Tag: Appleton Education Foundation

Linda Sue Park, the author of “A Long Walk to Water,” stood in front of a full auditorium at Roosevelt Middle School Tuesday, April 14, and asked for a show of hands of first-born girls in the audience. With hands waving all over the room, Park told them that if they had been born in the […]

Saturday, July 30, is National Support Public Education Day. What’s worth celebrating? Nearly 86% of Wisconsin’s K-12 students attend public schools, according to this 2019-20 DPI report. The Appleton Area School District (AASD) is the sixth-largest district in Wisconsin, serving more than 15,000 students and their families. Nearly 90% of students who reside within AASD’s […]

Twenty-five years ago, Appleton’s strongest advocates for education conceived of a nonprofit that could take in private gifts and use them to support educators’ best ideas as a partner of the tax-supported school establishment, but independent in its decision-making. Recently I read through a list of the very first grants the Appleton Education Foundation (AEF) […]

Hello! My name is Julie Pahnke and I am Appleton Education Foundation’s new Grants and Scholarships Manager. This is a newly created role where I’ll manage and further develop the Appleton Education Foundation’s growing grant and scholarship programs. It is a pleasure to be working with the wonderful, talented and dedicated team members that make […]

Every time I chat with an educator, deliver a grant, or read a final grant report, I am reminded of the passion educators bring to their work every day. It’s humbling to support them through grants and other funding. As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to lift up the educators in our community […]

A new charitable fund dedicated to improving supporting early childhood needs in the Fox Valley has been established within the Community Foundation to mark the end of Dr. John Mielke’s 26 years on the Appleton Area School District’s Board of Education and to honor his service and that of Sally Mielke, his wife, to many causes […]

Did you know that the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region awarded $1.75 million in scholarships in 2024? Scholarships were awarded from among 238 funds created by people, businesses, and organizations to help students achieve their educational dreams. Many thanks to the generous donors who are partnering with us to make this incredible achievement […]

The Fox Valley has lost a generation, its greatest generation. Not five months after the passing of construction giant O.C. Boldt, we lose Dr. John Mielke, a retired cardiologist who gave us his heart. Dr. Mielke died Wednesday morning. He once said he didn’t believe people should retire, but rather retire into something. The list […]

John and Sally Mielke have impacted countless lives through their careers and philanthropy across healthcare, education, and early childhood. While it has been almost four years since the passing of Dr. John Mielke, we do not have to look far to see his legacy at work throughout the community. His good work is in the […]

It was a major announcement. Decorated pro golfer and philanthropist Mary Beth Nienhaus was breaking the seal of secrecy on her donation of Winagamie Golf Course to the Appleton Education Foundation. But there always are stories behind the story.

By Julie Krause, Executive Director, Appleton Education Foundation  The Appleton Education Foundation’s choice for its 2020 leadership honors is someone dedicated to improving education in our community – from the very youngest learners to students attending Fox Valley Technical College or Lawrence University. In nominating Sally Mielke for the annual Thomas G. Scullen Leadership Award, […]