Aurora Public Schools Foundation Receives $5,000 Grant to Assist Teachers

The Homes for Heroes Foundation awarded Aurora Public Schools Foundation with a $5,000 grant to help provide direct, tangible and critical support to teachers. Homes for Heroes, Inc. and the Homes for Heroes Foundation are honored to support Aurora Public Schools in their mission to assist teachers with programs that help students overcome obstacles and close opportunity gaps.

The Aurora Public Schools Foundation’s Mission

Why was the APS Foundation Established?

The Aurora Public Schools Foundation was established in 1987 when community leaders recognized a gap in public education funding. Tax dollars covered basic operational needs, but they were not enough to provide the innovative programs, classroom resources, and enrichment opportunities that help students truly thrive.

“We have a very diverse demographic here in Aurora, represented by 160 spoken languages and 130 ethnicities. And, in the last ten years, we’ve been really focused on college and career readiness work for our students,” said APS Foundation Executive Director, Jill Ruiter.

The APS Foundation’s mission is to foster support of education within the Aurora Public School District by bringing together teachers, business-people, parents, alumni and community leaders. The founders understood that exceptional education requires community investment beyond what government funding alone can provide.

They also recognized that teachers should not have to choose between providing quality education and managing their personal budgets. Aurora’s educators were already going above and beyond in their classrooms, but they needed reliable support to access the tools, materials, and programs that could make a bigger difference for their students.

The foundation was created to bridge that gap, helping to ensure financial limitations wouldn’t become barriers to student achievement.

How the Aurora Public Schools Foundation Helps Teachers?

The Aurora Public Schools Foundation provides direct, practical support that addresses the everyday challenges teachers face.

Educator Emporium

Their Educator Emporium, launched in 2021, provides FREE school supplies to all APS educators throughout the school year. This program eliminates the common scenario where teachers spend hundreds of their own dollars on basic classroom materials, supplies, and learning tools that students need but districts can’t always afford.

Innovation Grant Program

The Innovation Grant Program encourages, facilitates, recognizes and rewards innovative and creative instructional approaches and district programs that enrich student learning. These dollars give teachers the financial freedom to implement new teaching methods, purchase specialized equipment, or pilot programs they know will benefit their students.

Community Partnerships

The Aurora Public Schools Foundation also connects educators with community resources and partnerships. By bringing together teachers with business leaders and community members, they create opportunities for classroom visits, mentorship programs, and real-world learning experiences that textbooks alone can’t provide.

Supporting more than 38,000 students across 63 schools, the APS Foundation ensures that Aurora’s teachers have the backing they need to focus on what they do best, and that’s educating the next generation.

In addition, when teachers have access to proper supplies and innovative program funding, they can dedicate their energy and personal resources to their families while still providing exceptional education to their students.

How will this Grant be Used to Support Heroes?

The Homes for Heroes Foundation is honored to support Aurora Public Schools Foundation with its mission to help teachers with direct and practical support by awarding the organization with a $5,000 grant.

Watch the grant presentation video:

Homes for Heroes Real Estate Specialist, Troy Williams, and Homes for Heroes Mortgage Specialist, Kelli Nesbitt, nominated the APS Foundation to receive the $5,000 Homes for Heroes Foundation grant.

They were both asked why nominating this organization was important.

“We have a Denver metro area Homes for Heroes working group where we meet once a month, and here we talk about what organizations we want to nominate for a Circle of Giving Foundation grant. Aurora Public Schools was one of the first foundations we looked at, nominated and became the recipient of this $5,000 grant.” said Troy Williams, Homes for Heroes Real Estate Specialist.

Kelli Nesbitt, Homes for Heroes Mortgage Specialist, had this to add, “Teachers are very important to us living in Aurora. Troy’s kids went to the school district, and I myself am a former teacher. I taught school for six years. So teachers are near and dear to my heart. I know how hard they work, the hours spent teaching students.”

The Homes for Heroes Foundation grant will be used to help fund the Educator Emporium program with the APS Foundation to help provide teachers with the materials and supplies necessary to manage what their students need to learn.

Rachel Adkins, APS Foundation Partner and Program Manager, explains specifically how the Homes for Heroes Foundation grant will be used toward the Educator Emporium program:

“The Educator Emporium is basically a teacher supply store we open once or twice a month for teachers to come in and fill up their bags with different supplies for their students.

Many of our students can’t afford their own supplies, and teachers are often pulling out of their own pockets and paychecks, so this is our way of really supporting them.

It takes a lot of volunteers, labor, and love from our team. But we love the days we’re open to teachers, so we can talk to them and hear about their days, and how things are going.”

When asked how the APS Foundation and their programs have impacted the teachers in the district, Heather Gaarder, Reading Interventionist at Laredo Elementary School, had this to say about a recent occurrence during her 28 years of experience in the district:

“Last year, another teacher and I decided to start an art club. We had 50 kids join from third to fifth grade. But, we did not have enough funds or supplies to give those kids. So the Emporium allowed us to give each student a bag and tablet to draw their pictures. The Educator Emporium was really helpful for us and the students who joined our club.”

How You can Support the Aurora Public School Foundation’s Mission

You can help support the APS Foundation’s mission by visiting their website and taking a look at all they do for their district. To further support their efforts, please consider making a donation to help fund the support they provide to the teachers and students of the Aurora School District.

Foundation Grants – Part of Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving

Grants from the Homes for Heroes Foundation are made possible by the Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving and its network of real estate and mortgage professionals. Homes for Heroes, Inc. is committed to providing savings to community heroes; including firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, military (active duty, reserves and veterans), healthcare professionals and teachers.

To expand its Circle of Giving, Homes for Heroes, Inc., donates a portion of its earnings to the Homes for Heroes Foundation. So, every time a hero buys or sells a home using the Homes for Heroes program, they are helping other heroes across the country who are facing a housing crisis, or are in need of urgent financial assistance.

If you are interested in learning more about how Homes for Heroes can guide you through the home buying, selling or refinancing process AND save you an average of $3,000 after closing on a home, simply sign up to be connected with our local specialists. They will follow up with you to answer all of your questions.

If you’re interested in learning about our wider impact, simply visit the Homes for Heroes Foundation page for more information about recent grants to hero organizations, how much it has awarded, and how it all works.

If you’re interested in supporting and donating to the Homes for Heroes Foundation to assist heroes in need, please visit the donation page to submit your contribution via PayPal. We thank you for your interest and support.