Reviewed by: Sarah Gronberg
4 ways education in Birmingham is changing thanks to one local organization
Reading time: 5 minutes
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Have you met “Ed”? Best known as the Birmingham Education Foundation, this local organization is dedicated to creating important changes for Birmingham City Schools and the students families and communities it serves. Read on for four things you’ll want to know about this incredible organization.
1. It’s an organization devoted to Birmingham City Schools + the communities it serves.
Birmingham Ed has one main goal: increasing the number of students in Birmingham City Schools that are on the path to academic excellence and life readiness.
Here are two key ways they are making this goal possible:
- Listening to, working with and prioritizing the needs of the communities it serves to achieve goals.
- Providing a network connecting students and families with important resources.
“The Birmingham Education Foundation is a product of the Birmingham City community coming together and demanding excellence for the students of Birmingham. Fifteen years later, Ed stands at the intersection of education and community.”
Dr. Ashley Samuels, Executive Director, Birmingham Education Foundation
Discover more about the positive impact the Birmingham Education Foundation is having on Birmingham City Schools.
2. Their new Education Innovation Initiative promises BIG results.
As the 2023-2024 school year kicks off, so does Birmingham Ed’s Education Innovation Initiative (EII). EII’s wraparound services model aligns Birmingham Ed’s work with the specific needs of school communities.
EII chose Hayes K-8 on 43rd Street North in Birmingham as their Pilot School, the first to receive their services. Through EII, schools receive:
- Students with access to enrichment and holistic, wraparound services.
- The ability to connect with Ed’s Community Connector Network, which is composed of providers that connect students and families to services that address barriers to health, wellness and/or academic performance.
- Integration of Ed’s current programs that connect resources to families and communities across Birmingham.
Here’s a rundown of what Birmingham Ed’s EII intends to achieve for Birmingham City Schools, its students, parents and communities:
- Foundation and Engagement
- Develop a comprehensive framework for wraparound services that are not only effective but can be replicated across public schools.
- Achieve a net promoter score from partners, families and educators showing the positive impact of Birmingham Ed’s initiative. *A net promoter score is a market research metric based on a single survey question.
- Strengthening Partnerships and Family Engagement
- Strengthen relationships and engagement.
- Elevate net promoter scores across all categories—partners, families and educators.
- Scaling and Deepening Impact
- Expand reach by engaging a third and potentially fourth pilot school, extending the Education Initiative network.
- Strengthening Community Engagement
- Intensify efforts to engage the community by securing unique community partners to serve as EII Community Partners.
- Sustaining Success and Beyond
- Sustain achieved success and continue to refine approach.
3. They helped establish Birmingham City Schools first sensory room.
In April 2023, Birmingham Ed partnered with Coca-Cola United Bottling Company United, Rotaract of Birmingham, The Wilson Brown Foundation and Birmingham City Schools to open a KultureCity® certified sensory room inside Hayes K-8 School. This marks the very first Birmingham City Schools’ sensory room and will promote an accommodating and positive experience for all students with sensory issues, no matter their age or disability.
You can check out the sensory room in the video below.
4. Their Ed Day event welcomes all who support Birmingham City Schools.
On Thursday, August 31, Birmingham Ed is hosting Ed Day at Hayes K-8. At this special (and free!) event, they’ll show off the amazing work being done at Hayes K-8 and will connect students, families and teachers to resources, opportunities and organizations available to support and empower them.
“We are so excited to launch our Education Innovation Initiative at Hayes K-8 with Ed Day! We spent the last year diving deep with the Hayes community, building relationships and understanding what priorities they have for their children’s education.
We are so grateful to all of our partners, service providers and the Hayes community for trusting us to connect and bring them the services and support they need.”
Meryem Tunagur, Director of Engagement & Communications, Birmingham Education Foundation
The entire Hayes community is invited to attend as well as anyone in the Birmingham area interested in the success of Birmingham City Schools.
During the event, there will be:
- Dinner catered by AWW Shucks
- Free childcare
- A community partner fair with local organizations making an impact
- A prize drawing
Want to show your support for Birmingham City Schools? Be an Ed Day volunteer. To sign up, email Meryem Tunagur at meryem@edbirmingham.org or reach out here.
Ed Day Event Details:
- What: Ed Day with Birmingham Education Foundation
- When: Thursday, August 31 | 5PM
- Where: Hayes K-8 School, 505 43rd St N, Birmingham, AL 35222
- Cost: Free
Learn more about the Birmingham Education Foundation—visit their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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