About Us
We believe all children can discover their passion, define their future, and change the world.
Our Work
Redwood City Education Foundation (RCEF) was established in 1983 by concerned parents and community members in response to legislation that drastically reduced critical revenue in the form of property taxes that funded local schools. As a result, RCEF established itself as a voice for the community focused on providing financial support, targeted advocacy, and meaningful engagement to address inequities and help all students thrive.
This philosophy is still strong today, and in the rapidly-changing landscape of the Redwood City School District (RCSD), the Foundation recognized the need to reemphasize its roots in the community while also preparing the organization to be in the vanguard of mitigating the educational disparities experienced by local, low-income students.
While in the long-term, we still intend to provide services and increase resources for all schools in Redwood City School District. In the short-term, we are intentionally shifting our focus to support schools with large percentages of low-income students who qualify for Free and Reduced-Price Lunch.
By proactively supporting underserved students, this model improves their ability to meet math and literacy proficiency standards; thereby reducing enrollment in remedial courses and increasing their likelihood of meaningful success in high school and beyond.
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We support students by investing in targeted programs that improve reading and math scores and strengthen student engagement and social-emotional learning.
We advocate for increases in per-pupil funding for all schools in RCSD by driving coalitions to support policies impacting underserved students and monitoring revenue-generating opportunities.
We engage with the community to better understand the needs of schools and families. We share learning and best practices by creating opportunities for connections between families and schools.
Board of Directors
Shannon Petrello
RCEF President
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
Ann Hynecek
RCEF Secretary
The HELLO Studio
Otoniel Escobar
Board Member
Zoox
Ben Packer
Programs Committee Lead
Alana Ballon
RCEF Vice President
Wiz
Dr. John Baker
Board Member
RCSD Superintendent
Lilli Milton
Board Member
Homeless Prenatal Program
Jessica Tsang
Nominating Lead
Education Consultant
Ed Yee
RCEF Treasurer
Oracle
Jodie Antypas
Board Member
Electronic Arts (EA)
Pati Ortiz
Development Lead
Venture Leadership Consulting
The Redwood City Education Foundation (RCEF) is excited to announce openings on our Board of Directors. Our team is dedicated to improving the academic performance of underserved students in Redwood City School District. In particular, we support those schools with the highest proportion of low-income students by funding programs that improve reading and math scores and strengthen student engagement and social-emotional learning.
Members of the RCEF Board of Directors are volunteers who use their personal and professional resources and expertise to:
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Support fundraising campaigns
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Build community relationships
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Connect families and students with community resources
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Guide the organization’s strategic direction
As an organization committed to equity, we are looking for prospective board members who critically examine the public school system and ways to improve it. Being an RCSD parent is not required.
Interested in joining our Board? Email us at info@rcef.org to learn more.
Ready to apply? Fill out the application here.
Our Partners
Let's Connect
To learn more about the Redwood City Education Foundation, please contact us: