January 2026 Update
It’s Thank-uary!
January is Thank-uary!
We hope 2026 is off to a great start for you!
For many, a new year marks an opportunity to set new resolutions.
We are fond of renaming the month of January "Thank-uary" and taking time to celebrate the support we receive from kind and compassionate community members like you.
A few examples of how your support is cultivating student potential in Olympia's public schools every single day:
Opportunity Grants. Since September, we have awarded $110,000 in grants for a variety of projects and programs in every one of Olympia's public schools. The grants -- 64 in total -- are funding everything from bullying prevention curriculum to art opportunities, musical instruments, a districtwide mental health awareness campaign -- and so much more! The grant application window for next school year will open in April 2026. Check here then for more details.
Principal's Emergency Fund. Since school started this fall, principals and other school staff have immediately supported the urgent basic needs of students in every building through this critical resource to the tune of nearly $30,000 (as of Dec. 31, 2025). These funds have helped: 49 students avoid the trauma of being evicted from their home; 5 students move in to housing; and more than 100 families purchase groceries. And they have supported everything from clothing and shoes, to eyeglasses, emergency medical appointments, utilities assistance, gear to participate in school sports and clubs, food handler permits for students with jobs, mandatory testing fees, hygiene products -- to provide just a few examples.
Student & Community Well-Being. This month we supported the first of many grants for a school-family organization so they could host a local expert to share how parents and caregivers can help manage their students' meltdowns. More grants are expected to be awarded -- for various speakers on a variety of topics -- next month. Stay tuned for more information.
Here's to cultivating even more student potential in 2026!
Community spotlight
We are pleased to sponsor Olympia Reads!! again. And we're even more excited to welcome this year's guest author Renee Watson, who earlier this week won the 2026 Newbery Medal for best children's book for "All the Blues in the Sky." We hope you'll join us for her free presentation and book signing at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at the Olympia Timberland Library. Her books will be for sale at the event.