Client Spotlight

Before partnering with this outstanding organization that is the voice for parent engagement in public education, our team knew little about them.  Well, that’s about to change!  It is time to shine the spotlight on this unique provincial, not-for-profit association that makes a difference to many Alberta students, parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, and school trustees.

The Cool Cats at Pounce Support Services™ work primarily with Wendy Keiver, the Alberta School Councils’ Association’s (ASCA) executive director.  Our role is to support ASCA with building and implementing a fund development infrastructure to secure a fundraising path forward.

The ASCA is the only organization in Alberta that:

• Brings the provincial legislated school council parent perspective on education issues to government and others;
• Provides resources and support to enhance school council effectiveness;
• Promotes the involvement and engagement of parents in education, primarily through school councils;
• Works with other education organizations and government to promote excellence in public education;
• Provides well‐researched and timely information on education to school councils.

Formed in 1929, for the first time in ASCA’s almost 100 year history, in addition to being the only provincial organization representing parents on school councils in Alberta, it now needs to raise funds.

The ASCA received word during the COVID-19 world pandemic that their only funder would no longer support operations.  Former President of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association and sworn in as the Alberta Minister of Education on April 30, 2019, Adriana LaGrange, along with her team, funded ASCA’s operations in its entirety until recently.  They cut ASCA’s annual funding from $650,000 in 2019 by almost 75% to $170,000 in 2020.  They offered a mere $15,000 for a specific project for 2021-2022, but nothing is currently pending or confirmed, which means there are zero government dollars committed at this time.

A strong supporter of ASCA, Trisha Estabrooks, Board Chair, Edmonton Public School Board, says in a letter to ASCA,

“ASCA is a small but mighty organization.  It is an organization that deserves robust support, and we are glad to offer ours.  We believe so strongly in the importance and value of ASCA that we provide all our schools with annual memberships.  We have continued this practice even as budgets tighten.”

In collaboration with the executive director, the ASCA volunteer Board of Directors concluded that they could no longer financially afford to pay the salaries of full and part-time staff.  They have cut back in as many areas as possible, resulting in a skeletal budget.  Wendy Keiver, the Executive Director, shares this important message,

“This extreme and unprecedented removal of ASCA’s funding will have a catastrophic impact
on how – or even if – ASCA can respond to the needs of
Alberta’s school councils’, and the parents who diligently serve those school councils.”

In December 2021, Wendy was facing one of the most overwhelming and heart-wrenching tasks in her career spanning more than 30 years, and that was, through no fault of their own, break up a small, well-functioning team by having to terminate the positions of people during the holidays.

This significant, shattering decrease in funding is detrimental to the existence of the ASCA.  Is it possible that it is intentional?  Regardless, this is a huge unjust situation.  Sadly, our Cool Cats have seen cases like this.  The good news is that we are strong supporters of the “underdogs,” and we will do our utmost to ensure the ASCA keeps moving forward.

To learn more about the ASCA, watch their eight-minute video here https://youtu.be/ZmeFoSpZG3A.

ASCA is delighted to present the VIRTUAL 2022 Annual Conference.  With this said, we are pleased to share some excellent and exciting sponsorship opportunities!

Do you want to reach parents on school councils in Alberta to promote your organization’s products or services?

 All participating Vendors and Sponsors receive:

• Company logo on the ASCA website for up to 12 months. Rotating homepage and Sponsor page.
• Sponsor Directory Listing – digital publication with company logo, information/description, website, and contact information.  Distributed to all attendees, posted, and shared broadly.
• 1 Free Ticket to attend the 2-day conference event.

      Here is the Sponsorship package https://www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca/public/download/files/199737.

Is your target market Alberta parents, teachers, principals, trustees, and superintendents?
Do you want to be front and center with more than 300 of our guests?

If you answered YES to either of these questions, our sponsorships are for YOU!

For more information, please contact Jolaine Kochisarli, Communications Specialist, by phone at 780-454-9687 x 102 or by email at communications@albertaschoolcouncils.ca.