Worcester County Education Foundation

2021 Annual Report

Fiscal Year 2021: July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021

Year in Review

Letter from Leadership

Mr. Raymond Thompson, WCEF Board Chairman & Ms. Olivia Momme, WCEF Manager of Operations & Community Relations

 

This past year, like many others, we faced new challenges from COVID-19. We took this as an opportunity to spend some time working on ourselves. We celebrated our achievement of raising over one million dollars, with that, we decided it was time to re-evaluate where the foundation's impact and make plans for its future. In doing so, we launched a massive strategic planning process that spanned 6 months.

The strategic plan for 2021 – 2026 was developed using the direct contributions from the Worcester County Education Foundation stakeholders, including parents, WCPS employees, donors, educators, community members, and the Board of Directors.

The most noteworthy development of the Strategic Plan was a massive rebranding of the foundation.

The new logo, mission, vision, values, and focus reflect the driving force of the foundation and our goals for the future.

In addition to our strategic plan, we celebrated our most successful Giving Tuesday to date, raising more than all previous years combined.

The Chamber Music by the Sea festival pivoted to a fully virtual festival and was attended by guests from all over the world.

Due to this success and grant funding, we were able to bring a brand new program into the classrooms- Visiting Virtual Artists. This allowed our students to interact in real-time with world-famous musicians, hearing their life stories, and asking unfiltered questions to understand how they achieved their dreams.

This year also saw the addition of 5 new board members to better represent all areas of Worcester County with their service and dedication to WCEF.

To all our donors, nonprofit partners, the Worcester County Public School system, and others who have let us share in their generosity, and on behalf of our dedicated and talented Board, we offer our sincere gratitude. Thank you for inspiring us and for joining us in creating a better future for our students.

Ray Thompson Olivia Momme

WCEF Board Chairman WCEF Manager of Operations & Community Relations

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Impact

Funding

  • Board of Education Requests

    The Worcester County Board of Education requested these funds to offset some of the costs of purchasing and running the hotspots that students needed to have access to the internet in order to attend school virtually.

    $45,000.00

  • Teacher Grants

    Grants were awarded to 3 northern schools, 2 southern schools, 2 central schools, and 2 schools that cover all areas of the county. In total, these grants would impact 2,041 students for the 2021-2022 academic year.

    $3,520.20

  • Additional Giving

    Worcester County Education Foundation purchased flat screens for the lobbies of all of our schools to help teachers spread important information to their staff, parents, and students.

    $18,367.57

Programs

 

Thanks to the generous support for last year’s Chamber Music by the Sea festival & the support of the Paul M. Angell Foundation, we were finally able to launch the Visiting Virtual Artists program. This allows us to bring prestigious musicians into the classrooms for our students.

This year we were able to virtually host 4 internationally renowned musicians in the classrooms for our students. They were not only able to get their own private performance, but they were able to ask the musicians anything they wished.

Not only were they able to get a private performance, but they were also able to hear the stories of the musicians rising from poverty, and despite the odds achieving their dreams.

2021 Artists

Elena Urioste & Tom Poster

The first Visiting Virtual Artist performance was on April 6th with the dynamic duo, Elena Urioste, the Artistic Director of Chamber Music by the Sea, and Tom Poster, the Artistic Director of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective. The Royal Philharmonic Society's 2020 Inspiration Award recipients Zoomed into Buckingham Elementary School all the way from London. Students created works of art inspired by the music.

Anthony McGill

On April 7th Anthony McGill, the principal clarinetist from the New York Philharmonic, Zoomed into Pocomoke Middle School. He shared incredible pieces on the clarinet, and even a peek into his childhood. He even spoke about the lead-up to Yo-Yo Ma asking him to play a piece with him for the inauguration of President Obama.

Weston Sprott

The final Visiting Virtual Artist was Weston Sprott, who joined Snow Hill Middle School students on Monday, May 10th. In addition to being an incredibly talented trombonist who plays for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, he is the Dean of the Preparatory Division of The Juilliard School.

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Above are some of the artwork inspired by Tom Poster & Elena Urioste’s VVA Performance at Buckingham Elementary School.

Events

Giving Tuesday

We raised more on this Giving Tuesday, than we had in all previous years combined!

 

Giving Tuesday is a national day of giving, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Through the Shore Gives More platform, WCEF is able to raise funds to help our students and teachers. This year WCEF raised $11,476.57 on Giving Tuesday from the contributions of 142 different donors.

Chamber Music by the Sea

 

Extraordinary times call for creative approaches, and Chamber Music by the Sea was up to the task!  While festivals around the world were canceling due to challenges posed by the COVID pandemic, Chamber Music by the Sea was committed to inspiring communities, enriching lives, and bringing people together through the universal language of music. 

In its fifth season, the Eastern Shore’s premier professional chamber music festival continued to delight audiences with world-renowned musicians in live-streamed events across multiple virtual platforms.  Although the format was slightly different this year, the festival’s superb musicianship, innovative programming, and opportunity to “mingle” virtually with the musicians all from the comfort of their homes.

Chamber Music by the Sea’s Artistic Director, violinist Elena Urioste, once again assembled a roster of internationally acclaimed artists who joined forces to present diverse programs with works by Grieg, Dvorak, Schubert, and Berlin’s own Lila Wildy Quillin, among others.  Urioste was joined by several returning festival favorites: violist Milena Pajaro-Van de Stadt, cellist Brook Speltz, and pianist Tom Poster.  New to the festival this year are violinist Grace Park and double bassist Xavier Foley.  This extraordinary group of young artists included recipients of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, Sphinx Medal of Excellence, and BBC New Generation Artists.

