In conjunction with the August 2012 release of "Saving the School: A Principal, a Teacher, a Coach, a Bunch of Kids and a Year in the Crosshairs of Education Reform," we want to establish a new scholarship fund for promising students at Reagan High School
in Austin, Texas. The fund will honor the accomplishments of the students, teachers and administrators whose devotion rescued the school from imminent closure in 2010.
To raise a seed donation for the fund, we want to throw a fundraiser/book release party at the CTC Garden in East Austin.
CTC has generously agreed to help sponsor the event. We have obtained as donations the services of a bartender and two musical acts, plus all the rewards for startsomegood donors. And we have good leads on the food and beverages.
Our tipping point figures in $2,700 to pay for the party in case nothing else is donated. It's $700 for the rental with $1,000 for food and $1,000 for drinks, leaving $1,000 to start the scholarship fund. We estimated high on costs to make absolutely sure
we'll end up with at least $1,000 to start the fund.
$3,700 Tipping Point Goal
If we reach our tipping point of $3,700 we will be able to pay for the party, draw attention to the fund and raise a seed donation of at least $1,000.
If we reach our total goal, we will be able to donate at least $7,000 to a new scholarship fund to benefit students at Reagan High School.
To get a sense of the difference even a small scholarship can make in the life of an aspiring college student from Reagan High, we asked the school's college adviser, Emily McDuff, who provided
these figures:
$50 can get a backpack, school supplies for 1 semester
$100 can get 1 textbook, dorm supplies (bedding, etc.)
$500 can get textbooks for 1 semester, college orientation
$1000 can get textbooks/school supplies for 1 year, laptop computer
$5000 can get tuition for 1 semester, room/board for 1 semester
$10,000 can get tuition for 1 year, room/board for 1 year
In the years to come, we hope to award scholarships to encourage students who are the first in their families to attend college and who have shown their commitment
to attending college by earning college credits at Reagan.
