AMLE Foundation Fund

For more than four decades, AMLE has provided services that positively affect the lives of countless middle school students and their families, but our work is just beginning.

The AMLE Foundation Fund offers a special opportunity for you to support and sustain efforts to meet the needs of middle grades students, educators, and families in the 21st century. The AMLE Foundation Fund we will be able to realize its goals through contributions from AMLE members and others who recognize the value of the leadership, resources, and services provided by AMLE.

Three types of gifts are possible: lifetime gifts, charitable bequests, and individual annual donations.

We invite you to support our young adolescents and those that serve them by making a tax-deductible gift to the Foundation Fund.

Recognition LevelGiving Level
Founders Club$5,000 and above
Platinum Friend$2,500–$4,999
Gold Friend$1,000–$2,499
Silver Friend$500–$999
Bronze Friend$250–$499
Friend$100–$249
Donorup to $100

What We Do

The Foundation Fund supports a number of initiatives that fulfill the mission of AMLE and help educators reach every student and create great schools:

The Successful Middle School Grant
The purpose of the Successful Middle School Grant is to provide funding for educators engaged in promising, research-based practices that fulfil one or more of the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools*

Educator of the Year

AMLE Educator of the Year
An award program which recognizes and supports outstanding middle school educators

CMLA Chapter Grant

CMLA Chapter Grants
Supporting an undergraduate collegiate middle level association chapter which has demonstrated a commitment to the preparation of future middle grades teachers

The Successful Middle School Research Project
The purpose of the Successful Middle School Research Project is to advance middle level education research and innovation utilizing data collected from hundreds of schools around the world through AMLE’s Successful Middle School Assessment.

The Legacy Circle

The purpose of the Legacy Circle is to provide Foundation Donors with a way to permanently honor individuals whose actions have impacted the education and well-being of young adolescents at any level or position by supporting the future of middle level education through a single or collective donation of $5000 or more per honoree. Anyone may nominate a candidate for this honor. After the candidate is vetted, they will be inducted into the Legacy Circle when a total of $5,000 has been donated to the Foundation in honor or memory of the nominee.

The Middle Level Legacy Project

The Foundation Fund also seeks to inspire middle school educators with resources that document the development, evolution, and progress of contemporary middle level education. We encourage you to explore the Middle Level Legacy Video Series and our Founders of the American Middle School Video Series.

Legacy of Middle Level Leaders
Middle School Founders

Committee

The AMLE Foundation Fund Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Trustees.

Patti Kinney, Chair
Randy Jensen, Vice Chair
Steve Norlin Weaver
Rebecca Lawson
James Barnes
Nancy Ruppert
Jen Cort
Joanne Previts
Micki Caskey

Christine Thielen
Chris Toy
Josephine Zbylut-Birky
John Swaim (Ex officio)
Char Pike (Ex officio)
Bruce Bailey (Ex officio)
Stephanie Patton (Ex officio)
Stephanie Simpson (Ex officio)

Collaboration Mini-Grant

*The Successful Middle School Grant replaces the sunset Collaboration Mini-Grant. Join us in continuing to celebrate past winners of the Collaboration Mini-Grant:

2023
North Branch School
Lee County Middle School West

2022
Midwest City Middle School

2021
Ridgeview Charter Middle School
North Branch School

2020
Dallas Center-Grimes Meadows
Druid Hills Academy

2019
Hastings Middle School
Colegio Americano de Guatemala

2018
Avonworth Middle School
Ewa Makai Middle School

2017
Hudson Middle School
North Hills Middle School

2016
Coastal Middle School

2014
Vance Middle School