Thanks to the generosity of the community, Worcester County Arts Council, & the Paul M. Angell Foundation, this year’s virtual festival ran from August 18-22 and included three evening concerts, plus a free Saturday morning family mini-concert suitable for children of all ages, all streamed online.

In total, the festival raised over $31,259.41. These funds go towards paying musicians and other assorted fees, with the remaining proceeds going towards WCEF and the Visiting Virtual Artist program.

Leadership

Executive Committee & Staff

  • Mr. Raymond Thompson

    WCEF Chairman

  • Mr. Lou Taylor

    Superintendent of Schools

  • Mr. Gregory Shockley

    WCEF Vice Chairman

  • Mrs. Toni Keiser

  • Mr. Chad Vent

    WCEF Treasurer

  • Dr. Annette Wallace

    Assistant Superintendent

    Chief Academic Officer - Grades 9-12

  • Mrs. Susan Trimble

  • Mr. Todd Ferrante

  • Ms. Olivia Momme

    WCEF Manager of Operations & Community Relations

Board of Directors

  • Mr. Lee Chisholm

  • Mr. Bill Gordy

  • Mr. Bobby Hammond

  • Mr. Al "Hondo" Handy

  • Mr. Duke Marshall

  • Ms. Dee Shorts

    Assistant Superintendent

    Chief Academic Officer - Grades PreK-8

  • Mrs. Melissa Reid

  • Mrs. Carrie Sterrs

  • Mr. Chris Woodley

    WCEF Manager of Operations & Community Relations

Not Pictured: Eric Fiori, Sara Hambury, Kimberly Jones, Hope Palmer, Brian Shockley, & Jessica Scott


Strategic Plan

 

When the foundation was formed, it was clear that the future was digital, so the emphasis was on preparing Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) students to succeed in a digital world. Now, the possibilities are limitless, and we understand the value of ensuring that all students have equitable access to and benefit from high-quality education. We believe that the Worcester County Education Foundation is well positioned to utilize innovation, partnerships, and resources to bring programs to WCPS that build the necessary skills to produce self-sustaining graduates who are committed to both life-long learning and our community.

The Strategic Plan for 2021 – 2026 was developed using the direct contributions from the Worcester County Education Foundation stakeholders, including parents, WCPS employees, donors, educators, community members, and the Board of Directors. This plan invites active participation of all of our stakeholders as we build upon our strengths, address our weaknesses, and work towards achieving our goals.

The most noteworthy development of the Strategic Plan was a massive rebranding of the foundation. The new logo, mission, vision, values, and focus reflect the driving force of the foundation and our goals for the future. The new logo showcases the growth that comes from education and creativity, while reflecting the colors of the WCPS branding.  While the logo is the most eye-catching update, the expansion of the focus area to include science, engineering, art, and mathematics to the existing technology focus will be the most impactful.  

To date, WCEF has given over $210,000 to WCPS to support needs within the school system.  These requests included computer cases, carts of Chromebooks, iPads, mobile hotspots with service, and a robot for home/hospital distance learning.  Through the WCEF Teacher Grant program, over $22,000 has been awarded to teachers to bring innovative new programs to WCPS classrooms.  This has directly impacted over 7,600 students.  Additionally, over $500,000 has been placed in an endowment to help fund future endeavors and continue the foundation’s work towards their vision while maintaining sustainability.

Mission

Our mission is to enhance achievement, both inside and outside of the classroom, and prepare each Worcester County Public School student, for current and future success through the effective utilization of innovation, relationships, and resources.

Vision

Our vision is to maximize community investment in WCEF to insure that each WCPS student will be fully prepared for life after graduation.

Donors

Thank You

WCEF would not be where they are today without the kindness of all of these individuals here. Their generosity allows us to continue to support our WCPS students.

 

100,000 +

Mr. & Mrs. Macky Stansell

Calvin B. Taylor Bank

25,000 - 50,000

Mr. & Mrs. Jon Tremellen

Harrison Group

Bank of Ocean City

Humphrey's Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Everette Johnson

Mr. & Mrs. Billy Esham

Owen/Fulton Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Clarke

10,000-24,999

Samual R & Evelyn Coffin Memorial

Mr. & Mrs. Bill Gibbs

Oak Contracting Builders

First Shore Federal

Mr. & Mrs. Peck Miller

Delmarva Irish American Club

Mr. Jack Burbage

Mr. Donald Hastings

Robert Lee Smith Foundation

M & T Charitable Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Todd Ferrante

5,000-9,999

Dr. & Mrs. Susan Vickers

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Harrigan

Ms. Sara Thompson

Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Thompson

Mr. Richard Holland

Atlantic General Hospital

Peninsula Regional Medical Center

Becker Morgan Group

Mr. & Mrs. Jim Perdue

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2021 Financial Snapshot

Funds Accumulated

Employee Giving: $9,588.00

Giving Tuesday: $11,476.57

Pledged Received: $26,000.00

Chamber Music by the Sea: $31,259.41

Miscellaneous Donations: $6,252.41

 

Funds Disbursed

Worcester County Board of Education Request: $45,000.00

Teacher Grants: $3,520.00

Operations: $3,434.91

Visiting Virtual Artists: $3,000.00

Additional WCPS Giving: $18,367.00

Chamber Music by the Sea: $12,850.00