Gail Rothman, Executive Director

Each of us has potential. Whether we fulfill that potential depends on two things – personal effort and the circumstances of our lives. The Decatur Education Foundation works to help every child in Decatur realize his or her full potential. We do this by providing the support that helps fuel personal effort and by removing obstacles that stand in the way of our children and youth.

In any given year we see this idea brought to life in so many ways. We see it in:

The ear-to-ear smile on a child’s face as she proudly used her new eyeglasses to read a favorite book.

The strength and resilience of Decatur High graduating seniors who received Foundation scholarships – young men and women who shined during high school despite the obstacles they faced.

The enthusiasm and focus of kindergarteners at Clairemont Elementary in their very own TV commercial for lettuce – after their teacher participated in a Farm to School workshop at the Oakhurst Community Garden Project.

The sense of accomplishment of elementary school track club students who received their medal for running their first race, the Tour deCatur.

The emerging confidence of a Renfroe eighth grader after navigating the high ropes of an Outward Bound course with fellow students.

The ingenuity of a teacher who designed an after-school enrichment program for non-native English speakers to improve their vocabulary.

These examples and those you will see in the stories on this site represent just a fraction of what has been accomplished through the Foundation – thanks entirely to the generosity of individuals, businesses and other organizations.  The people who gave their time and money to help our children and youth realize their potential have much to be proud of.

We need our children to reach.  We owe it to them to help them.

We invite you to join our cause – a gift of any amount can make a difference in helping the young people of our community.

Believe in what our youth can achieve!

Gail