Lawrence Township School Foundation Names New Executive Director
Writer / Matt Keating
Photographer / Amy Payne
Jen Gibbs, the new executive director of the Lawrence Township School Foundation (LTSF), is ready to implement her new ideas and bold initiatives.
“My role as executive director of the LTSF marries my experience as a public educator and my work in nonprofit leadership, which for me was in a religious setting,” Gibbs says. “What excites me about the position is that it unites with my personal purpose, or ‘why.’ My great love is empowering others to live into their full capacity. LTSF does that every day as it supports programs that help all children succeed.”
The sole focus of the foundation is to connect the community to Lawrence Township students through fundraising and community partnerships, according to Gibbs.
The LTSF provides access to programs critical for students in reaching their personal best.
“We could talk about the yearly impact of LTSF through figures and facts, which are present in our annual report, but the work of the foundation is best told in the story of the lives of the students,” Gibbs says. “We see it in the elementary student who participates in VEX Robotics and is now pursuing a career in engineering, and the student who discovered his love for running in the ‘Up and Running’ program, and then went on to run in high school and receive a scholarship to run collegiately in a Division I school.”
One student now has access to a band instrument after receiving financial support for the rental of the instrument.
“A high school sophomore can visit Howard University through the Historically Black College and University tour, set his sights on becoming a student there, and does,” Gibbs says. “These examples note only a few of the programs we support throughout the year. The story of what we do is told in the lives of the students long into their futures.”
Gibbs is excited about the LTSF’s commitment to growth, and to being more impactful, relevant and meaningful.
“I wholeheartedly believe that growth is achievable,” Gibbs says. “I’ve had the pleasure of spending time in each school building. I’ve begun meeting with board members, community partners and leaders, as well as parents of students. I have seen firsthand the ways this school community unites to tend to all aspects of students’ lives. In nearly 20 years of community work, I have rarely witnessed a school district and community partners committing themselves so fully to working together. It is truly special.”
Gibbs adds that under the leadership of Dr. Shawn Smith, superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, attention to access and equity is crucial.
“This district is on the cutting edge of engaging practices that pave pathways and remove barriers for all students,” Gibbs says. “When the students at our schools are thriving, communities are strengthened. It takes all of us working together to empower students. My work – indeed the work of the foundation – in the coming year is to remain the great connector. We connect the community directly to classrooms through donations. Those donors of both time and financial gifts empower the future of the students, and leave a lasting legacy for the donor.”
Gibbs notes that the last couple of years have been unprecedented.
“It taught us again that the relevance of our work means two things,” she says. “We need to continue to fund ongoing programs that provide continuity. We collaborate with the school district to understand those program needs. In the coming year we are already working on ways that will deepen our partnership with the district in their existing STEM education programs. The other way we remain relevant is by continuing to be responsive to student needs as they arise. I’m meeting with school principals and we have learned about some current needs that have emerged after two years of the changing COVID landscape. The wheels are already in motion as we respond to those needs. We have begun to meet with grassroots leaders.”
Education requires additional funding, according to Gibbs.
“Previous and current staff and board members have built an amazing foundation that can be counted upon to support the work of the school district so that students have access to programs critical to their success,” she says. “The generosity of generations of donators have impacted through ongoing programs and responsive initiatives.”
For more info, go to msdltf.org.
