ABOUT US

In 1983, a Hayward school teacher, Elaine Adams was inspired to help teachers improve and expand academic opportunities for Hayward’s students. Following a model in San Francisco, she and a cadre of other education-minded individuals formed the Hayward Education Foundation.

Raising money from the community to support student-focused, curriculum-based learning enrichment projects has remained the core of HEF’s activities. A holiday luncheon quickly became THE yearly event. After Centennial Hall was torn down, HEF moved from a holiday lunch to a springtime Gala and continues to inspire supporters to help our cause.

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Since inception, we have funded over 1,000 Classroom Projects which totals over $1,000,000 to Hayward classrooms, benefiting thousands and thousands of our hopeful youth. Projects are as diverse as the imaginations of our teachers and students. Whether it is math, language skills, science, or the arts, projects expand the learning ability of students in ways that are not affordable by the budget.

Our task is not over. There are new students entering our schools every year and funding challenges continue. In the next 30 years, HEF believes it will still have a valuable job to perform. Community support will be needed even more than ever.