Supporting educational improvement efforts that benefit the children of Lake Placid and Wilmington
“Talent is universal, but opportunity is not.”
– Kennedy Odede
The Educational Opportunity Fund for the Lake Placid School District is focused on addressing this opportunity gap. We have partnered with school administrators and staff to identify “next level” initiatives to address the opportunity gaps facing district children—economic, social and cultural. We hope that you will consider joining us on our mission to enhance the learning and life chances of district students.
We strive to address the opportunity gap impacting the students in our community.
Your support allows us to continue to create educational opportunities for students of all walks of life in our community.
Throughout the year we partner with the Lake Placid schools to provide unique opportunities both in and out of the classroom. See what students and staff have been up to…
Roger Catania, President of the Ed Op Fund Board of Trustees, reflects on how the Ed Op Fund came to be and our progress…
"I was among a small group of school and community members who came together back in 2015 to discuss the possibility of forming this philanthropic effort. These were busy people and we had a hard time finding times when we were all available. So we started meeting early on Saturday mornings — my job was to bring the donuts — to brainstorm what we wanted this group to be, and formulated ideas on how we could help students learn, grow, overcome obstacles, and achieve their dreams for the future. We came up with a name: The Educational Opportunity Fund for the Lake Placid Central School District. We had no money, but had lots of energy and enthusiasm, and we had a wonderful cause — the children of the Lake Placid Central School District.
What a difference 7 years makes! The Ed Op Fund's 18 trustees and 3 school district representatives have turned a dream into reality. We have provided funding for dozens of ideas large and small, and now are committed to an extensive program of annual experiences that — we believe — will make a difference in the lives of our students. Just recently our trustees matched dollar-for-dollar community donations to total over $45K and finance our initiatives for this year. I am humbled by the energy, optimism, and commitment of our trustees. I am proud to say that I was there at the beginning, but now I can’t help but wonder what the Ed Op Fund can become in seven more years. The sky’s the limit!"
