Thanks to your kind donations and the matching gift of $2500 from a generous anonymous donor, Red Hook High School will benefit from the interdisciplinary opportunities of an Einscan Pro 2X Plus 3D Scanner & Laptop!

Now Red Hook High School students will get hands-on experience with some of the most advanced technology used in the many fields of 3D design, fabrication, and production. The possible projects are limitless! 

• Students in TECH courses would be able to scan real structures & reproduce them.
• Students in BIO classes would be able to scan & replicate organs after dissection.
• Students in ART courses would be be able to work with museums to scan sculptures.
• Students in SOCIAL STUDIES classes could use the scanner on field trips.
• Students in AUTOMOTIVE classes could replicate car parts.

The 3D scanner is educational, easy-to-use and super cool for school! But with a $10K price tag, we needed YOUR help. And you delivered. THANK YOU!

Here’s a quick intro to how it works:

RHEF is always looking to fund events, programs and tools that help make the education of Red Hook students even more robust. So please consider making a donation or regular donations to our foundation. Any amount is a BIG help toward making dreams like this 3D scanner a reality:

Red Hook Education Foundation is delighted to have once again co-sponsored The Red Hook Summer Academy, a grant-funded enrichment program for rising 8th grade students through graduating seniors. This program is FREE to students and includes courses such as SAT Prep, Automotive Tech, Coding, Farm to Table Cooking, Acoustic Guitar, World Languages and much more!

Registration is closed, but you can check out these links to see what was on offer in 2021:

• 2021 Summer Academy Course Listings

• 2021 Summer Academy Course Calendar

The Sunday afternoon of May 23rd, 2021, marked the soft launch of the new 700-seat performing arts theater, with the high school spring musical performance of The Fantasticks, which was web-streamed from there live. (Click here for more info.)

It’s been a long journey — from the special vote in late 2017, to the groundbreaking in June of 2019, to the continuation of construction through a pandemic, all the way to its completion this past April of 2021.

We are so proud to have been a part of helping make the auditorium a reality, and are so delighted that Red Hook kids are now, at long last, getting to enjoy it. We’re looking forward to all the wonderful performances and community events that will surely grace the stage!

On Friday, March 5, 2021, Red Hook chocolate lovers gathered for RHEF’s “Everything’s Coming Up Chocolate” Winter Fundraiser. A $20 ticket got everyone a Taste Budd’s Chocolate Tasting Kit, a raffle ticket, and a Zoom link for an evening of rich chocolate knowledge imparted virtually by Taste Budd’s owner, chef and chocolatier, Dan Budd. 

We all had fun learning about about chocolate and raised about $2400 for two great causes: our Student in Need Initiative and our Equity Initiative.

Our Student-in-Need Initiative supports programs throughout the year that align with RHEF’s mission of equity for all students, regardless of their ability to pay. Donations provide, among other items, clothing, eye glasses, field trip funds, exam fees, and school supplies for Red Hook students.  These are just a few of the many ways your contribution makes a difference for Red Hook kids.

Our newest initiative is the Equity Initiative. We are fundraising for an exciting new district initiative led by Educational Elements, a hands-on consulting group that will assist RHCSD in creating a more positive and equitable learning environment.

If you weren’t able to join us but would like to DONATE please click here or on the yellow “Donate” button in the upper right or lower left.

December 2020

Dear Friends,

We hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe during this time of crisis. As you know, RHEF’s fundraising benefit at Bard’s Spiegeltent, our Tenth Annual, was cancelled this year. We thank you for your generosity over the past nine years to support our school district. And now, more than ever, many students in our community need our continued support. 

So, we are asking you to please consider donating what you can as the year comes to a close.  You can do so by visiting our website at www.redhookeducationfoundation.com and clicking on the Donate link, or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 2, Red Hook, NY 12571.

Thanks to your generosity in the spring, RHEF was able to provide our school district with $3,000 of gift cards from Hannaford and Walmart to distribute to families facing economic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.  We are in the process of providing more of the same as the holidays approach.

The Foundation has also continued to fund grants such as the high school’s Mentor program, highlighted at the school board meeting on Nov.18^th.

We are continually engaging with the Red Hook Central School District to determine their emerging needs and how RHEF, in partnership with generous donors like you, can best provide support.  Recently we were approached by the district to aide in funding equity work.  We are working with the Red Hook Equity Collective (RHEC) to fundraise for an exciting new initiative led by Educational Elements, a hands-on consulting group that will assist RHCSD in creating a more positive and equitable learning environment.  If you would like to donate specifically to this initiative, please indicate that when you make your donation.

