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SUPPORTING
INNOVATIVE
LEARNING
in Beaufort County Public Schools
The Foundation for Educational Excellence seeks and sustains county-wide charitable and educational resources that support the mission and goals of the public schools of Beaufort County, SC.
News from the Foundation


Empowering New Teachers: Foundation Awards Grants Across Beaufort County
Left to Right: Dr. Roger Ward (H.E. McKracken Middle School Principal), Leslie Eastman (H.E. McKracken Middle School ELA teacher), Carole...
Mar 17


FIRST AND SECOND YEAR TEACHERS - THE FOUNDATION WANTS TO HELP YOU BUILD YOUR TOOLKIT!
Deadline has been EXTENDED until Friday, Feb. 14th. In 2024 the Foundation Board had the privilege of awarding $500 grants to first and...
Jan 15


FOUNDATION AWARDS 16 INNOVATIVE GRANTS FOR B.C.S.D. TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
BEAUFORT CO., S.C. – The Foundation for Educational Excellence announced funding for 16 grants to teachers and schools throughout the...
Nov 22, 2024


Learning to Code at Beaufort Middle
Amy Trask, the Librarian at Beaufort Middle School, dreamed of a creative way to teach the valuable skill of coding to her students. Her...
Sep 12, 2024


“Sewing” Seeds for a Lifelong Passion at St. Helena Elementary
Teaching sewing skills to children has the ability to spark a love of sewing that can last a lifetime. Aimee Wieler, Art teacher at St....
Aug 20, 2024


Lego Wall Construction at Mossy Oaks Elementary
Kids LOVE Lego! And Steam Lab Teacher at Mossy Oaks Elementary School, Amanda Freeman wanted to use this love of Lego in a learning...
Aug 14, 2024


Developing a Love of Music at Hilton Head Island Elementary School
Everyone knows that making music is fun, but music education also provides a myriad of benefits to your brain, physical and mental...
Jul 17, 2024


Origami in a Makerspace at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy
Rhonda Doherty, Media Specialist at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, was looking for a fun and creative way to enhance story time for...
Jul 1, 2024


Foundation Successfully Gains Traction for Personal Finance Course in Beaufort County Schools
The Foundation started a new initiative in 2022 with a desire to see a personal finance course in the Beaufort County schools. And that’s...
Jun 19, 2024


Gaga Ball Grant Promotes Cross Curriculum Learning at HHI School for Creative Arts
Students at Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts are going “Gaga for Fitness” thanks to a grant from the Foundation funded in...
May 21, 2024


Strawbees Help Develop Problem Solving Skills at Okatie Elementary School
Lisabeth Webber has enjoyed teaching Computer Science for the past 3 years at Okatie Elementary School. But she has noticed something in...
May 10, 2024


Artist Amiri Farris Brings Gullah Art to Schools in Beaufort with a Foundation Grant
Instilling a sense of pride in students for their local history, art, and culture is best accomplished through hands-on learning! And...
Apr 2, 2024


18 GRANTS AWARDED TO NEW TEACHERS ACROSS BEAUFORT COUNTY
Did you know that each year in Beaufort County there are hundreds of first and second year teachers across the district? It’s tough...
Mar 18, 2024


“LET’S ROCK! FOR INNOVATIVE EDUCATION” CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Springtime Friday nights on Hilton Head are best spent listening to LIVE music. If you are local then you have probably heard of the...
Feb 27, 2024


Foundation Seeks Business Sponsorships for “Let’s Rock! For Innovative Education” Concert
The Foundation for Educational Excellence would love for you to join us for an evening of great music and fun at the “Let’s Rock! For...
Jan 31, 2024


CALLING ALL BEAUFORT COUNTY FIRST AND SECOND YEAR TEACHERS…LET THE FOUNDATION HELP YOU BUILD YOUR TOOLKIT!
One of the highlights of 2023 for the Foundation Board was awarding $500 grants to (10) first and second year teachers across Beaufort...
Jan 9, 2024


FOUNDATION AWARDS 19 GRANTS TO LOCAL TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
BEAUFORT CO., S.C. – The Foundation for Educational Excellence awarded 12 Innovative Teacher Grants and 7 School Resource Grants this...
Nov 17, 2023


APRIL BRYANT HONORED WITH “ABOVE & BEYOND” AWARD
On October 25, members of The Foundation for Educational Excellence Board presented the 2023 Beaufort County School District Teacher of...
Oct 25, 2023


From hospitality to health care, a Lowcountry ‘inspiration’
Opinion BY DAVID LAUDERDALE Originally printed in The Island Packet on OCTOBER 22, 2023 Laura Bush of Bluffton quite literally got her...
Oct 24, 2023


Building Confident Readers Beginning in Kindergarten at M.C. Riley Early Education Center
One of the Beaufort County School District’s Core Beliefs is that “Early childhood learning experiences form the foundation of future...
Oct 4, 2023


Spanish Brought to Life at Hilton Head Island Middle School
Students in Irma Rameizl’s Spanish classes at Hilton Head Island Middle School had the opportunity to enhance their Spanish skills...
Sep 26, 2023


Okatie Elementary Students Excited by Electricity
Bree Lauffer’s third and fourth grade students at Okatie Elementary have always been excited to learn about electricity. But studying...
Sep 22, 2023


Italian American Club: Tickets Available for the Italian Heritage Festival to support the Foundation
The grants provided by the Foundation to the schools of Beaufort County wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of so many...
Sep 18, 2023


