The Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF) is a non-profit organization that is devoted to enhancing the educational experience of every student in every school. Working in collaboration with the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD), the IPSF allocates funds and supports programs that are no longer funded by the state. County education offices, which have two or more beneficiaries in their county, receive funding to support the coordination of county-level government agencies, non-profit community organizations, and other external partners to implement regional community schools. The mission of the IPSF is to enrich the educational experience of every child in every school. To achieve this goal, the IPSF provides millions of dollars in funding to IUSD each year to support STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education, small group learning, extracurricular and summer programs, grants for classroom innovation, and support for mental health initiatives, sports coaches and school nurses.
The organization is also ready to continue expanding its funding for essential programs such as teaching music to all children, STEAM initiatives, strong extracurricular and summer programs, grants to teachers for innovative teaching methods, and funding for sports coaches and school nurses. In addition to providing financial support to IUSD, the IPSF stands out for bringing together local corporate and community partners, parents and residents to raise funds to advance student potential. The successful candidate will monitor and instruct students in enrichment activities for a new IUSD pilot enrichment program, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP). This exciting program is designed to increase the access of qualified elementary students to participate in enrichment opportunities on their school campus right after school and on certain non-school days (not on weekends).Under Neda Yazdani's leadership as president and CEO of IPSF, one of the nation's leading educational foundations, the organization has achieved tremendous success in strategically bringing together the business, parent and resident community to earn a reputation as California's premier educational foundation. Kim has worked in the education sector for more than 20 years, holding a variety of roles including as a high school teacher, administrator, instructor, and civic leader.
Lauren began her educational career as a science instructor and has served in a variety of volunteer roles in IUSD including as a board member of IPSF, a member of the PTA board, president of the PTA, and a board member of the Irvine Children's Fund. Community school strategies can be an effective approach to mitigating the academic and social impacts of emergencies affecting local communities, improving the responsiveness of schools to the needs of students and families, and organizing school and community resources to address barriers to learning. The IPSF tirelessly strives to fulfill its vision of providing first-rate education for all children and to ensure that public schools have the resources necessary to nurture and develop the potential of their students. Founded in 1996 by concerned parents and community leaders, the IPSF is an equal opportunity employer that makes career decisions based on merit. The organization has established partnerships with local government agencies and school districts in order to ensure that high-quality enrichment programs in critical areas such as arts, music, science, health and wellness, and mathematics are maintained in public schools.
