About CEF

The Camas Educational Foundation was founded in 1997 based on the belief that partnership between community and schools is the most certain means to achieve excellence in education. We are a non-profit volunteer group of parents, educators, and community members dedicated to raising money and awarding grants in support of academic enrichment programs impacting over 6,000 students in the Camas School District.

Through April 2011, the Foundation has donated over $900,000, funding over 400 innovative grant requests from teachers, parents, and administrators. Grants supported have purchased materials and equipment, and enabled programs in social studies and history, the arts, math and science, reading and language arts, leadership and mentoring, media and communications, and physical education.

Aided by support from a three-year CEF major grant, the district has implemented the Waterford Early Reading Program at all five elementary schools. Waterford utilizes state of the art multimedia technology to help children learn to read. According to Christy Cline, a reading specialist at Prune Hill Elementary, “Having used the Waterford Early Reading Program for 2 full years with our most struggling kindergarten students, I have seen significant results. The improvement has been measured in abc letter recognition, letter-sound correspondence, phonemic awareness, concepts of print and reading levels. Two of the lowest students in kindergarten last year entered 1st grade in the upper middle skill level of their class and did not need LAP services at all this year. Five others just needed a short term in LAP and have now exited above grade level.”

The CEF Legacy Fund is our endowment fund, intended to extend the work of CEF into the future and guarantee educational excellence for the next generations of Camas kids. The Legacy Fund committee has set a three-year goal of achieving a principal balance of $750,000 by 2015, with the present balance at approximately $350,000. Planned giving contributions are intended to be a primary source of funding for the endowment, combined with an annual allocation from our general fund raising, and cash donations from corporate and private donors.

To hear an extended interview with CEF President, Ron Gompertz, please follow this link.