During the most challenging year since the Classroom of the Future Foundation (CFF) was founded in 1997, our organization overcame major obstacles due to the COVID-19 crisis thanks to the hard work of the CFF leadership, Board of Directors, support organizations and partners. But it was the loyalty of our six Premier Sponsors that proved to be pillars of support that helped us convert our 17th Annual Innovation in Education Awards from an in-person event to a successful virtual event on October 28, 2020. (Watch the replay video of the 17th Annual Event)
On March 16, 2020, San Diego County schools announced they would be closing to prevent the spread of the virus. As a partner with all 42 school districts, CFF pivoted by postponing our annual event scheduled for May 20, 2020. At that time, our sponsors could have decided to pull their support. But instead, they showed tremendous loyalty and confidence in our team to deliver on our promise to recognize some of the county’s most innovative educators, students, and programs at our annual Innovation in Education Awards. We especially want to recognize our six Premier Sponsors who stayed by our side during these challenging times.
COX COMMUNICATIONS
Cox Communications strives to develop and support various initiatives that impact people’s lives, with a critical focus on youth and education, diversity and environmental issues. They help enhance education through innovation and technology, bridge the digital divide, and encourage environmental responsibility. One such program is Cox Connect2Compete, which provides opportunities for families and students by offering low-cost internet to qualified households.
As a founding sponsor since our first Innovation in Education Awards back in 2004, Cox Communications provided funding for our innovation programs, sponsorship of our grant awards, event sponsorships, in-kind gifts in the form of public services announcement (PSA) ads, and leadership on our Board of Directors. In fact, one of the earliest examples of Cox supporting a CFF was in 2003 when their support helped us launch “The One-to-One @ School & Home” program in the Lemon Grove School District. It was an excellent example of how CFF and Cox Communications can act as a catalyst between forward-thinking school districts and leaders in the business community dedicated to improving educational opportunities.
We thank Cox Communication for your generosity over our long history together to support education in San Diego County and your sponsorship in this year’s annual event.
JACK IN THE BOX
Jack in the Box is dedicated to making a positive difference in the communities in which their employees, franchisees and guests work and live. One way that they give back is through the Jack in the Box Foundation. Established in 1998, the Jack in the Box Foundation is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that primarily supports causes that help at-risk children and youth. Some of their primary community partners are No Kid Hungry, March of Dimes, Junior Achievement, the YMCA, Rady Children’s Hospital, the USS Midway Museum, and CFF.
Jack in the Box has been an invaluable partner even before our first Innovation in Education Awards event in 2004. They have continuously given back to the San Diego County community with funding for scholarships and programs, as well as provided leadership with employee participation on our Board of Directors. Jack in the Box is a long-time co-sponsor of our High Tech Academic Achievement Scholarships, which helps underprivileged AVID students pursue a university degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM).
With almost two decades of support to CFF, we thank you for your commitment to our mission and giving back to students in need throughout San Diego County.
NORTH ISLAND CREDIT UNION
North Island Credit Union is a proud supporter of the education, military, and local communities. Together with California Credit Union, they have had the privilege of serving Southern California locals for over 85 years. Since the merge of California Credit Union and North Island Credit Union, they have brought their desire to serve the education community to San Diego – offering a Teacher Grant and College Scholarship programs to San Diegans. In addition, they award annual scholarships to college-bound high school seniors, community college students transferring to a four-year university, and adult students returning to college.
As a 2020 Premier CFF Sponsor, North Island Credit Union provided $20,000 to support the CFF’s mission. This year they presented our prestigious “best-in-show” Innovation in Education Impact Award to Cajon Valley Union School District (CVUSD) for its “World of Work” initiative. In recognition of the award, North Island Credit Union provided CVUSD with a $10,000 grant to help ensure its career development program continues to empower teachers, students, and families throughout their K-12 educational experience.
