Cultivating Community in Hillsboro Schools

As part of SVP Portland, the Encore Fellows Program provides a source of expertise for nonprofit organizations, helps individuals (Fellows) transition from their careers into social-purpose work, and gives corporations a new way to positively impact their communities. Encore Fellows who have retired from a career are matched with host nonprofit organizations based on their passions, skills, and experience.

“I am an educator and I have been for most of my life,” says Dr. Bruce Smith. “I come from a family of educators, and I am still an educator though I no longer teach.” Bruce has worked in K-12 and higher education for more than two decades as a teacher, professor, administrator, and coach. In 2020, after a series of prestigious positions at universities, he left the world of higher education to become more grounded in his community.

Although Bruce had little experience working with nonprofits, he contends that, “nonprofit work is community work.” His brother-in-law, Jim Mauceri, was enjoying his Encore Fellowship at Latino Network and encouraged Bruce to become a Fellow. Bruce has a vast amount of grant writing and teaching experience, so being an Encore Fellow at Hillsboro Schools Foundation (HSF) was an excellent fit for him.

Funding for public schools has diminished over the years, while the importance of public schools increases. That’s where HSF comes in – founded by a small group of passionate volunteers in 2001, the foundation strives to support innovative educational programs that fall outside normal school funding. HSF funds enrichment through grants, as well as after-school clubs and materials for science, technology, engineering, and math. Bruce was assigned to ten schools with a goal to increase the number of grant requests. He used his background in teaching and coaching to show teachers how to turn an idea into a grant proposal. “Teachers are entrepreneurs already because they are innovative in their classrooms,” says Bruce, “and I just had to show them how to turn their ideas into initiatives, encourage them to dream big, have courage, and think about sustainability.” He made teachers feel empowered and trusted, and in turn, he was inspired by seeing teachers and students receive grants for projects that create a sense of belonging.

So far, more than four million in grants have been invested in Hillsboro Schools, with 36 schools supported. Bruce helped distribute grants for projects such as planting gardens, buying equipment for a maker space, and building a greenhouse. One school is even creating a book mobile to take reading programs to the homes of kids! “I was extremely happy during the six months I spent in Hillsboro, working with incredible teachers and Hillsboro Schools Foundation colleagues.”