Welcome to the Spanish Education Fund

The Spanish Education Fund (SEF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed in 2009. Our purpose is to raise money and recruit parent volunteers to support the International Teaching Intern Program at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion School (K-6), Central Middle School (7-8) and Eden Prairie High School (9-12).

Interns from Spanish speaking countries from around the world assist teachers and students in classrooms at these schools, providing a unique educational resource that has been proven extremely valuable to language acquisition, by bring their language and cultures to life. As a result, students become more confident in their ability to communicate in Spanish and create connections to people and places outside of their own world.

In addition to fundraising, we work with school staff to review and select intern candidates, recruit host and buddy families for the interns from our parent community for the duration of their stay, collect donations of winter clothing, organize parent volunteers to provide transportation for interns, and many other things to ensure interns have a positive experience while in the U.S. gaining valuable experience in the field of education.

 

Our Mission

Support the Eden Prairie Spanish immersion program, through sustainable funding, to host the best volunteer international Spanish speaking interns and provide other educational and cultural resources.

 

2019-20 Intern Video

 

As we begin the 2020-2021 school year, we remember our amazing 2019-2020 interns and wish them well at home as they continue their education journey.  Check out our 2019-2020 intern video HERE!

 

 

 

Latest News

As shared by Sr. Moncada, Amity International (the organization who sponsors our intern program) has suspended the intern program for the 2020-2021 school year. Amity shared they made their decision based on a multitude of factors, including:

  • The escalation of COVID-19 cases worldwide
  • The continued travel restrictions which prevent citizens of many countries from entering the United States
  • The physical, emotional, and financial risks involved in living internationally during the current unstable international climate
  • The difficulties our school communities are facing due to COVID-19

We’re disappointed we won’t have interns in our school community this academic year, but are looking forward to welcoming interns again for the 2021 – 2022 school year.

 
In the meantime, watch your inbox and our Facebook page for the upcoming “Where are They Now?” intern video series. If you have a favorite intern you’d like to hear from, please email our Intern Coordinator Marin Lindberg with your suggestions.
 
Finally, our program does have some nominal, non-intern related expenses. If you’re able to give to help with those expenses, please use the links on the right side of our page to do so.  Alternatively, please consider supporting our Eagle Heights PTO (ehsipto.org) as they look to do all they can to raise funds for teacher and staff appreciation activities during this unique school year.
 
As the year progresses, stay tuned to our Facebook page and Newsletters for updates on our plans for interns for the 2021-2022 school year.

 

Volunteering

Transportation & Cultural Event Coordinator Vacancy

An important part of our program is providing our interns with cultural events across the Twin Cities and rides to those events. If you’re into coordinating activities and willing to email and arrange rides for our interns, this is a great role for you. Responsibilities include updating our Intern Transportation website (no web experience needed, training provided), coordinating cultural events with venues and arranging intern rides. Time commitment is approximately 2 – 4 hours per month.  If you are interested in volunteering or have questions, please contact Sarah Bailey at sarahb11278@gmail.com

Intern Transportation Drivers

A great way to meet your child’s intern is to volunteer for a transportation shift.  Driving the interns to or from a meeting or activity just once a quarter (or month!) is a wonderful way to hear about your child’s classroom and all they are learning.

Sign up on the Intern Transportation Website for a shift on the Monthly Driving Schedule or contact the Intern Transportation Coordinator, Sarah Bailey, at sarahb11278@gmail.com.

Communication Team Members

Are you good at writing, proofing, web editing, social media and have a couple of extra hours a month?  If you are interested in volunteering or have questions, please contact Sarah Bailey at sarahb11278@gmail.com

To learn more about other SEF volunteer opportunities, check out our Volunteer page.

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta 2021

Without the support of parents and guardians like yourselves, we could not continue to provide the intern program and all that it entails each year.

2021 Cinco is tentatively planned for May 7, 2021. We missed gathering in 2020, but are looking forward to celebrating our interns and programs in May 2021.

If you are interested in the various roles to help make Cinco a success, please contact Fundraising Chair, Laura Bjelogrlic @ laura.bjelogrlic@gmail.com. 

Thank you again for your continued support of the International Intern Program!

Social Media Update

EHSI is on Twitter!

Get sneak peeks into your student’s art, gym and music classes.  Enjoy seeing the exciting educational activities going on in classrooms all over Eagle Heights, intern professional development, information on school sponsored events and celebrations as well as catching the interns in action in the classroom.

Follow @EPEaglesEHSI to get up-to-date information about all things Spanish Immersion!

 

 

FUNDRAISING

The International Teaching Intern Program is 100% funded by parent contributions to our Annual Contributions Campaign and employer matching programs. We receive no financial support from the school district or schools.

While we won’t have interns for our schools to start the 2020-21 school year, our goal remains for families to make their annual contribution at the start of the school year. This ensures our program remains financially stable for the future and is able to continue to bring interns to our schools.

The most important aspect is that EVERY immersion family contributes some amount to the program to help share the financial burden of the program as all of our children benefit from this unique educational resource in some way.

The suggested contribution is $150 per student or whatever amount works in your family’s budget. It’s the easiest way to support the program…write one check at the beginning of the school year, and you are done!

 

Make Your Annual Contribution

Annual Contribution

Did you know… 100% of your Annual Contribution goes to the SEF and is the primary source of funding for the International Teaching Intern Program? It’s easy to contribute, just use the donate button below.




Monthly Annual Contribution

Want to spread out your Annual Contribution into budget friendly monthly payments? Select a monthly payment option from the drop down menu and click the SUBSCRIBE button below instead to make monthly Annual Contribution donations.


Monthly Payment Options



Checks

Make checks payable to the Spanish Education Fund and mail to:

SEF Treasurer
c/o Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion School
13400 Staring Lake Parkway
Eden Prairie, MN 55347

SEF Federal Tax ID# 27-0584708

 

 

 

Spanish Education Fund  |  info@spanisheducationfund.org  |  Expanding our children’s world