Foundation rallies community support for DPS CHAMPIONS FOR EDUCATION

ive years ago, Durham Public Schools

Superintendent Pascal Mubenga connected community leaders to take up the charge of creating a foundation supporting DPS. From there, educators, business leaders, community advocates, parents, and DPS alumni gathered to brainstorm new support that could help transform the district. From those gatherings and through conversations with families and the community, the Durham Public Schools Foundation was born. Now in its fourth year, the Foundation continues to ground itself in supporting DPS students, families, and staff to fulfill the promise of public education in Durham.

DPS Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that unites DPS school communities, public- and privatesector resources and community leaders around strategies to strengthen DPS schools for all students.

The need to support DPS students and staff is more important than ever, and DPS Foundation Executive Director Magan Gonzales-Smith says it should be a priority for all of Durham.

“Durham’s success is linked to the success of DPS, and our schools are at the heart of Durham,” she said. “Everyone in Durham, whether you have kids in DPS or not, has a role in supporting our schools. That’s part of a community goal for shared prosperity.”

Gonzales-Smith has dedicated her entire career to public education. However, her passion for supporting outcomes for students and staff was cultivated as a child.

“My dad is a first-generation college student, and he was the first person in his family to graduate from high school and go to college,” said Gonzales-Smith. “That informed my view of the world at an early age and informs my passion for public education as a way to create more equitable communities. Strong and equitable public schools are essential for having a strong and equitable community.”

From awarding grants to supporting school learning and family needs to scholarships for graduating seniors, the Foundation is making a difference.

Other initiatives include leadership development for students, staff, and families, and two whole school transformation efforts — the WHOLE Schools Movement, which focuses on mental health support for students and staff in direct response to the pandemic, and Bull City Community Schools Partnership, a school transformation model led by the Durham Association of Educators that is being piloted at three schools.

“I am most proud of how the approach to all of our work is rooted in what we hear from our students, teachers, families and schools,” said Gonzales-Smith. “As we hear what their dreams are for their schools, we can enable them to make those dreams a reality.”

DPS FOUNDATION’S WORK IS BASED ON THREE PILLARS:

1. Championing our public schools

2. Investing in our people

3. Fostering innovation and equity

For more information about the Durham Public Schools Foundation, visit bullcityschools.org and follow them on social media @bullcityschools.