may 2025 update
25-26 school year grants due next month!
Students in Hansen SPED teacher Denita Blount's preschool class enjoy the classroom's new boat and other items, which were made possible thanks to an Opportunity Grant. "As a result of being able to obtain and utilize the furnishings in the classroom, we saw huge gains in all of our students' learning, independence, engagement, and accessibility," Blount shared. "Thanks to the grant, the preschoolers were also able to utilize the furnishings to engage in increased social interactions and assist with self-regulation needs."
Cultivate student potential with a Foundation grant!
The application for Olympia Education Foundation grants for the 2025-2026 school year is now open to Olympia School District staff who work directly with students.
Looking to support a project to help cultivate student potential at your school? Review our guidelines, get your principal or supervisor's approval, then complete and submit a simple Google Form, available here.
Denita Blount, a SPED teacher at Hansen Elementary, applied for a grant during the current school year to better support the needs of students in her classroom.
"One of my students has an increased need for movement," Blount shared.
"Previously, it was a challenge to provide a safe outlet for this movement in the classroom. The first day the boat arrived and was present, he ran across the room, clapped his hands, and exclaimed, 'Oh boy!' Since then, each day upon arriving at school, he looks for the boat and sighs with relief when he can climb inside and take a boat ride. Being in the boat is a calming experience and helps with focusing and concentrating to complete different classroom tasks. The boat also creates an opportunity for social interactions with peers."
The application will remain open until 5 p.m. Friday, June 20. Applicants will be notified of the status of their request by mid-August, and funds will be made available by Sept. 8.
Requests may be made in any amount up to $2,000. (Exception: Browsers Books Grants have a limit of $500).
This is the first of only two application periods for the upcoming school year. The second will open Aug. 25, 2025, and close Oct. 24. Applicants will be notified by Nov. 14, with funds available by Nov. 24.
last chance to save on golf!
Deadline is May 18!
Registration is open for this year's Olympia Education Foundation Golf Scramble, which is set for Friday, July 11, 2025, at Capitol City Golf Club (with a 1:30 p.m. shotgun start). As always, it benefits our Principal's Emergency Fund -- and all of our work to cultivate student potential.
Early bird rates are available here until 11:59 p.m. May 18.
Sponsorships are also available at multiple levels -- and many include teams of four.
We look "fore-ward" to seeing you at the Olympia Education Foundation Golf Scramble this July!
free tickets available for osd students, staff and families
Join a community conversation about belonging and engagement
What does it mean to be an engaged American in today's divisive political landscape? How can we unite to restore hope, revive democracy, and foster a sense of belonging within a connected community?
Participate in an inspiring evening with Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University, and explore what it means to cultivate belonging, civic engagement, and shared responsibility in a divided world.
Drawing from his books, You're More Powerful Than You Think and Become America, Liu will challenge us to reclaim our collective power, rehumanize our politics, and move from isolation to community. Through thought-provoking insights and actionable ideas, this conversation will ignite hope and equip us with the tools to strengthen our civic muscle and build a more connected and engaged community.
The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound is making 30 free tickets to this event available to Olympia School District students, staff and families. If you're interested, please reach out to us at events@olyedfoundation.org.
shop at haggen now through june 3 -- and support students!
We are grateful to have been selected as a beneficiary of Haggen's 2025 Building Brighter Futures Together campaign.
Shop at Olympia's Haggen between April 23 and June 3, and you'll have an opportunity to cultivate student potential by making a donation to the Olympia Education Foundation at any of the store's check stands!
All proceeds will support the Principal's Emergency Fund, which allows school staff to immediately assist students who have urgent basic needs.