Coding with Robots at Battery Creek
With technology infiltrating every part of our daily lives, it is a valuable skill to teach students what the building blocks of this...
Aug 31, 2023


Instilling a Love of Poetry at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy
Through the generosity of the Bargain Box of Hilton Head and a grant from the Foundation, Eve Weaver’s fourth grade students at Robert...
Aug 21, 2023


Practicing Mindfulness & Meditation at Whale Branch Elementary
Peace and tranquility were achieved in the second grade classroom of Ms. Kendra Coffey at Whale Branch Elementary School thanks to a...
Aug 16, 2023


Building Imaginations at Robert Smalls International Academy
“I think imagination is at the heart of everything we do. Scientific discoveries couldn’t have happened without imagination. Art, music,...
May 25, 2023


Students at Hilton Head Island Elementary Learn to “Train their Brains”
How do you take a seemingly “old fashioned” mode of transportation and incorporate it with modern day technology to create a hands-on...
May 16, 2023


It’s Never Too Early to Teach Computer Science
“We often think of computer science as just using computers, but computer science involves much more than that,” explains Lizabeth...
May 3, 2023


“LET’S ROCK!” CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Live music. Community. A great cause. An anniversary celebration. What more could one event offer? The upcoming “Let’s Rock!” concert is...
Mar 29, 2023


Foundation Awards Grants to Help Build Teachers’ Toolkits
SURPRISE! The Board of Directors for the Foundation for Educational Excellence recently had the distinct pleasure of presenting $500...
Mar 15, 2023


Toolkits for Teachers
The Foundation For Educational Excellence launched a new initiative in late 2021 titled “Helping Build A Teacher’s Toolkit.” It was...
Dec 21, 2022


Dr. Wayne Carbiener "Above and Beyond" Award presented to Dr. Laverne Stewart, Language Arts Teacher
In November, the Foundation for Educational Excellence was honored to present the Dr. Wayne Carbiener "Above & Beyond" Award to Dr....
Nov 16, 2022


Foundation Awards 24 Grants to Local Teachers and Schools
The Foundation for Educational Excellence awarded 20 Innovative Teacher Grants and 4 School Resource Grants this week to teachers across...
Nov 14, 2022


Friends of Callawassie Island Supports Foundation
In addition to many individual donors, the Foundation for Educational Excellence partners with various local organizations to obtain the...
Nov 10, 2022


Generosity on Display: The Bargain Box of Hilton Head Helps Make Projects a Reality
The Bargain Box of Hilton Head has been a valued and dedicated longtime supporter of the Foundation for Educational Excellence. Through...
Oct 17, 2022


Go Fish: Exploring the Impacts of Fish on a Hydroponic Lab
Students in pre-K through fifth grade at Okatie Elementary got hands on experience developing their scientific inquiry skills through a...
Sep 21, 2022


In The Media: Lauderdale Lauded for Contributions to our Community
From the Bluffton Sun - Foundation for Educational Excellence Honors Veteran Newsman With Peggy May Inspiration Award By: Barry Kaufman...
Sep 10, 2022


Teaching Personal Finance at Beaufort High School to “Live Like No One Else”
One of the Foundation’s newest initiatives involves preparing high school students for lifelong financial freedom. Through a program...
Aug 3, 2022


“Sand, Sand Everywhere!” Helps Students Learn Their ABCs in a Creative Way
Writing your ABC’s is a fundamental skill that many students master in their first year of school. But doing so in a way that keeps their...
Jul 21, 2022


Creating a Carolina Fence Garden
Bluffton Middle School teacher, Heidi McAllister, along with her students were able to create a Carolina Fence Garden at the school this...
Jul 13, 2022


Full STEAM Ahead with LEGOS
LEGOS - one of the most popular toys for children of all ages worldwide. So when trying to solve the challenge of making learning fun…why...
Jul 5, 2022


Students Learn About Our Impact On the Earth Through “The Wildcat Compost Zone”
Bluffton Elementary relaunched the school’s Garden Based Learning (GBL) program this past school year under the direction of Laura...
Jun 28, 2022


Rotary Club of Okatie Makes Generous Contribution
The Foundation is SO THANKFUL for our generous contributors…many have been supporting the Foundation for numerous years. Recently, the...
Jun 17, 2022


“Throwin’ Clay in the Art Room” Teaches Students the Process of Making Pottery
Red Cedar Elementary School students got an exciting new addition to their art room this year thanks to the vision of their teachers,...
Jun 13, 2022


Can You Hear Me Now? Project Teaches Lifesaving Skills
The Foundation for Educational Excellence is thrilled to award grant money to a variety of projects with varying goals. But the recent...
Jun 1, 2022


“In a Pickle” New Pickleball Court Excites Students on Hilton Head
The fastest growing sport in America is now available to the students at Hilton Head Island Elementary School for the Creative Arts...
May 24, 2022


The Science of Tuning a Guitar
One of the greatest joys of the grant giving process is hearing the results of the projects that impact the students of the Beaufort...
May 5, 2022


Bargain Box Supports Recent Grants
The Foundation For Educational Excellence is pleased to announce that the Bargain Box of Hilton Head Island recently gave a new financial...
Jan 18, 2022


Foundation Awards Over $26,000 in Grants to Beaufort County Teachers
This year, perhaps more than ever, teachers are looking for creative and innovative ways to bring learning to LIFE in their schools and...
Nov 24, 2021
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