Inside SFS

SFS has always had an eye to the future, imagining the kind of world we hope our graduates will shape and providing them with the academic and interpersonal skills to thrive in it. In this age of technological acceleration and growing inequities, SFS crafted a bold vision to strengthen our commitment to people, place, and program in order to fulfill our humanitarian promise. The vision honored our mission and values while rising to the challenge of demographic, technological, and pedagogical changes.

Based on our Strategic Plan 2017-2022: Fulfilling Our Humanitarian Promise, Forge Our Future: the Campaign for SFS was launched in 2020 to address two specific major initiatives: “Building Our Endowment” and “Empathy in the Age of Acceleration.” And we were thrilled to have the tremendous support of our community and friends, exceeding our goal by raising $7 million in gifts, pledges, and matching gifts.

Endowing Our Future

A healthy endowment provides a perennial source of revenue, alleviating pressure on tuition costs. Of the funds raised, $4.5 million were earmarked for the endowment, effectively doubling its value. This enables us to:

• Bolster the accessibility of our school to a socioeconomially diverse student body through Indexed Tuition
• Attract, retain, and invest in the best teachers
• Ensure the long-term stability of our school

Deepening STEAM

Our increasingly complex world demands new approaches to our most challenging problems. To be leaders in this new era and fulfill their humanitarian promise, our students will need technical skills and a capacity for innovation and human-centered problem solving that is grounded in empathy. Building on our core strengths, including a strong foundation in the arts, SFS offers a dramatically enhanced STEAM program.

• True to SFS’s hallmark approach, social justice and humanitarianism are the fundamental lens through which we approach STEAM.
• Students develop the mindsets and competencies – including empathy, tool proficiency, technical, design, and building skills – to identify and develop creative solutions to the problems they see around them.
• Students develop STEAM competencies through projects that integrate multiple content areas, deepening learning across the curriculum.

Forge Our Future was an ambitious investment in the success of our students and strength of our school. It has moved SFS forward while preserving what we value most. Funds raised have been used to make significant strides with strategic investments in:

• Design, engineering, and technology curriculum and professional development
• Materials and equipment in STEAM
• Functional, flexible STEAM spaces throughout the School
  • New outdoor Field Station
  • New Learning Commons
  • Renovations of the art, design, engineering, & technology Workshop
  • Enhancement in the Art Studio and the Music Room

We thank those who have made a deep commitment to this campaign that has benefitted our students today and will continue to benefit our students tomorrow.  Special thanks to the Campaign Steering Committee and Campaign Ambassadors for their dedication to making the vision a reality.

Campaign Steering Committee

Samantha Campbell, Co-Chair
Mike Lee, Co-Chair
Rachel Benson
Lora Blum
Deborah Yeh

Campaign Ambassadors

Mike Demmer
Paige Duffer
Phil Farhi
Scott Gelin
Asha Gohil
Jessica Lindl
John Palmer
Amy Thompson
Libby Reder
Dave Whitelaw
Sarah Whitelaw

Posted January 25, 2022