Photo description: North Eugene High School art students and teacher receive a big check

Eugene, OR – February 2024

The Ceramics Guild at North Eugene High School has launched! It’s one of 55 classroom and district projects the Eugene Education Foundation has funded for 2023-24. This year EEF grants totaling $148,171 will help make learning happen for students throughout Eugene School District 4J.

EEF Grantee Spotlight: Amy Samson, North Eugene High School

North Eugene High School has a thriving arts community, reports art teacher Amy Samson. To encourage her students’ leadership skills and give them a practical way to focus their artistic creativity on the future, Samson applied for an EEF grant for a dream project.

Reinventing the Guild Model for Ceramics at NEHS received a $4,064 grant to expand the ceramics program from a series of classes to a guild model, where students move from the apprentice to the master level. Students will not only learn ceramics skills, but also develop entrepreneurial and mentoring skills. As young artists become master students, they will mentor artists who are new to the program. They will participate in the operation of the studio and the design of the program as they gain experience, and help plan and execute a Guild Night to exhibit and sell their work. The Ceramics Guild also aims to serve those in the community who wish to engage the Guild in producing custom work. 

Guild Night will help fund the ceramics guild program going forward. “My hope is that the guild will become self-sustaining, thus helping to fill the deficit in funding in future years for visual arts at North Eugene High School, ” says Samson. 

“4J educators are in the frontline position of knowing what their students need in order to succeed,” says Nancy Buffum, EEF executive director. 

Since 1993, the Eugene Education Foundation has been the Foundation for 4J, investing in education, enrichment and access programs to create opportunities for all 4J students. EEF connects supportive individuals, businesses and partners. Every year, the Eugene Education Foundation invests funds raised from community businesses and individuals to award grants to programs and projects in the priority areas of early literacy, learning readiness, social emotional learning, arts and enrichment, and educational pathways. 

The EEF annual fundraiser Gala Moving Forward Together will take place March 21, 2024 at UO Ford Alumni Center.  Members of the community are invited to purchase tickets  or make a donation at eeflane.org, or contact 514/790-7744 or eef@eeflane.org.

For a full list of 2023-24 grantees or to make a donation to support EEF, visit the website at eeflane.org. The 2024-25 EEF Annual Grants Cycle will open in Spring of 2024.

Image description: NEHS art student is interviewed to help promote the EEF fundraiser on March 21