Program areas at Bright Minds Foundation / Howard County Public Schools Education
Access to Learning Fund - Bright Minds works to address obstacles students face accessing their education. As children navigated back to full-time in-person school this year, Bright Minds worked closely with HCPSS to identify and respond to academic engagement, learning loss, and social and emotional needs of students. Since 2020, Bright Minds has raised more than $400,000 from 300+ donors to fund more than 56,000 critical learning resources for students in all county schools.
Student Scholarships - Bright Minds helps students earn college credits and explore career options through the JumpStart dual-enrollment partnership between HCPSS and HCC by providing books/course fee scholarships for students eligible for Free and Reduced Meals. Over 3 years, 285 HCPSS students have received over $60,000 in support so they could take advantage of the program. Bright Minds also administers student scholarships that support Howard County graduates attending post-secondary institutions. More than $50,000 has been awarded to 50 students.
Education Innovation & Teacher Support - Bright Minds supports Classroom Innovation Projects that help educators deliver instructional projects that increase student learning outcomes, enrich teaching practices, strengthen school communities, and pilot important academic projects. This year, Bright Minds will support 18 projects in 29 schools that will reach more than 10,000 children. Bright Minds also partnered with HCPSS to launch the Teacher Externship Initiative, which provides teachers workplace experiences to enhance student learning.
Literacy & School Readiness - As the Howard County affiliate for Dolly Partons Imagination Library, Bright Minds delivers the early childhood literacy program Read With Me to inspire a love of reading, encourage parent-child interaction, and prepare children for kindergarten. Participating children receive an age-appropriate book each month from birth through age five. More than 1,500 county children have received 29,000 books through the program.