The Northshore Schools Foundation raised more than $140,000 to support local students during its 12th annually Luncheon, April 7 at the Lynnwood Convention Center.

The event, attended by more than 490 people and hosted by Hosted by KIRO News anchor, Michelle Millman, highlighted Northshore School District Health and Human services program including music, nursing, sports medicine, event management, tourism and hospitality, gardening, american sign language and alternative seating for learning. An emphasis on the Foundation’s recent investment of more than $50,000 into teacher training was the topic of the program, presented by teaching academy students Brianna Mueller and Courtney Doane and featured a video of Ryan Adams, NBTC, Leota Junior High Math Teacher and Foundation grant recipient.

“One of the chief ways the Foundation contributes is through the promotion of teacher excellence,” said Northshore School District (NSD) Superintendent Larry François. “This takes many different forms from resources for training and mentorship programs to support for teachers pursuing National Board Certification, the gold standard of teacher excellence. And perhaps the most valuable way the Foundation supports teacher excellence is through the investments they make in innovative and creative new programs across our district. The Foundation excels at being a player on that cutting edge of innovation that sparks opportunities for kids that are exciting and new.”

Further emphasizing the Foundation’s emphasis on teacher training, Robert Morgan, who is a teacher at the Secondary Academy for Success, was presented with the Foundation’s Innovation in Education award by students Luis Estevez and Trevor Vickers, who spoke to Morgan’s hipster perspective on teaching and the innovative ways he meets the needs of his students.

“Robert makes me learn math by always telling me how math ties into music… Robert and the music program is what keeps me coming to school, and drives me to getting all my work done so I can study music at a college,“ Vickers said.

Amrutha Gujjar, Woodinville High School senior, Foundation’s first scholarship winner and the event’s keynote speaker shared how a Northshore education and Foundation funding, partnered with the encouragement of her family and great teachers like WHS’s Nicole Skone have introduced her to opportunities that she would have never dreamed possible – from  meeting President Barack Obama, to being a TEDx speaker, to being accepted into University of Washington’s Computer Science Program.

“I have been tremendously blessed to be surrounded by people who recognized my drive for results, and encouraged me to pursue dreams that perhaps seem impossible,” Gujjar said.

The Foundation is sponsored by more than 100 local and regional companies. The Impact Sponsors for the event were Microsoft and Country Village. The Inspire Sponsors were Cornerstone General Contractors and the McKinstry Company. Boeing Company, Molbak’s and the Windermere Foundation, were honored as Enrich Sponsors. Educate Sponsors included: Banner Bank, the Beresford Company, Greater Bothell Chamber of Commerce, Woodinville Rotary, BIOLife Solutions, Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant, School Employees Credit Union of Washington, Brent Planning Solutions, Foundation House at Bothell, Puget Sound Energy and PEMCO. Learning Sponsors include American Family Insurance – Ilana Yagudayev, Barry Glenn Agency – State Farm Insurance, BECU,Bothell Orthodontics, Collective on Tap, Dykeman, Fairwinds – Brittany Park, HR Kinections, Johns Monroe Mitsunaga Kolouskova Law Group, Kiddie Academy of Bothell, KIRO 7 News, Mike’s Café and Wine Bar, NWTrophy, ONTRA Marketing Group, Quality Care Physical Therapy, Real Living Northwest Realtors, Sea Hawkers of Bothell/Mill Creek, Studio Meng Strazzara, Windermere – Northlake office, Woodinville Firefighters Benevolent Fund and the Woodinville Weekly.

To find out more about the event or the Northshore Schools Foundation, please visit www. NorthshoreSchoolsFoundation.org.