Welcome to the Hood River County Education Foundation

"The musical each year unites students of all ages and from different back grounds and skill sets to create a group project of a full musical. Students design and create sets. They also have a chance to be leaders in the process of student directing. Students can choose to be on the acting or technology crew and the process lasts most of the school year. This year we [added] tap dance and choreography to the production process. We hosted three elementary schools and students were excited to watch and extremely engaged as they asked questions at the end of each show. We also performed four other shows for the community in both evening and afternoon matinees. The feedback was also extremely positive and each night students received standing ovations. … The tap shoes and skills will continue to be used in our after school program and in upcoming musicals at Wyeast Middle School and our high school."

Growing up in Hood River County means living and playing next to lakes, streams, and the Columbia River. Being safe and confident in the water is an important skill for children to learn, which is why HRCEF and Hood River Parks & Rec have partnered to fund swim lessons for all Kindergarten, second and fourth grade students in our district.

"Being part of our community means interacting with our community in all capacities, the state of Oregon has emphasized teaching and learning about Native American Culture. We implemented this in our Art classes. We invited 3 local native beading artists to share their lives with us, their stories, and their history. our students connected with this native craft and were encouraged to make it their own, to realize that this art form can be as much theirs as it would be another's, but to hone their own artist voice in the process to listen to who you are inside, and the world around. and to tell their story through the art."