Athena-Weston Education Foundation
The Athena-Weston Education Foundation is a long-standing organization supporting educators within our district by providing resources and funding to supplement district budgets.
The Athena Weston Education Foundation will pursue the following mission: The Athena-Weston Education Foundation supports strong public schools in our communities by developing and maintaining strategic partnerships to fund programs that inspire and increase student achievement, as specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The organization was created to assist the young people of the area and to help ensure that they continue to receive the best possible education in the public school district. The organization will fundraise to support academic excellence and specific initiatives to improve performance. The organization will not give scholarships. Instead, the organization will work with teachers, parents, and district officials to identify needs and opportunities to improve performance.
Special Event
We are excited to announce the Second Annual AWEF Dinner and Auction Fundraiser, “Flappers and Fedoras - A Night in Black and White," which will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2025, from 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm at Gem Theatre in Athena.
The foundation’s goal is to monetarily support purposeful donation requests. Funds raised at the dinner and auction event will be used to directly support the mission of the foundation.
Please join us for a fun evening that will include appetizers, black and white short films, a silent auction, and dancing with music provided by a live band! Tickets will go on sale May 1, 2025.
We are currently accepting donations for the siletn auction. Donations can be added to specific themed packages or be used singularly. Items can be mailed to or dropped off at Athena Elementary School (375 S. 5th St., Athena, OR 97813), or we would be happy to arrange for donation pick-up. Please call or text at 541-969-6191 or email athwestfoundation@gmail.com to make pick-up arrangements.
To Donate use our QR Code
Monetary donations will be directly applied to grant funds.
Thank you for your support of AWEF’s mission to support the teachers and students of the Athena-Weston School District.
Teachers can apply today:
Three Grants Awarded From the First Grant Cycle of 2024-2025 School Year!
Ms. Amber Doremus will receive funds to develop a leather carving elective class for middle school students. While many Weston Middle School (WMS) students have been introduced to the art of leather tooling during a Friday-only elective, these funds will allow students to build and develop more in-depth abilities relevant to a $100 billion industry. The WMS staff has incredible talent in this traditional art, and the tools and materials funded by the grant aligns with the District’s Career Connected Learning and Career and Technical Education (CTE) initiative.
Mr. Craig Taylor, who teaches music at Athena Elementary School, will receive AWEF grant funding for a set of recorders to use in the 3rd grade music class. This foundational instrument will build skills and excitement for music, feeding into the District’s avid and renowned music program. Recorders are also a fundamental step in teaching students to play the bagpipes, a long-standing Athena-Weston tradition.
Mrs. Karen Moore will be granted AWEF funding to supplement the Home Economics course at Weston Middle School (WMS). Mrs. Moore’s middle school students are exposed to the essential life skills of cooking, baking, and sewing. This critical program may be disappearing from many districts, but AWEF grant funds will purchase necessary supplies, allowing WMS to continue helping students successfully meld math and science into food preparation.
The Athena Weston Education Foundation does not anticipate paid staff, instead, this all-volunteer board will work with the school board, parents, and teachers to identify needs and seek funding to address those needs to augment, but not supplant existing resources. The organization may therefore engage in grant-writing, local fundraising campaigns, and educational efforts to support the school district.