The Lawrence Township School Foundation has provided access and opportunities for Lawrence students for 40 years and recently celebrated its four decades of service.
Established in 1983, the foundation was built on a vision to provide students and teachers in the Lawrence Township district funding for programs not supported by tax dollars. More than $8.2 million has been contributed over the years, according to the foundation.
The resources and opportunities LTSF provide are made possible through donations. Throughout the year, it runs many programs that community members can donate to, such as LTMomsCare and the Honor an Educator program. It also hosts fundraising events for the community.
In March, LTSF celebrated its 40th anniversary during the There’s No Place Like Lawrence Township fundraiser. Attendance was an all-time high of 751 people. LTSF Executive Director Jenifer Gibbs said the net impact of the event was $45,000, the largest amount the foundation has ever raised in one event.
“It was an incredible, beautiful display of the power of community and their support of students and their commitment to excellence in education,” Gibbs said.
The program helps all children from preschool through grade 12. The foundation has a Year-13 program that works to ensure that students are prepared for the next step after high school — college, military service, etc.
One program that Year-13 offers is the Historically Black College and University Tour. Students enrolled in the program are given a glimpse of what higher education can look like. In early April, Lawrence North and Lawrence Central students visited Tennessee State University through the HBCU Tour program.
Gibbs said the program pulls resources together to provide students with basic needs and programming for hands-on learning experiences. The foundation also works to help fulfill the financial needs of students who would otherwise miss out on academic opportunities.
“We help bridge gaps between education opportunities and students,” Gibbs said. “For instance, if a student got an internship and needs scrubs and needs a scholarship or support to buy those scrubs, we have ways of doing that.”
Upcoming LTSF events include a 5K Prairie Dash at Conner Prairie May 20 that will partially benefit the foundation. And the foundation will host a golf-outing-themed fundraiser June 1 at the Old Oakland Golf Club in Indianapolis.
For more about the foundations and events, visit msdltf.org.
