The first annual Daddy/Daughter Dance was a great success! Thank you to everyone who supported this event. Together, $1,700 was raised for the Smart Board campaign!

Smart Board Campaign

Click here to see our YouTube video.

The Blue Ridge Educational Foundation is committed to raising at least $15,000 for 5 Smart Boards. The teachers wrote wonderful grants and will use these tools to bring Blue Ridge students into the 21st Century.

Thank you to the following:                                                         

Don and Carol Gardner       $100

Farmer City State Bank       $1,000

Maxwell Counters               $1,500

Subway                             $50

Budget Motel                     $100

Mitchell's Trucking                  $100

Rick Baker                                  $250

R. Voyles Enterprises, Inc.      $100

Ms. Carolee Perring                  $200

Gibson Community Hospital    $3,000

Including the proceeds from the Daddy/Daugher Dance, $8,100 has been raised as of May 1, 2012. Thank you to the Blue Ridge Community!

Click here to download the BREF Grant Application for 2012-2013

The Blue Ridge Educational Foundation is an independent, 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 2003 to enhance educational excellence for the children of Blue Ridge Schools.  Although BREF is independent of the school district, it works cooperatively with the school district to ensure that BREF allocations target school district needs.  BREF believes that strong schools are vital to building strong communities.  At its best, public education involves community partnerships - partners in learning.  The success ofthe schools and the communities go hand in hand.

We accomplish our mission through our grant programs, which provide Blue Ridge School teachers with the knowledge, experience, and materials they need to remain at the frontiers of educational excellence. Our grants finance educational opportunities outside the scope of the school operating budget and target areas such as innovation in curriculum and instruction, support programs, extracurricular activities, and professional development.

BREF is directed by a non-salaried board of community members and supported by contributions from residents and area businesses.  BREF donors and volunteers reflect the spirit of cooperation, generosity, and shared responsibility for the public education.

Mission Statement

The Foundation represents the community commitment to providing financial support that will enhance, supplement, and expand the educational opportunities of the students of Blue Ridge Community Unit School District #18.

Foundation Goals and Objectives:

To stimulate and enhance community pride and support for education. 

To assist in developing, maintaining and increasing the educational facilities and/or services of Blue Ridge CUSD #18, for better and broader service to its students and staff and to the citizens of the State of Illinois, by encouraging gifts of money, property, works of art and other property of value, and by such other proper means as may seem advisable.

To promote membership in the Foundation that reflects the community demographics. 

To determine the most appropriate expenditures of Foundation resources that willhelp to provide special learning experiences for the students.

Board of Directors

Since its founding in 2003, BREF has been governed by a non-salaried board whosemembers serve for specified terms. Assisting the Board in a non-voting, exofficio capacity is the Superintendent of Blue Ridge Schools. We also depend onvolunteers for help with our programs, events, and publications.

To ensure our programs are relevant and effective, we work closely with the BlueRidge Schools. The Foundation is a private, separate entity, however, and makes decisions...