Welcome to the San Leandro Education Foundation!

SLED is an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising resources and improving the lives and education of children in the San Leandro Unified School District. The foundation's areas of focus including enrichment, health and safety, technology, volunteerism and supporting the San Leandro High School Arts Education Center.

Click the icon at right to read SLED's 2011 Annual Report.  

San Leandro Rotary Club Donates $2,000 to SLED for Emergency Preparedness!

As part of its annual community giving program, the San Leandro Rotary Club awarded SLED $2,000 at the Rotary’s luncheon to improve the School District’s emergency preparedness. The funds will help update emergency preparedness in San Leandro schools by installing comprehensive 72-hour emergency kits in every classroom. These kits contain enough water and ration bars to sustain a classroom for three days. The wall-mounted kits also include all basic first aid supplies, a portable toilet, sanitation kits, light sticks, and safety vests.

SLED is grateful for the Rotary's support to improve the health and safety of students in the School District.

Save Our Schools!

ALL STEELE FITNESS is hosting an S.O.S. (Save Our Schools) fundraiser for SLED this upcoming Saturday.  100% of the proceeds will go directly to SLED, and thereby support the quality and substance of education in your local schools.

Enjoy a fun charity workout for a small donation of $20.  This is a great opportunity to receive a discounted workout with personal attention from fitness trainers, nutrition information, and access to all levels of skill and experience.  Please, call (510)352-7835 or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  to book a spot.



The fundraiser will take place from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on May 4th at ALL STEELE FITNESS - 14760 Wicks Blvd., San Leandro, CA 94577. 

School Board Applauds SLED's Achievements!

April 16th, 2013, SLED Board President Deborah Cox presented a report on the foundation’s activities at the meeting of the San Leandro Unified School District Board of Education. SLED’s presentation included an orientation on the foundation’s mission, milestones achieved this year, and its strategic plan for growth. Afterwards, School Board Trustees expressed their gratitude for SLED's efforts to generate resources for local education. All School Board Members, including the Student Trustee, pledged to join the "Buck-A-Month Club"! 

Wells Fargo donates $10,000 to SLED!

For a third consecutive year, Wells Fargo Bank Foundation awarded the San Leandro Education Foundation a $10,000 grant to further its mission of supporting local schools. SLED President Deborah Cox and San Leandro Unified School District Board President Diana Prola accepted the donation during a ceremony on April 2nd at the Alameda County Office of Education in Hayward.

As part of a larger giving initiative across the Bay Area, Wells Fargo officials have presented foundations in more than a dozen East Bay school districts a total of over $180,000 this year alone, helping educational non-profit organizations fund local needs and programs of their choosing.

Cox thanked Wells Fargo for its continued dedication to supporting SLED. "We would not be able to continue our mission of strengthening San Leandro schools and enriching the academic experience of our students without the support we receive from organizations such as Wells Fargo,” said Cox.

With the help of previous Wells Fargo donations, SLED provided San Leandro schools with technology improvement grants last year.

Coca-Cola Delivers $50,000 to SLED to get San Leandro Students Active!

Students at three San Leandro public elementary schools will begin next school year off in a healthier fashion thanks to a $50,000 Coca-Cola Foundation grant secured by SLED to promote active, healthy playground activities.

The grant will directly fund a recess-activity program at Wilson, McKinley, and Jefferson elementary schools and will be administered by Playworks, a non-profit that works exclusively with low-income schools to create meaningful playground activities. Playworks builds play and physical activity into a positive school environment. Their work focuses on five key areas: recess time, leadership development, class game time, interscholastic sports leagues, and out-of-school time programs.

Superintendent Cindy Cathey said, " This is an outstanding example of great things that can happen when partnerships are formed. This generous gift of $50,000 from Coca-Cola will allow SLED to support critical need programs at Wilson, McKinley, and Jefferson. We are grateful to Coca Cola and SLED for caring about our schools and the children we serve."

The Playworks program will be launched at the school sites the 2013-2014 school year starting in August. While the Coca-Cola grant will fund the bulk of the total program cost, the project still requires an additional $18,000 to ensure it is fully implemented.

SLED will match every dollar donated by the community to fully implement Playworks at these three schools. To donate to this project today, click on our donate page and send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it specifying that your donation is for this program, or mail a check to P.O. Box 3820 San Leandro CA 94578 with a note saying "For Playworks".

