September 2025 Newsletter

Dear Community Members,

It’s hard to believe that another summer is behind us and the 2025-26 school year is well underway! Classrooms are buzzing with busy students and teachers, evenings and weekends are full of fall sports, and Carbondale Education Foundation has been busy raising and distributing funds. We have another successful Cowboy Up event under our belts and are looking forward to the revitalization of a Carbondale favorite next month - Oktoberfest! Read on to find out more.

Record Breaking Night at Cowboy Up

CEF was so grateful to be selected as the beneficiary for the second year in a row for Cowboy Up. The weather was perfect and Carbondale showed up in force to celebrate Carbondale’s western heritage and support CEF. Together, we raised over $35,000 for CEF’s Teacher Grant program. We’d like to express our gratitude to our community for your generosity and support!

October 18 - OKTOBERFEST!

CEF is reviving one of Carbondale’s most cherished community events: Oktoberfest. This year we're adding a twist: aiming to unite the community in honoring and supporting the dedicated teachers and staff in Carbondale public schools. We'll retain classic Oktoberfest fun, including hammerschlagen, a beer stein-holding competition, music, a beer garden and a handful of different food offerings. We are seeking support from local businesses to partner with CEF, making an impact in public education and showcasing their commitment to our public schools throughout the Carbondale community and beyond. Please reach out to us if you are interested in supporting the event at one of our 3 sponsorship levels to help us cover the costs and raise funds for CEF’s 2025-26 goals:

Founding Partner Level - $5,000

Prost! Partner Level - $1,000

Educator Appreciation Level - $500

Oktoberfest will kickoff at 4pm at 579 Main St. (Christmas Tree Park) just across the street from Peppino’s. If you are interested in volunteering for the event, please fill out this form and we will reach out closer to the date with a formal sign-up.

Commitments and Goals for the 2025-2026 School Year

The CEF Board of Directors committed a minimum of $92,500 to support our educators through the 2025-2026 school year. Our schools need us now more than ever so we’ve established ambitious goals that require the entire community to come together. This year, we plan to fund:

• $32,500 to purchase school supplies for our most vulnerable student populations at CRES, CMS, RFHS and Bridges. All checks have been distributed to these schools!

• $30,000 to support experiential learning across all five public schools in Carbondale. Read about CEF’s first experiential learning grant in action at CRES!

• A MINIMUM of $30,000 for our teacher grant program to allow our teachers easy access to request funds for important classroom and schoolwide projects. Thanks to our success at Cowboy Up, we have already started approving and distributing funds for this year’s Teacher Grant program.

Thank you for your continued support of the Carbondale Education Foundation. Together, we are making a difference in our schools and community!

With Gratitude,

The CEF Board of Directors