LAPS FOUNDATION NEWS RELEASE

Since its inception in 2006, the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation has successfully worked to raise money within the community for the benefit of LAPS teachers and students. Now, LAPS Foundation has announced an exciting initiative to benefit the school district’s career technical education (CTE) programs.

Jennifer Guy, LAPS Superintendent and LAPS Foundation Board Member, is enthusiastic about the Foundation’s plans to invest resources in Los Alamos Public Schools’ CTE programs, stating, “We’re excited to be partnering with the Foundation to help so many different programs that fall under CTE. This is an area of major growth in our district and across the state with tons of new ideas. It’s a huge benefit for us to be able to focus extra funding in this important area.”

LAPS Foundation Board President Kurt Steinhaus observed, “The LAPS Foundation is committed to innovative programs that prepare our students for the future. This CTE funding will equip Hilltoppers with the skills to thrive in our rapidly changing job market. We are honored to partner with local businesses and non-profit organizations to expand options for our students.”

This new initiative is made possible, in part, by a contribution from the Los Alamos Housing Partnership, Inc, a 501c3 organization that recently dissolved after 30 years of service to the Los Alamos community. As part of this dissolution process, LAHP assigned its assets to the LAPS Foundation for the purpose of benefitting CTE within Los Alamos Public Schools. Jenny McCumber, Executive Director of LAPS Foundation, commented, “The mission of LAPS Foundation is to improve the quality of public education in our community and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to impact CTE through the generosity of Los Alamos Housing Partnership.

For years, the Foundation had been talking about the possibility of doing a big project in the area of CTE. LAHP’s donation will make this possible far beyond what we had hoped. We’ll still be fundraising in the community like we always have in order to keep doing all the important things we do and provide a wide variety of support to our school district, but we’re extremely grateful for this specific gift for CTE and the impact it will have on so many students.”

Karl Hjelvik, Past President of LAHP, explained that their organization felt it was appropriate to donate its funds and assign its notes receivable to the LAPS Foundation so that the money could be used to further help LAPS teachers and students by providing enhanced vocational training opportunities without burdening District finances.

Craig Wehner, former LAHP Board member elaborated on Hjelvik’s comments, stating, “I hope that the LAHP seed money contribution will be used by LAPS Foundation to attract substantial additional funding, so that the LAPS can enhance its construction trades and entire vocational training programs and by so doing, provide career paths for students who do not wish to pursue undergraduate and advanced degrees.”

Wehner, along with past LAHP Board member Carol Clark, have joined the LAPS Foundation Board of Directors to contribute their talents to LAPSF. As Clark states, “LAPSF’s vocational training initiative will provide an important opportunity for students drawn to careers in the construction trades to help prepare them for employment in their field of interest.”

McCumber added, “Not only did LAPS Foundation receive a generous donation for CTE in the schools, but we also welcomed two wonderful board members to our board. So part of LAHP and all the decades of contributions to our community will live on as we start this new chapter.”

About LAPS Foundation
The Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization that helps the local school district provide an extraordinary education for Los Alamos students. The Los Alamos community has given over $2 million to fund opportunities students and teachers would not have otherwise. To learn more about LAPS Foundation and how to get involved and/or make a donation, visit lapsfoundation.com or call 505.500.6501. Donations to LAPS Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization, are tax-deductible.