A Development Message

While the start of the 2021–2022 year was a bit uncertain, the zeal for community carried us through the year with joy. Thanks to generous contributions from our families, alumni parents, grandparents, faculty, and staff, $623,140 in total fundraising revenues directly supported our students and teachers throughout the year. The Annual Fund, EB’s largest fundraiser of the year, proved to be the most successful campaign ever recorded, with our community contributing an incredible $500,001! We’re so grateful for the exceptional generosity and commitment of our families who helped ensure we had the means to keep our doors open, programs thriving, and families connected. Special thanks to our fantastic co-chairs and volunteers who worked tirelessly to encourage 91% of parents and 100% of faculty and staff to participate in this critical endeavor. Although fall saw minimal gatherings on campus, by the new year, we were thrilled to bring back in-person events and give our families a chance to come together. We celebrated unity and individual stories through our first ever Lantern Festival, and felt our parents’ gratitude via a wonderful Teacher and Staff Appreciation event. Additionally, our students were thrilled to welcome back French artists for our Artist in Residence program. We closed out the year with a beautiful display of student achievement in our Spring Student Showcase and had a blast with the return of our beloved Place du Marché festival. Our first in person Gala since 2019 was everything Chic, alors ! and provided a wonderful opportunity for our families and friends to mingle, dance and enjoy a great night in support of EB. Guests contributed $72,800 total, with $32,950 devoted to our Fund for the Future, dedicated to Belonging in the World: Bringing Equity to Experiential Learning, a fund to provide hands-on learning and immersive experiences both inside and outside the classroom to all. To date, students have already benefited through interactive science experiments with Mad Science and the Lawrence Hall of Science, trips to the Redwoods, the Festival de la BD where French comic book authors spent a full day on campus, field trips to the Chabot Space & Science Center and a dramatic rendition of The Velveteen Rabbit, and more! Many thanks to our generous donors for making these experiences possible. Donations of time and talent are equally valued and we are deeply grateful to our dedicated parent volunteers, led by a wonderful Parents’ Association, who made all of these events possible. Through virtual workshops for families, parent affinity meet-ups in the park, and a whirlwind return to in-person events, our volunteers played a huge role in bringing our community together and reigniting that special EB spark. We feel so fortunate to work with such generous and committed individuals—thank you for making EB shine! It’s true what they say: it takes a village to raise a child, and in our case, a community. It’s thanks to each of you that our community has remained strong, unwavering, kind, and connected. We are honored to work side by side with you and look forward to what the future holds.

Mei-Lin Ha Byers Director of Development and Communications