EMPATHY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & PERSONALIZATION

This fundraiser is designed to help ISD 917 focus on our core values of EMPATHY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & PERSONALIZATION by raising funds to meet some of our students' basic needs, celebrate their accomplishments, and strengthen our family and community engagement efforts.

Funds will be used to support any/all of the following:

• Meeting students' basic needs in a personalized, equitable, and timely manner (i.e. - providing warm clothes and coats for winter, as-needed meals, school supplies)
• Celebrating our students! (i.e - celebration of academic and social-emotional progress and achievements, food at celebration events, performers, speakers)
• Engaging families and communities (i.e. - providing food at evening family/community events; bringing in speakers or programs)

Intermediate school districts play a unique role in the educational ecosystem of Minnesota, and we operate on a fee-for-service basis.  This means all of our funds go directly to operations and student programs, and we rely on donations for anything beyond that. 

Many district and charter schools have external foundations or parent organizations that raise and distribute funds for community events, special programs, et cetera.  Due to the nature of our district, that infrastructure does not exist.  Some of our students have long-term relationships with ISD 917, while others join us for short periods of time so we can help them develop the skills they need to be successful in a less restrictive or more traditional environment.

We know some of our students need their basic needs met before they can effectively engage in learning with their peers; we are incredibly proud of EVERY one of our students' accomplishments; and we wish to more fully engage our families and communities to continuously improve our ability to understand who our students are, who they want to be, and help them achieve their goals.   

Thank you for considering a donation of any size to Intermediate School District 917!

Empathy: Considering and respecting the perspective and needs of member districts, students, families, and staff

Personalization: Building on the strengths and addressing the unique needs of individual students

Equity: Intentionally providing opportunities while removing barriers at all levels of the organization

Diversity: Appreciating and valuing everyone's unique selves