Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation Inc

It was a privilege to spend yesterday evening celebrating with the students and families of the North High School Class of 2026 at their Senior Awards Night.

In addition to recognizing many academic accomplishments, over $250,000 in scholarships were awarded.

We are grateful to our visionary donors for investing in the future of these talented students through valuable scholarship opportunities.

Best wishes to the Class of 2026!!

We had a perfect day to honor our 2026 Golden Apple honorees last Thursday at The Florian Gardens Conference Center.

We are grateful to our friends at WEAU 13 News, our generous local business sponsors and the staff at The Florian for making this evening so special.

Congratulations, Golden Apples! Thank you for all you do for our students and families everyday!




Photo credit to Matthew Seckora of Seckora Photography.

ICYMI DeLong Middle School has named Lizzy Ehrenberg as their 2026 Golden Apple recipient.

Congratulations, Lizzy! Thank you for all you do.

It is a privilege to partner with local businesses to honor our Golden Apple recipients. Thank you to Lasker Jewelers for their generous sponsorship of DeLong's Golden Apple winner. They have provided $500 grants for both Lizzy and DeLong.

You can watch WEAU 13 News stop in to surprise Lizzy here:

https://www.weau.com/2026/02/02/delong-middle-school-multi-lingual-language-teacher-receives-golden-apple-award/

DeLong Middle School multi-lingual language teacher receives Golden Apple Award DeLong Middle School teacher Lizzy Ehrenberg wins Golden Apple award

Christina Geissler is a Partnership Coordinator. She is a GREAT Partnership Coordinator. She is adored by students and her peers and she is Locust Lane’s 2025-2026 Golden Apple recipient.

Ask a Partnership Coordinator what they do and almost all of them will pause - not because they are trying to think of something - they are trying to figure out how to describe the incredibly diverse and ever changing list of things they do every day. Is there a family in need of resources? Students that need to have a hearing screening? A staff member need to secure items for a class project? A Partnership Coordinator has a hand in all of it. Near as I can tell their job description should be - exactly what you need at the exact time you need it!

Christina takes all of this one step further as she works hard to cultivate meaningful relationships with all of the students. She knows the value of connection. A ‘hello’ in the hallway; a quick check in at lunch can have the power to change the trajectory of a student’s day.

A generous sponsorship from Frandsen Bank & Trust will provide both Christina and Locust Lane with $500 grants.

Thank you to WEAU 13 News for your partnership in honoring our Golden Apple recipients. Christina’s surprise will air on WEAU’s Hello Wisconsin during the month of February.

Congratulations, Christina! Thank you for taking such good care of the students, staff and families at Locust Lane!

Eau Claire Area School District

Holiday preparations, snow shoveling, school closures - 'tis the season. But as cold as it might be outside - our hearts are warm as it is also Golden Apple season.

We had the privilege of kicking off the season at DeLong Middle School as they honored Lizzy Ehrenberg as their 2025 -2026 Golden Apple recipient.

It was a surprise to no one that her peers wanted to honor Lizzie as their Golden Apple. She has become a leader in the building that wants to make everyone better. She is a fierce advocate for student needs who optimistically interprets a "no" as a "well.....maybe....." when looking for a solution to a problem.

Congratulations, Lizzy! Thank you for your work to help students at DeLong and throughout the district overcome a language barrier to learning. We appreciate you!

Thanks to the generous sponsorship from Lasker Jewelers - both Lizzy and DeLong will receive $500 grants to use in school as they see fit.

We are grateful for WEAU 13 News and their partnership in honoring our Golden Apple recipients. Lizzy's surprise will air on WEAU's Hello Wisconsin in the month of February and will be available afterwards on WEAU.com.

Eau Claire Area School District

We were honored to be invited to celebrate International Peace Day with Flynn Elementary School. During this celebration, they also dedicated a bench in honor of their beloved Mrs. Shretenthaler (Mrs. S.) Mrs. S. taught Kindergarten at Flynn for many years and passed suddenly last May.

We were moved to learn that Golden Apple funds were contributed in part to the realization of the bench for Mrs. S. So much of the money within school budgets is earmarked for specific purposes, which is great, but also limiting. Nobody knows the needs in each building more than those who work inside those schools. Beautiful things can happen when they each have some funds to use at their discretion. We love partnering with generous community sponsors in the Golden Apple Awards that provide this type of funding for the recipient and also their school.

You can watch more about the dedication at the following link:

Bench dedicated to kindergarten teacher at Flynn Elementary Monday is the International Day of Peace, and as part of that, a local elementary school is honoring a beloved teacher.

It was a privilege to join North High School as they honored their Class of 2025 at the Senior Awards Ceremony Wednesday evening.

These graduates were recognized for their many accomplishments over the last 4 years, as well as prepared for their next chapter by being awarded nearly $950,000 in scholarships!

Congratulations, Huskies, and best wishes as you embark on your next endeavors. We are proud of you!

Thank you to our many donors that have generously chosen to 'pay it forward' by establishing scholarships that help these brand-new graduates take the next step into their future. We appreciate you!

Meadowview Elementary School's Adam Leicht didn't start out to be a teacher but it is clear he is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing. Before finding his way to the classroom, he started out in another field, but very quickly realized he wanted to make an impact and an investment in the future. Meadowview students and staff are thankful he was called to teach and have selected him as their 2025 Golden Apple recipient for his positive influence.

Adam, thank you for following your calling and making a difference every day!

Thanks to the generosity of our partner sponsors, both Adam and Meadowview will both receive $500 grants to use in the school as they see fit.

We appreciate WEAU 13 News and their partnership in honoring our Golden Apple recipients. Adam's surprise visit can be found on WEAU.com at the following link: https://www.weau.com/2025/02/18/meadowview-elementary-third-grade-teacher-honored-with-golden-apple-award/

Eau Claire Area School District

Education is important. So, it's paramount that kids start with a favorable experience. At Prairie Ridge they specialize in starting our littlest learners out on the right foot. The magic happens due to the dedication of educators like Katelyn Jaenke, Prairie Ridge's 2025 Golden Apple recipient.

Katelyn loves being involved in the onset of a student's educational journey. As an added benefit, with Katelyn as their teacher, they will also learn to approach life with positivity and resilience. Katelyn's colleagues describe her as strong, steady and positive in any situation.

Congratulations, Katelyn. Thank you for modeling strength and a positive outlook for your young learners. This will pay dividends for them throughout their lives.

Katelyn and Prairie Ridge will both receive $500 grants thanks to the generosity of our partner sponsors.

We are grateful for WEAU 13 News and their passion to join us in honoring our Golden Apple recipients. Katelyn's surprise can be found on WEAU.com at the following link: https://www.weau.com/2025/02/17/prairie-ridge-early-learning-educator-honored-with-golden-apple-award/

Eau Claire Area School District

Lakeshore Elementary surprised Avery Volz as their 2025 Golden Apple recipient. Avery loves teaching second grade at Lakeshore. She finds students at this age have a strong sense of justice and who they are - they only need help exploring the world around them.

Congratulations, Avery! Thank you for leading by example with your students and with your colleagues.

Thanks to the generosity of our local partner sponsors, both Avery and Lakeshore will receive $500 grants to use as they choose within the school.

We are grateful for WEAU 13 News and their partnership in honoring our Golden Apple recipients. Avery's surprise is scheduled to air on WEAU's Hello Wisconsin on Tuesday, February 25th and will be available afterwards on WEAU.com.

Eau Claire Area School District