Silicon Valley Education Foundation

Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF), headquartered in San Jose, California, is a non-profit organization that creates resources and programs for students and educators in Silicon Valley in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.[4][5][6] The SVEF was founded as a result of a merger of the San Jose Education Foundation and Santa Clara County Education Foundation.[1][7]

Silicon Valley Education Foundation
PredecessorSan Jose Education Foundation and Santa Clara County Education Foundation
FoundedFebruary 4, 2008[1]
TypeNon-Profit Organization
Location
Area served
Silicon Valley
Key people
  • Muhammed Chaudhry
  • (President and CEO)
  • Tim Bussey
  • (Chief Operating Officer)
  • Manny Barbara
  • (Vice President, Advocacy and Thought Leadership)
  • Veronica Gonzales
  • (Director of Fund Development)
[2]
Employees
11-50[3]
Websitesvefoundation.org

Funding

Recent financials and funding

The SVEF's total expenditures in the 2015 fiscal year netted around $5,132,000. These funds were focused 78% on the SVEF's programs, 14% on fundraising, and 8% on management.[8]

In 2015, the SVEF raised more than $1.3 million for its purpose of expanding STEM education in the Silicon Valley. This money came from various donors, including venture-capitalist John Doerr.[9] Intel and SanDisk are also sponsors of the SVEF, among other corporations such as Adobe, Oracle, Cisco, and Chevron.

Past funding

Since its launch in 2008, SVEF has received support from large foundations focused on improving education in the United States and reducing the achievement gap.

SVEF has also previously partnered with ConvergeUS, a charity co-founded by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.[11]

Initiatives and partnerships

The SVEF has developed various resources available to school districts around Silicon Valley.

Elevate [Math] and [Science]

This program is a 75-hour, 19-day-long summer intervention program that focuses on preparing 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th graders for more advanced math and science courses, as well as offering teachers a 35-hour course for the development of their skills, which is based on Common Core ideals.[12]

iHub

This pilot program is a platform for entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley to propose various educational and technological products in order to improve education. The program allows students and teachers to provide feedback to the entrepreneurs. Collaborators and partners of this program include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stanford Graduate School of Education, and several others.[13] It is distinct from the iHub located in Kenya.

The SVEF also hosts the Learning Innovation Hub (iHub) Pitch Games, in which entrepreneurs present a product or business model, and judges ask them questions and decide winners. Funding for the competition comes from grants made by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[6][14]

49ers STEM Leadership Institute

This program was established in a partnership between the San Francisco 49ers, the SVEF, and the Santa Clara Unified School District. It is a 6 year long program for grades 7-12, which offers a college-preparatory curriculum that is focused on STEM.[15][16][17]

Teacher Innovation Grants

Sponsors such as Wells Fargo allow the SVEF to make annual grants called Teacher Innovation Grants (TIG)[18] to teachers in Silicon Valley who apply for this grant. Individual teachers are allowed to apply for up to $1000 for class projects or field-trips, whereas 2 or more teachers are allowed to apply for up to $1500. SVEF has made nearly $800,000 worth of grants for around 1,400 teachers.[18]

East Side Alliance

The East Side Alliance (ESA) is a partnership between 8 school districts in the state of California and Silicon Valley, which serves around 85,000 students. Partners and districts in the ESA agree to collaborate towards common goals, in order to benefit students. San Jose State University is also a member of this partnership, and students of member districts are hence given an opportunity for admission to the university by better fitting their standards.[19][20]

See also

References
  1. "New Silicon Valley Education Foundation Launched". John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  2. "Leadership". Silicon Valley Education Foundation. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  3. "Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF)". LinkedIn Corporation. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  4. "Silicon Valley Education Foundation: To transform Silicon Valley into a model for enhancing public education". Charity Navigator. June 1, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  5. "About Us". Silicon Valley Education Foundation. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  6. "Q&A: Muhammed Chaudhry, CEO of Silicon Valley Education Foundation". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  7. "Silicon Valley Education Foundation Launched, Receives $2.1 Million in Grants". Foundation Center. February 10, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  8. "Financials". Silicon Valley Education Foundation. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  9. "Silicon Valley Education Foundation honors venture capitalist John Doerr". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  10. "Silicon Valley Education Foundation Launches $3 Million STEM Initiative". Foundation Center. August 22, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  11. Switzer, Cody (February 23, 2011). "Twitter Co-Founder Pushes New Effort to Use Technology for Social Good". Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  12. "Silicon Valley Education Foundation arms middle-schoolers for college track classes". Knight Foundation. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  13. "Silicon Valley Education Foundation: to support the Learning Innovation Hub that will bring together entrepreneurs, educators, researchers and investors to pilot innovative products that enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. October 1, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  14. "Six EdTech startups named winners at the third 'Learning Innovation Hub (iHub) Pitch Games'". Silicon Valley Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  15. "49ers STEM Leadership Institute". Silicon Valley Education Foundation. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  16. "49ers STEM Leadership Institute". Cabrillo Middle School. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  17. "49ers Foundation to Launch STEM Leadership Institute". Levi's Stadium. July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  18. "Wells Fargo Teacher Innovation Grants". Silicon Valley Education Foundation. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  19. "East Side Alliance". Silicon Valley Education Foundation. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  20. "Innovating Silicon Valley Classrooms". Washington Square: The Stories of San Jose State University. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
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