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Posted: May 18, 2021 6:37 AMUpdated: May 18, 2021 6:50 AM
Bartlesville Education Promise Provides More Than $750,000 to Help Students Achieve
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Tom Davis
Bartlesville Education Promise, recently honored as one of Oklahoma's leading non-profit organizations aiding education, has invested more that $750,000 over the last six years in helping local public school students become more successful.
At Monday's Bartlesville Board of Education meeting, members of the BEP were recognized for their efforts and their honors they have earned.
Much of the BEP's financial support is directed toward improving reading skills in elementary schools and toward preparing middle and high schoolers for graduation and productive careers. Although the COVID pandemic forced some efforts to be scaled back during the current school year, in the previous year, BEP programs benfitted nearly 3,100 students while providing part-time employment to about 140 teachers.
BEP has been working with the Bartlesville School District to provide support for several summer programs. These include Transition Camps for 6th and 9th graders preparing for middle school or high school, virtual tutoring for elementary students who are challenged to pass a state-mandated reading test, and a Leadership Camp for 3-5th graders taught by the district's Gifted and Talente staff.
Funding for Bartlesville Education Promise since its found in 2015 has come primarily from local citizens, corporations and foundations. Subsequently, it has also received grants from two statewide non-profits that have honored BEP efforts.
BEP was recognized as Oklahoma's Outstanding Local Education Foundation by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in 2017. In April, BEP was honored by the Oklahoma Center for Non-Profits at its annual wards ceremony as the Category Winner for Education in 2021, which included a $7,500 grant.
BEP Chairman Martin Garber said, "Since its inception, BEP has rasied more than $760,000 to help students be more challenged and more successful in both the classroom and and during summer break." He added, " Our donors have been gratified by the way the school district and teaschers have embraced our goals."
Barber noted that out of the total funds provided, about $460,000 has gone to in-school programs and $320,000 toward summer activities. He also noted that BEP has not paid staff, so its administratives costs are quite low compared to most non-profits--amounting to about 7% of the toal funds raised, which is less than half of the administrative costs for an average foundation.
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