Officials say the name has changed, but the mission has not.

With the goal of enhancing educational opportunities for all Northshore School District students, the Northshore Schools Foundation (NSF), formerly Northshore Public Education Foundation, is kicking off the school year launching a new initiative, the 365 Club, along with its new name.

Founded in 1995, the foundation provided a way for parents to respond to the educational needs of the day. Facing the current environment of increased challenges and decreased funding to public education, NSF is launching the 365 Club to help sustain and enrich the quality of education by funding the acquisition of new teaching materials (including new textbooks), assisting teachers with costs associated with National Board Certification and promoting teacher classroom grants throughout the district.

Hoping to play an increasingly important role in supplementing the funding needs of the Northshore School District, the foundation also hopes to have an increased presence in local schools and in the broader community.

The annual kick-off and launch party is planned for 7-9 p.m. Oct. 2 at the North Creek Event Center on the Cascadia Community College/University of Washington-Bothell campus with wine tasting, dessert, a raffle and a short program with speakers Larry Francois, Northshore School District superintendent; Rob Pickering, NSF board president; and Ed Todd, NSF executive director.

The new 365 Club takes its name from its goal of supporting education 365 days a year and by participating in the new initiative with just $1 a day members will help further the education of almost 20,000 Northshore students from preschool through high school.

Join educators and administrators, government officials along with friends and supporters of the NSF at the kick-off and learn more about becoming a 365 Club member. Charter memberships are also available. The event is free and open to the public, no RSVP required. The North Creek Event Center is located at 18325 Campus Way N.E., Bothell. There is a $3 garage parking fee.

The NSF is a 501(c)(3) organization that operates independently from the Northshore School District. Since 2003, the foundation has awarded more than 100 classroom grants totaling more than $100,000. In 2008, the district was presented with a $90,000 grant for textbooks and teaching materials for core curriculum advanced learning classes at the secondary level and leveled readers and new textbooks at the elementary level. The NSF programs are funded by private contributions.

For more information about the NSF and to find out more about becoming a 365 Club member, visit northshoreschoolsfoundation.org or call (425) 408-7680.