What We Do
Who We Are
The Foundation for Portland Public Schools (FPPS) is a nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst for increased educational opportunities, achievement, and equity for all Portland Public Schools students and staff.
Our vision is to strengthen schools through community investment. We believe that if our community comes together to support educational enrichment and innovation, together we can ensure that PPS students will be fully prepared to participate and succeed in a diverse and ever-changing world.
The Portland Public Schools is the largest and most diverse district in Maine
What We Do
Strategizing with PPS leaders
FPPS helps make the vision and goals of the district a reality, such as:
- Increasing STEM programming & opportunities
- Providing arts and cultural experiences
- Supporting social and emotional learning
Addressing Unmet Needs of our Schools
When the Portland Public Schools need help, FPPS is there. For example, our Families in Crisis and Food Funds exist to provide emergency, one time rental, utility, and/or medical relief and culturally appropriate groceries and prepared meals for vulnerable PPS families. When transportation costs rose and schools faced a shortage of bus drivers, FPPS funded transportation to ensure that students could still participate in fieldwork offsite.
Accelerating & Deepening Systemic Change
Equity is at the center of the Portland Promise, the PPS strategic plan. We are committed to the work of rooting out systemic and ongoing inequities in our schools. Recently, FPPS fundraising and community building supported these efforts:
- Recruiting, hiring, retaining and accelerating the careers of teachers of color
- Professional development for staff
- Development of culturally responsive curriculum
- The launch of a pilot program to mentor multilingual/ multicultural social workers for our schools
Community Engagement
We are the fiscal sponsor and umbrella organization for Portland Empowered. This program champions student and parent voice with a specific focus on engaging those who have historically been under-represented. FPPS is also a proud leader of the Reimagine Family Engagement work bringing together school-based parent groups from across the district.
Supporting Teachers
FPPS runs two grant programs for Portland Schools staff each year. Our aim is to empower teachers to invest in innovations they believe will have meaningful impact and reach for students. Last year, we gave over $76,000 of grants to 78 teachers.