“We congratulate all of the outstanding educators across the Cajon Valley Union School District for receiving CFF’s Impact Award, which is well-deserved recognition of their commitment to bringing the World of Work initiative to life for their students,” said North Island Credit Union President/CEO Steve O’Connell. “This innovative program helps students find their unique strengths, interests and values, and identifies how they can be applied to a future career. CVUSD’s dedication to helping its students achieve life-long success through this initiative is truly a model for the future of education.”
The support and funding provided by North Island Credit Union is tremendously appreciated to help our shared goal of supporting educators, students, and districts in San Diego County.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) serves our county’s most vulnerable students, and supports school leaders, teachers, and students across the county. They support nearly 780 schools and more than 500,000 students, including the 3,150 children educated each year through the Juvenile Court and Community Schools. SDCOE provides a variety of services for the 42 school districts, 124 charter schools, and five community college districts in the county.
Did you know that CFF was founded by SDCOE over 23 years ago? In partnership with SDCOE, districts, and local businesses in 1997, our earliest success story was the construction of our region’s first “technology hub,” the Joe Rindone Regional Technology Center. This was and continues to be the center of educator capacity building and student preparation around emerging technologies in the County. Over the years, the SDCOE-CFF partnership has focused on the goals of providing relevant educational programs to school districts, accelerating student improvement, maximizing resources available to educators and students, plus providing college and career pathways.
We can’t thank SDCOE enough for all of the resources and support you’ve provided since our inception, and we look forward to working together to continue CFF’s mission: “To unite business, community, and educational leaders in creating innovative learning environments in San Diego County public schools that prepare our students to thrive in a competitive, global society.”
SDG&E
With roots in San Diego going back nearly 140 years, SDG&E has a long history of supporting community-based organizations dedicated to improving the environment, public safety and quality of life. SDG&E’s commitment to environmental education and stewardship, to the safety of local communities, and to inspiring the next generation of leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math is part of SDG&E’s mission to build the cleanest, safest and most reliable energy company in America.
In addition to being a founding partner of CFF’s Innovation in Education Awards, SDG&E has supported the foundation’s STEM programs and College and Career Pathways Initiative for over 20 years. Over the years, SDG&E has provided both financial support of our programs and leadership while many executives have generously served on our Board of Directors. In fact, the SDG&E CEO, Caroline Winn, is a former CFF Board Chair as well as a role model and advocate for STEM education.
We offer a special thank you to SDG&E for over 20 years of support to CFF and the San Diego community.
USS MIDWAY MUSEUM
The USS Midway Museum is a proud regional partner and community resource since they opened to the public in June 2004 and became one of San Diego’s most popular visitor attractions with more than 1 million guests coming aboard each year. They are dedicated to community service, just as Midway’s sailors were devoted to service in uniform.
CFF began its partnership with the USS Midway Museum over ten years ago in an effort to expand the capacity of the Midway’s education program from 35,000 students per year to 50,000 and beyond. Phase I of the partnership brought teachers together to collaborate with the USS Midway Museum educators on the design of new classrooms and updated lesson plans that would rely on interactive whiteboards. Phase II involved crafting the specifications of education technology for the four new classrooms and refurbishing the existing four classrooms. Phase III involved the installation and training of Midway educators to begin using these instructional tools beginning in September 2009. Phase IV, which is ongoing, brought another group of teachers together to collaborate on the offering of lessons in History and Social Science, including the use of electronic field trips. Phases V-X have focused on building out Midway University, or its suite of on-board educational programs, and bringing it to a greater number of San Diego students. In addition, for many years they have been a co-sponsor of our High Tech Academic Achievement Scholarships.
We want to thank the USS Midway for over a decade of support and being an amazing partner in our educational programs.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS
We are incredibly proud to have partnered with all of our sponsors to create a unique virtual event in 2020 that highlighted and provided recognition for some exceptional educators, students, administrators, and programs throughout San Diego County. We invite you to watch a replay video of the 17th Annual Innovation in Education Awards to relive the excitement from the event. Feel free to share any positive comments about the event, CFF, or our sponsors on your favorite social network using the hashtag #CFFSD in your post.
