together district stakeholders and experts in the field of professional development to begin designing a comprehensive professional development framework that supports the goals and objectives of the district’s strategic plan. The Education Fund participates in the ongoing effort to fully implement the framework. Learn more.
• Thank A Teacher Today Campaign. An annual public call to action that encourages all San Franciscans to thank our public school teachers for their professionalism, dedication, and work on behalf of our City’s young people. The Education Fund is joined by Mayor Newsom, Superintendent Garcia and more than 30 community-based organizations that come together each May to promote the campaign. Visit the Thank A Teacher Today website.