The Salem Education Foundation (SEF) Board has formed a committee comprised of board members Wayne Atkins, Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez, and Tommy Barber to further the organization's commitment to funding career and technical training (CTE) opportunities for Salem High School graduates.

Over the last decade, Salem City Schools' Workforce Team, led by Wayne Atkins, has explored and developed opportunities available to graduates who want to pursue CTE training instead of a four-year degree program. Mr. Atkins, who also serves on the SEF working board, will chair the board's CTE Committee, and with Ms. Sizemore-Hernandez ('92) and Tommy Barber, explore how the foundation can assist students pursuing community college vocational programs, trade schools, or other technical training institutions.

With the collaboration of generous donors, SEF created a number of endowments over the last decade designated for graduates pursuing CTE. Recently, the SEF board affirmed a formal commitment to CTE assistance, which President Tommy McDonald ('90) stated "furthers the organization's forty-year mission to assist Salem High School graduates seeking post-secondary opportunities." The newly formed CTE Committee will set policy and procedures around three distinct SEF initiatives to support Salem students seeking to enroll in CTE programs.

First, individual or corporate donors may establish a named endowment with donor-established criteria by making a minimum contribution of $15,000. This opportunity is similar to SEF's existing CTE and four-year endowments. A private donor may decide to fund training within a particular industry or trade or fund CTE generally. The board will select candidates for these awards in the spring, prior to graduation, as it does with its four-year endowments.

SEF is also establishing a Community CTE Endowment that any individual, business or organization may help fund periodically, with a one-time gift, or with regularized donations through SEF's online giving platform. Interested donors can contribute to the SEF Career & Technical Education Endowment at the link above. The board will make awards from this endowment in accordance with policies set by the CTE Committee and approved by the Board.

Finally, an individual or corporation may make a contribution to support CTE on a one-time basis, in any amount, without an obligation to reach the $15,000 endowment threshold. The board will award these contributions as Salem High School graduates are identified throughout the year to meet requests for the board to cover training costs or the cost of technical tools needed to ensure a student's success in a particular field.

Please contact endowments@sefandaa.org to explore how SEF can best partner with you, your company or your community organization to further career and technical education for Salem High School graduates.

About SEF: The Salem Educational Foundation (SEF) is a non-profit educational fund that recognizes and rewards excellence among graduates of Salem City Schools. The Foundation maintains a nearly five million dollar endowment that provides about 120 unique scholarships for deserving Salem High School seniors each year. Since 1983, SEF has awarded more than $4.5 million to Salem students. SEF also recognizes Salem high school graduates who have achieved high professional success in their fields (SEF Hall of Fame), those who have shown an exceptional commitment to children in our community (SEF Champions for Children), as well as teacher recognition and awards.