Lee County Education Foundation

Happy First Day of School and best wishes to the students, teachers, and staff at Lee County Schools' traditional calendar schools from your friends at the Lee County Education Foundation!

And a special belated "Happy Back to School!" to our friends at Tramway Elementary School. While everyone else is celebrating the first day of school today, they're already well into another great school year.

We hope it's been a wonderful start for everyone!

As Lee County Schools teachers and staff prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, we look forward to another year of supporting the hard-working students, educators, and schools that make our community so special.

From Head of Class and the Ruby & Ernest McSwain Middle School Head of Class, to Sloan Scholars, LocalLee, a soon-to-be-announced new chapter in our work with Durable Skills, and more... we're excited to continue investing in opportunities that make a difference for students from Pre-K through graduation... and beyond.

We can't wait to celebrate successes, recognize excellence, build new partnerships, and share the stories that make public education in Lee County so special.

If you'd like to join us in this work, we'd love to have you. Whether you're an individual, a business, or a community partner, your support helps make these opportunities possible for Lee County students and educators. Donating is easy through our website, and if you're interested in exploring partnership opportunities or supporting a specific initiative, we'd love to talk with you. Feel free to reach out to our Executive Director, Wendy Wicker Phillips, to learn more about how you or your business/organization can get involved.

Follow along with us this year as we celebrate the people, partnerships, and programs making a difference across Lee County Schools.

Here's to a fantastic 2026-27 school year!

Last week was a great reminder that the Sloan Scholars program is about so much more than a scholarship.

We had lunch with four of our five Sloan Scholars (we missed you, Anna!) and Emily Hare, Executive Director of the Central Carolina Community College Foundation. Emily does so much to support our Scholars as they navigate college, but more importantly, she's another person in their corner, cheering them on every step of the way.

Emily said something today that I loved. She shared that these young women may one day teach her own daughters. She has a personal investment in their success... just like our entire community does.

Then, from just a few tables away, Lee County Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Dossenbach stopped by to visit with the Scholars. It was another reminder of the incredible community of support surrounding these future educators.

We're so proud of the community we've built around our Sloan Scholars and can't wait to see the impact this growing group of homegrown teachers will have on Lee County for years to come.

Check out the latest edition of the Lee County Education Foundation's newsletter!

This issue features our 2026 Sloan Scholars, a Q & A with Lee County Schools' Dr. Dossenbach, the first in a series of profiles of the Lee County Education Foundation’s board members, and more!
https://tinyurl.com/LCEF-Newsletter

You can subscribe to our newsletter from our website: https://leecef.com/
We'd love to have you as a subscriber!

Happy Independence Day from your friends at the Lee County Education Foundation!

Don't forget this opportunity for free lunches for kids 18 years old and younger! We love this, Lee County Schools!

Great news! Lunch in the Park will continue throughout the month of July, providing free, nutritious meals to children in our community.

Please help us get the word out to all of our families! Look for the white activity bus at our park locations throughout July. Meals are available at no cost, and no registration or identification is required. Children 18 years of age and younger must be present to receive a meal. Families are encouraged to bring the kids, pick up a nutritious lunch, and enjoy it in the park or take it home.

Together, we are making a positive impact by ensuring children have access to healthy meals throughout the summer.

We're excited to share that the Lee County Education Foundation has committed $10,000 annually to support experiential learning opportunities for Lee County Schools' Pre-K students!

These field trips do so much more than provide a fun day away from the classroom. They help build background knowledge, strengthen vocabulary, reinforce classroom instruction, and create meaningful learning experiences that many students will remember for years to come.

The smiles from Warren Williams Preschool's recent visit to Broadway Zoo say it all!

This new initiative is especially meaningful to us because it helps fulfill our goal of impacting students at every stage of their educational journey... from Pre-K through 12th grade.

Thank you to our donors, partners, and supporters who make opportunities like this possible. Together, we're helping create enriching experiences and brighter futures for Lee County students.

To learn more about our work or to make a donation, visit leecef.com.

Did you know?

Since its founding in 2003, the Lee County Education Foundation has invested more than $2.5 million in Lee County Schools through innovative programs, educator support, student opportunities, and community partnerships.

From Head of Class and Sloan Scholars to LocalLee and Durable Skills, every initiative shares a common goal... supporting students and strengthening public education in Lee County.

Thank you for helping us make that possible. We rely on the support of individuals, businesses, and community partners who share our commitment to strong public schools. If you'd like to join us in this work, donations can be made easily through our website at leecef.com, by mail (PO Box 98, Sanford, NC 27330), or by contacting our executive director at [email protected]. Join us, won't you?

We're so grateful for opportunities like Kaleidoscope Camp that Lee County Schools provides for the students of Lee County.

Thank you, Sanford Area Growth Alliance, for your support and for sharing our story. We're excited about our growing Sloan Scholars community of homegrown educators!