We look forward to a time when we can all come together again and celebrate with our wonderful community.  

You have our enduring thanks.

The Board of the Red Hook Education Foundation

Thanks to all who came out on Friday, February 21st for our 8th Annual Winterfest Fundraiser! We enjoyed the drinks and digs of Hudson Valley Distillers, the music of the always lively T McCann Band, and the company of good friends and neighbors. It was a wonderful night of music, food and fun in support of the PTA’s STEAM Night at Mill Road — over $2500 was raised! We can always count on our wonderful Red Hook community to come together in support of our schools and kids.

The original invite for this event:

The Red Hook Summer Academy provides local students — incoming 9th-12th graders, plus those who just graduated — with learning opportunities that would otherwise not be available to them during the typical school year.  Best of all, these courses are offered at no cost to the students, thanks to sponsorships from local organizations, including the Red Hook Education Foundation.

The program was conceived and implemented by the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, launched in the summer of 2018, and draws on the many skills and expertise of the school district and our community.

See below for this year’s offerings, as well as previous summer curricula. To register, visit Family ID (an online tool the Red Hook School District uses for various school programs) and search ‘Red Hook Summer Academy Program’. Complete course schedules, including dates and times, are viewable there.

2019 Red Hook Summer Academy Course Offerings

SAT English: Learn to navigate the SAT reading, vocabulary and writing skills. Students will learn strategies for all question types (sentence completion, vocabulary, critical reading, and writing).

SAT Math: Students will review the style and content of the SAT Math exam. Learn helpful strategies and techniques. An SAT book will be provided. Students must have a graphing calculator and have completed Algebra I and Geometry as prerequisites. Two sections of this course will be offered.

Video Production: Learn how to storyboard a short film from start to finish in all roles of production. After compiling a sufficient amount of footage, students will learn to edit and create a finished product.

iSquad: Training for students interested in being part of the first-ever RHHS Student Tech Support Team. Work with members of the district’s technology department to build this pilot program while getting on the job experience as tech support during the school year.

Construction Systems: Students will learn basic construction techniques, such as: framing, roofing, and installing drywall. Along with practical knowledge, tips and tricks, students will be immersed in a plethora of equipment that are used by professionals in the field.

Sustainability for a Brighter Tomorrow: This class will give you the opportunity to learn about sustainability and the many ways we can use our understanding of what goes into producing and discarding goods to become conscientious consumers. We will develop strategies that we can use to diminish our impact on the environment and create materials that we can use to advocate for a more sustainable lifestyle.

Farm to Table Cooking and Baking: This class will showcase the abundance of wonderful agricultural resources in the Hudson Valley, utilizing fresh, seasonal ingredients from local sources.

Talking About Money: High school students are at most a few years away from some very adult decisions. Participants in this class will have conversations about money and finances as we address issues that may arise in the first few years of adulthood. Topics include budgets, savings, debt, credit, investing, transportation, housing, and taxes.

Automotive Technology: Learn basic car maintenance from how to fix a flat tire to changing your oil, basic car care and how major systems of a car work.

Hamlet in a Hurry: This course is designed for high school students who want to “Speak the speech, trippingly on the tongue.” For one week we will explore an abbreviated version of Shakespeare’s HAMLET and rehearse it as quickly as was done in 1599. The last hour of the class we will present it to anyone willing to attend!

Topics in Food Studies: A wide range of current topics in food from post workout eating to event planning, catering, and more. The culminating project will have students creating a food truck experience.

Computer Aided Design (CAD): Students will begin to dig into the engineering design process, applying STEM standards to hands-on projects of innovation and design improvement. Designs will be brought to life using Autodesk Inventor. Basic and advanced concepts will be covered.

Coding with SCRATCH: Learn coding skills by creating games using the program language SCRATCH. Learn about coding concepts such as sequencing, loops, events, conditionals and operators while creating different games. Share your games online where you can challenge your friends to beat each other’s scores.

Peer Tutoring Training: The Peer Tutoring class is designed to train students how to be motivational and effective peer tutors. We will learn strategies and design implementation plans to assist Red Hook High School students who struggle with academics. Students who complete the training and commit to tutoring hours during the school year will receive Community Service Credit.

The College Essay: Do you want to get a jump on the college essay process or even complete your essay before the school year starts? Polish and organize your writing in this helpful workshop.

Improv and Storytelling: This program will focus on cultivating group mind, creating characters, and exercising the most integral part of improv “Yes And!” Participants will learn to take risks, explore authentic forms of self-expression, and operate as a collaborative group.