Pictured left to right: Cher Situm, Principal at McKinley Elementary School; Morgan Mack-Rose, SLED Board member; Matt Stine, Coca-Cola Distribution Center Manager; Alice Sarafian, SLED Board member; Mitch Huitema, SLED Board member; Marissa Loza, Jefferson Elementary student; Pete Gonzalez, Coca-Cola Lead Operator; Jim Prola, San Leandro City Council member; Deborah Cox, SLED Board President; Gordon Momon, Jefferson Elementary student; Diana Prola, SLUSD School Board President; Mike Pretto, SLED Board member; Edmund Siu, Jefferson Elementary student; Wendy Ponder, Principal at Wilson Elementary; Venus Tsui, Jefferson Elementary student; Cindy Cathey, SLUSD Superintendent; Tessa Atkinson-Adams, SLED staff; and Dora Wong, Coca-Cola Public Affairs and Communications Director. 

Accounts for Academics

Returning in its second year, Accounts for Academics allows any resident in Alameda or Contra Costa Counties to support SLED by presenting the program coupon or mentioning code STR900 when opening a qualifying checking account or loan at any of 1st USCU's branches. The new member will receive a $25 "thank you" bonus and 1st USCU will automatically donate an additional $25 to SLED. With last year's participation, 1st USCU presented SLED with a $525 gift. We thank all those who participated!

The program provides a great way for San Leandrans to invest in our public schools and the future of San Leandro by helping SLED continue its work of leveraging valuable resources where they are needed most in the San Leandro Unified School District.  Please contact 1st United Services Credit Union to participate in this fantastic program!

Drake's Brewing First Friday Event Raises $3,288 for SLED!

On the First Friday of each month, San Leandro's Drake's Brewing holds a fundraiser for a local nonprofit or school group - and in August SLED was the beneficiary. Drake's patrons were asked for a voluntary donation at the door and in total gave $3,288! This amount does not include money raised from beer sales. SLED wishes to thank First Friday participants for their generosity, the wonderful volunteers who helped make the event a success and the staff at Drake's Brewing for their ongoing commitment to supporting public education in our community.

Foundation Recruiting Founding Funders for SLED 100

The SLED 100 is an exclusive group of local residents, government representatives and business leaders who understand the importance of educating today's youth to create a strong, robust community and workforce. Founding funders who participate in the new program have committed themselves to an annual donation of at least $1,000 for three years.

SLED is incredibly grateful to the following for their commitment to join the SLED 100:

Silver Star Level ($10,000+):

• Westlake Development Partners

• Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

• OSIsoft

Star Patron Level ($1,000+):

• Bayfair Center / Madison Marquette

• Stephen Cassidy, San Leandro mayor

• Phyllis and Dr. Steven Gee

• John Gooding, owner, Quadric Group

• Tricia and Fred Reichert

• Polina and Martin Vitz, SLED board member

• Mike Weisner, owner, Paradiso

“Their support demonstrates the degree to which our community values enriching public education at a time when California ranks near the bottom of per-pupil funding and SLUSD grapples with preventing additional class size increases and cuts to music and sports programs in 2012-13,” said Deborah Cox, SLED President.

The new state budget continues the trend of cuts to K-12 education. Under the spending plan, the District alone would lose an additional $2.54 million next January if voters reject Governor Jerry Brown's tax measures in November.

Commitments by new SLED 100 members are in addition to notable contributions of $1,000 or more received during the 2011-12 fiscal year from the following: Alameda County Waste Management Authority, Leticia Alvarez, Boulevard Burger, Drake’s Brewing, The Englander, Mary Gregory, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Kathie and Jack Longinotti, Wing an Ling Mok, OSIsoft, Inc., Nancy and Mike Pretto, Jill Raimondi and Jason Proctor, Paradiso, Emily and Rob Rich, and the Wells Fargo Foundation.

SLED Wins Third Place in Energize for the Prize Contest

SLED has tied for Third Place in Energy Upgrade California's Energize for the Prize Contest, winning $2,300 thanks to Alameda County residents who made home energy improvements through the program in the last school year and designated SLED as their school organization of choice.

"The money awarded to SLED through Energize for the Prize will go directly toward funding much-needed enrichments in our public schools. We are grateful for the opportunity we were given to participate in the program this year and are looking forward to building on our success in the future by continuing to spread the word about home energy upgrades in our community," SLED President Deborah Cox said.

Energy Upgrade California is sponsored at the local level by StopWaste.org in conjunction with local governments and utilities companies including PG&E to help residents reduce their energy consumption by making their homes more insulated and energy efficient. Participants receive rebates through the program and lower their monthly energy bills.