INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS FUNDED AND SUPPORTED BY WEF
We raise, manage, and disburse funds and organize volunteer support to help educators and staff provide quality education for the students of the Whitefish School District.
Education Enhancement Grants
Education Enhancement Grants are made available to the Whitefish School District's teachers, administrators, and staff to support innovative programs or projects that enhance the student experience beyond what school funding provides.
Grants can be requested to take advantage of unique opportunities outside other funding cycles.
Over $19,000 in various grant requests funding FIT, STEM, and Literacy programs were awarded last fall. Special thanks to the Whitefish Community Foundation’s Great Fish Challenge which helps support the WEF mission for our public schools.
Check out some of our previous Education Enhancement Grant stories!
Innovative Learning
WEF supports staff development, student activities, and enrichment that could not be funded from the school district budget.
Student extended learning and staff professional development are funded by the WEF Whitefish Schools Rock end-of-year fundraising party.
Student Extended Learning
- Montana History Trip for 8th-grade students (Offsetting cost and supplementing meals)
- DECA club travel for WHS
- Speech and Debate team travel for WHS
- Choir/Orchestra/Band travel for WHS
- Day-long ski trips for grades 3-6 to Big Mountain
- The University of Montana Thespian Conference
- Hooked on Fishing 4th-grade field trip
Staff Professional Development
- Seven staff members attended the Big Sky Literacy Conference in Big Sky, MT, on September 8-11
- Darren Schlepp, an independent consultant, was hired to train our K-6 teachers on The Science of Reading
- Gifted and Talented professional development for interested teachers was provided with the NW Education Coop for the 2022-23 school year
- National School Psychologist Conference in Denver, CO, February 6-9 for three WHS staff
- MT AGATE membership fees and annual conference in Great Falls March 3-4 for two gifted and talented teachers
- Project Based Learning training in Napa Valley, CA, June 26-29 for six WHS staff
- State Indian Ed Conference in Helena March 17-18 for three staff
- National Math, Science, and Literacy Conferences for middle school teachers in the summer of 2023
- High Ropes Challenge Course training for one staff member, Estes Park, CO.
When we help our educators get training and enrich our student’s extracurricular and field trip opportunities, we improve our school district through increased staff retention and the sense of possibility that our students experience.
Scholarships
WEF proudly administers financial scholarships for Whitefish High School students.
You can learn more about all our WEF Funded and Pass-Through Scholarships on our Scholarship Page.
WEF also provides students with volunteer Scholarship Mentors to aid in the application process.
In 2024, the Whitefish Education Foundation launched a pilot program assisting local high school graduating senior students research, organize their approach to, and facilitate applications for scholarships. Interested Volunteers can read more on our Scholarship Mentor Page.
WEF School Programs
WEF offers lots of opportunities to volunteer, support and become involved in your student's school while also providing community partnerships for various school projects and classroom needs.
WEF School Programming in Whitefish serves a similar function to PTA’s or PTO’s in other school districts.
WEF Excellence in Education Community Partners offers various sponsorship levels to empower student success, invest in community growth and strengthen the local workforce.