Computer Science: Learn how to write code in the popular programming language Python. Use computer science concepts such as variables, loops and functions while creating projects. Learn how to build graphics using Python’s Turtle.

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2018 RED HOOK SUMMER ACADEMY COURSE OFFERINGS

Wood, Metal, and Plastic Shop: work with a variety of tools such as 3D printers and laser engravers to make exciting projects.

Intro to Video Production and Editing: storyboard a short film from start to finish in all roles of production. After compiling a sufficient amount of footage, students will learn to edit and create a finished product.

Automotive Survival Skills: basic car maintenance from how to fix a flat tire to changing your oil, basic car care and how major systems of a car work.

Coding: Creative Computing Using SCRATCH: Create projects from the ground up and share with your classmates in this interactive programming course.

Adulting 101: Learn the basics for life on your own. Topics to include: basic cooking and meal planning, budgeting, responsible use of credit cards, researching and securing insurance, applying for a job, and resume writing.

Eat This Book: Literature and cooking collide in this crossover program. Students read novel excerpts and prepare foods connected to the work studied.

Farm To Table Cooking: Seasonal farm to table baking and cooking. Instructor will incorporate all that the Hudson Valley has to offer with local produce and harvest from our very own school garden.

Writing The College Essay: Do you want to get a jump on the college essay process or even complete your essay before the school year starts? Polish and organize your writing in this helpful workshop!

Art Journaling 101: Discover your creative spirit though an art journal. A mindful and thoughtful approach will be encouraged. Artists of all levels are encouraged to participate.

Digital Photography: Communicate with the viewer through the art of digital photography. This class will include portraiture, nature, landscape, symbolism, and mood. Composition, light, color, and texture will be techniques explored.

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Thank you to everyone who came out on June 28th, 2019, to the Red Hook Education Foundation’s annual fundraising gala, to celebrate our community, its excellent schools, and the projects we support. Like always, we had exceptional live music (this year featured the amazing Grace Kelly and her band — see more below), delicious food, festive cocktails, and of course dancing — all in the Bard Spiegeltent’s awe-inspiring, gilded tent!

We couldn’t have done it without all our sponsors!

More About the Grace Kelly at the 2019 RHEF Gala…

We were honored to have millennial jazz prodigy Grace Kelly perform at the 2019 Gala. Featured by Vanity Fair as a millennial shaking up the jazz world, Kelly’s state-of-the-art brand of jazz-pop is pushing her to the forefront of the fusion scene. Jon Batiste, bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, has said of her, “Grace Kelly has an electric charisma on-stage that instantly ignites the room.” Indeed, she set the Spiegeltent on fire!

Grace Kelly’s early career featured performances at Barack Obama’s 2016 inauguration and as a soloist with the Boston Pops playing an original composition arranged for the legendary orchestra; she has since then played over 900 shows as bandleader in 35 countries at venues like the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl and for the Montreal, Newport, and Montreux international jazz festivals.

Kelly has won numerous ASCAP and other songwriting awards, including a Grand Prize nod in the 2018 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for the song ‘Feels Like Home.’ 

There are always various ways to support the Gala & RHEF:

Become a Gala Sponsor – and get gala tickets with sponsorship!
Choose your sponsorship level from the pull-down menu below. Gala tickets for each sponsorship level include the following tickets:
• Starring role – 8 tickets and private booth
• Center Stage – 8 tickets
• Spotlight – 6 tickets
• Leading Role – 4 tickets
• Supporting Role – 2 tickets
For any questions about sponsorships for future galas and events, please reach out to us at info@redhookeducationfoundation.org!

Starring Role $5,000.00 USD Center Stage $2,500.00 USD Spotlight $1,000.00 USD Leading Role $500.00 USD Supporting Role $250.00 USD

Buy tickets to the Gala!
Don’t miss out on a fabulous community event that’s always a great kick-off to the summer. When our next Gala date is announced, you can buy your tix here:

Buy Tickets!

Donate an Item or Service to the Auction
It’s a great way for local businesses to support the community and attract new loyal customers. Get in touch to discuss!

Just Donate!
You can always send any extra amount you like to us via PayPal using the donate button immediately below — every little bit helps!

Thanks to everyone who turned out on a cold winter’s night on Feb 8th, 2019, to support RHEF and all the projects that help Red Hook students soar. And thanks to Hudson Valley Distillers in Clermont for hosting. We enjoyed delicious food, festive cocktails, and the lively music of the amazing T McCann Band! Because of you and your support, we’re able to make important local projects like The Summer Academy happen!