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NEWS RELEASE
December 19, 2019
Christine Robertson, Executive Director
(805) 549-1300 

$100,000 Gift to San Luis Coastal Education Foundation
Launches the iINNOVATE Initiative

The lead gift from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust supports 
project-based learning in local elementary schools

SAN LUIS OBISPO -- The San Luis Coastal Education Foundation announced today a $100,000 lead gift from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust to launch the iINNOVATE Initiative.

A Foundation championed initiative jointly designed by the Foundation and school district, iINNOVATE is a multi-year initiative to meaningfully and equitably integrate project-based learning across the district’s ten elementary schools. This initiative seeks to reimagine traditional framework of instruction in order to prepare students with the 21st century skills necessary to succeed in a changing global economy. 

iINNOVATE has four key objectives: 

1) Project-based, nonlinear learning that is
2) Deeply integrated across grades and subject areas in a manner that
3) Rigorously aligns with core content standards and ensures
4) Equitable access across all elementary sites.

With the generous support of the Miossi Charitable Trust, teams of grade-level teachers from K-5 will come together in a planning phase to develop a robust strategy for how to integrate project-based learning into elementary instruction. Over six months, these teams will examine and map opportunities and requirements to elevate these hands-on learning opportunities across all elementary sites. The outcome of Phase I will define the requirements of future implementation phases. 

“It’s been 80 years since Harold graduated from SLO High, but his legacy continues to impact students,” said Dr. Eric Prater, Superintendent of the San Luis Coastal Unified School District. “Project-based learning is expensive and requires extensive planning and resources. This gift empowers our elementary teachers to dream big and create engaging learning environments that will inspire students to meet their fullest potential.”

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