In addition to Scholarships and Learning Improvement Grants, our Foundation also offers Student Assistance Grants to help students overcome obstacles to their success in school.  Annual allocations are provided to every school in the district, and to a district-at-large fund, to be used for personal and school needs. The Partnership seeks donations, bequests, or endowments to provide financial assistance to students and their families in North Thurston Public Schools.

Recently, we assisted a family who has three diabetic students. The family lives at the poverty level and have been dealing with the stress of an impending divorce. The North Thurston Education Foundation was able to help them with the registration fee ($50 for each child) to attend a weeklong diabetic camp.

“We were grateful to learn that the foundation would support us in sending these 3 students to camp if we were unable to secure scholarships.  It was a relief to not feel the pressure of telling the family ”no” if the scholarship fell through. As it turned out the scholarship came through and the foundation paid for the registration fees. A  win-win for all of us!” said Debbie LaFever, School Counselor at Lacey Elementary School.

Camp Leo holds summer sessions at Black Diamond Camp at Rainier to help kids and young adults overcome the challenges of living with diabetes.  Camp Leo offers:

• A safe camp environment
• Medically sound healthcare and diabetes management  techniques and practices to all individuals at camp
• Skills necessary to achieve good diabetes management
• An opportunity to people with diabetes to feel like the norm rather than the exception
• A collaborative, positive and unique experience for all campers and staff
• Opportunities to all participants to develop new skills, improve leadership, build self-esteem, and contribute in a meaningful way to serving their community
• Access to Camp Leo programs to any family affected by diabetes, regardless of their financial situation