SPIRIT OF PHILANTHROPY The LAS Impact Fund

By Aaron Deupree, English Language Acquisition (ELA) Teacher & Department Head

How can a school truly measure its impact on students? In my experience over the last twenty years here, I have seen LAS recognize that as a boarding school, we have an outsized impact on students because learning takes place just as much outside the classroom as it does inside the classroom. Learning also happens in the dorms, on cultural trips, in the art room, or on a mountain adventure with the Alpine Institute. With that in mind, expanding access to programs, learning experiences, and resources is critical to making the LAS experience as impactful as possible.

To this end, LAS has shifted the previous annual fund to an Impact Fund, with an emphasis on immediacy and transparency. Funds raised must be used within the academic year and every franc is tracked carefully as it supports specific initiatives so that students can benefit directly from the generosity of the LAS Global Family.

How are funds allocated?

The priority of the new Impact Fund is to put the request for and allocation of funds directly into the hands of the LAS faculty and staff, who build strong relationships with students and see their needs firsthand through daily interaction in classrooms, activities, and the dorms.

Several times per year, the Advancement team opens up a window for project funding applications and then a committee of faculty and staff from across all areas of the school reviews the applications, allocating the available funds according to need and what the committee members believe will have the greatest impact on students’ experiences. Regular and timely communication about how these funds are allocated, as well as follow up to ensure that funds are being used on the projects they were approved for, are an integral part of the process to ensure transparency and accountability.

For me, it has been an honor to serve on the Impact Fund Committee to oversee the process, support my colleagues, and ultimately understand the bigger picture of what we can do to help students get the most out of their time on the Magic Mountain.

What does the Impact Fund support?

The first round of applications this autumn elicited many fantastic initiatives, and the committee ultimately decided to support seven projects, allocating CHF 25,000 that had been raised in the Impact Fund by that point in the year.

Among the funded projects this fall were:

• Scholarships for deserving students to attend the Model United Nations International Conference in the Hague where students tackle real-world problems through discourse and debate, representing 193 countries of the United Nations.

• iPads for the new design classes to give students the resources needed to advance their ideas through creative and user-friendly technologies.

• Robotics equipment and software (Vex V5) for the new Innovation Lab in Beau Site to augment existing equipment that builds on our ICE (Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship) program.

Projects like these have enhanced the learning of current students through the imagination and commitment of LAS faculty, ensuring students have the best possible experiences at LAS.

How can the LAS global family support the Impact Fund?

The Impact Fund has already been a catalyst for new ideas and the excitement it has generated has already led to more giving from our LAS Global Family. As a committee member, I am personally very excited to review each round of applications and see what creative ideas are proposed and supported.

LAS faculty have answered the call to support the Impact Fund: over 75% percent have made a donation. This level of faculty giving underscores the deep commitment and belief that we have in LAS to deliver on its mission to develop innovative, compassionate, and responsible citizens of the world.

Donate to the Impact Fund

“ This year, with the support of the Impact Fund, LAS is able to bring its largest-ever delegation to The Hague Model United Nations Conference (THIMUN), where we represented Ukraine. Our delegation included LAS’ first-ever Student Officer (the Vice President of the Sustainable Development Commission), as well as two members of the THIMUN press corps. Thanks to the Impact Fund, we were able to bring several of our strongest club leaders who wouldn’t be able to attend without financial support.”

The Impact Fund puts money where it is needed most—directly into our classrooms and dorms. It provides immediate support that enhances the student experience. Make a difference by donating to the LAS Impact Fund at https://www.las.ch/las-advancement/donate