Photo provided by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World
The Lawrence School Foundation received a $25,000 check from Envista Federal Credit Union this week.
The check, presented at Wednesday's school board meeting, is part of the “KU Wins, Envista Gives” program, in which the district recognizes 13 student leaders who have demonstrated positive “strong character” traits. was donated to.
As part of a partnership between Envista, Kansas Athletics, and the Lawrence School Foundation, Envista has committed to donating $125 for every Kansas Athletics win, regardless of sport. During the school year, he won 171 times, raising a total of $21,375 to support teachers and students from kindergarten through college.
Photo provided by: Provided by Envista
Photo provided by: Provided by Envista
Ron Smeltzer, President and CEO of Envista, said, “Character and integrity form the basis of virtually every positive quality we possess as human beings and are important in our future lives. I have always believed that this could be the starting point for success.” “Tonight, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize the outstanding young students who are gaining recognition, and I am proud to be a part of it.”
The Character Strong program emphasizes the need to build community in the classroom, primarily through fostering positive relationships. The program teaches students life skills, focuses on character development, and works to model and instill core values in students from an early age.
Having raised just under $25,000, Envista was inspired by the students' efforts through the Character Strong program and awarded them the full $25,000, a personal goal they set for the organization in early 2023.
“This program and partnership has had an incredible impact on our students,” said Dena Johnston, Executive Director of the Lawrence Schools Foundation. “We are so grateful for our community partnerships that share our mission to provide resources that inspire learning, enrich education, and increase opportunity for all students, educators, and staff in Lawrence Public Schools. .”
Photo provided by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World