A new educational foundation to support Westbury Public Schools was unveiled last week. Known as Westbury Rising, the not-for-profit foundation was established, independent of the Westbury Union Free School District, for the purpose of enhancing educational excellence for all Westbury Public School students.

Board members, school administrators and other supporters attended a reception announcing the formation of the foundation on Nov. 15, at Westbury High School. The reception was sponsored by Fleet Bank, and was very successful, according to Dr. Constance Clarke, superintendent of Westbury Schools. "I think it's a wonderful effort that's been started," she said, "And the members of the board of directors of the foundation are committed to really trying to help bring some additional resources to the school district."

The foundation is being spearheaded by a team of business, community, and educational leaders, with Thomas Mattone serving as president, Dean E. Bennett as secretary, and Edward McDougal, Jr. as treasurer. The board of directors is composed of Superintendent Clarke, Pless Dickerson, Dennis Goldensohn, John Iannucci, Mary Lagnado, Tiffany Lee, Tanya Oberoi, Gerald Osterberg, William Pastore, Fran Roberts, Steven Samowitz, Michael Spector, Marjorie Toran, and Sharon Troiano. Many of those involved have been members of the district's Business Council, which has provided students with mentoring and internship programs. The foundation is an outgrowth of that council.

"The purpose of the foundation is to give the Westbury School District another means of support," said Board Member Gerald Osterberg, expressing excitement about the endeavor. "We're sort of breaking new ground in Westbury."

As school districts throughout Long Island are faced with high operating costs, private educational foundations are being looked to as a means of raising revenue for programs, outside the realm of property taxes. The vision of the Westbury Rising foundation is "to enhance educational opportunities for the children of the Westbury School District by funding specific educational initiatives that support and enhance the district's mission."

Its mission statement is: To help transform the Westbury Union Free School District into a model of educational excellence by enriching the experience for Preschool through adult learners, funding the implementation of the latest technological resources and facilities, recognizing and supporting teachers and district staff, and strengthening community participation in the process.

Specifically, the foundation is hoping to raise private and corporate donations to help expand educational resources, increase opportunities for college, increase programs in literacy, and garner support to address a severe and growing shortage of instructional space.

The foundation has targeted four areas of programming in the district for funding, naming these areas "Centers of Pride." The Centers of Pride are as follows: BioTech/Research, Technology, Literacy, and Youth Development. In the area of Biotech/Research, the foundation wants to enhance the curriculum and laboratories that center on using the latest technological advancements for biological exploration and discovery. As for Technology, they aim to establish a state-of-the-art, multimedia lab that will provide cutting edge technology instruction, which will enhance students' ability to conduct research, experiment and solve problems utilizing industry standard equipment. For example, a student-developed website has been proposed. In the area of Literacy, the foundation wishes to enhance opportunities for students and their families to become lifelong readers, writers and users of technology. The Youth Development piece encompasses efforts to enhance athletics, character development, cultural enrichment, scholarship, mentoring, service learning, community service, and career internships.

Clarke expressed enthusiasm about the creation of the foundation, and about members of the community stepping forward "to support the youngsters, and to really support the agenda of the school district."

"Through the foundation's efforts, they can also apply for grants that perhaps the school district may not be eligible for," she added. "So it puts the community in a better position to leverage outside funds to support programs."

The new foundation comes on the heels of some exciting accolades for Westbury Schools - Powell's Lane School's recognition as a National School of Excellence earlier this year - which has highlighted the potential for excellence of Westbury's staff and students.

Now, the superintendent is optimistic about the potential the foundation has for bringing out the best in Westbury's students. "I think that if the resources are available, we can really provide more options for our young people. There's no doubt in my mind," said Clarke, citing, for example, new possibilities in bringing technology to the students. "The exposure to technology is certainly a vehicle for preparing them for not only higher education, but the job market too. So having another source to support those kinds of programs to prepare youngsters, is really I think, the way to go."

The Westbury Rising foundation is encouraging members of the community to be a part of this effort. Those who would like to assist in gathering support for the foundation may call (516) 876-5006 for further information.