During the State of the District presentation last night, the Irvine Company and The Donald Bren Foundation presented IUSD with a special $4 million contribution. In honor of the District’s 50th anniversary, Irvine Company Senior Vice President Jeff Davis and Community Relations Manager Peggy Cheng presented the funds to IUSD Board of Education Members Paul Bokota, Lauren Brooks, Ira Glasky, Sharon Wallin and Cyril Yu, and Superintendent Terry Walker, who thanked the Irvine Company and its Chairman Donald Bren on behalf of the District.
This gift represents a $2 million annual increase to the Company's 20-year, nearly $50 million commitment to support arts, music and science education in the District.
Superintendent Walker said, “On behalf of the Board of Education and our entire district, I would like to thank Mr. Bren and the Irvine Company for the profound and enduring difference their commitment has made in the lives of our students. Your contributions have enabled IUSD to preserve and increase opportunities in subjects that are critical for success in college and career readiness. We could not be more grateful.”
The Excellence in Education Enrichment Fund, established by Irvine Company’s funding commitment, helps provide art, music and science teachers for every fourth- through sixth-grade student in the District. Instruction includes two one-hour science lessons per week, two 40-minute music lessons per week, and six one-hour art lessons per year – all taught by highly specialized instructors. Since 2006, this program has helped more than 150,000 students!
“Education has always been at the core of our planning principles in Irvine, and today’s contribution deepens our Company’s decades-long partnership with IUSD, students and families to support enrichment programs in science, art and music,” said Davis.