Samohi Sophomore Gives Back to Education Foundation

When Samohi sophomore Aurora Delaney saw an article about a poetry reading contest in the Santa Monica Daily Press, she was intrigued. Hosted by Halton Pardee + Partners, the contest gave local students the opportunity to donate $500 to the nonprofit of their choice if they were one of first 20 students to memorize and recite the Edgar Albert Guest poem “It Couldn’t Be Done.”

Aurora took a couple days to memorize the poem and then recited it perfectly on her first try, earning the $500 donation. When asked where she wanted to donate the money, Aurora says she immediately thought of the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation. “When I was at SMASH in 3rd grade, we were given recorders to play [funded by the Ed Foundation]. This started my interest in music and I eventually played the viola through 8th grade,” Aurora said. “Being exposed to music is so important and I wanted the younger kids to have the same opportunity. So, when asked which organization to donate to, it was an easy decision.” The Ed Foundation is an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit that exists solely to fund staff and programs in the Santa Monica-Monica Unified School District. At Samohi, annual donations and the Ed Foundation’s endowments support the Restorative Justice program, Equal Opportunity School program, Night Owl Tutoring for Athletes, library books and materials, the theater program, grants for visual arts teachers, semi-private music lessons and instruments for qualifying students and the AVID Program. For a full list of programs funded by donations to the Ed Foundation, see our programs page.  Thank you, Aurora, and all donors to the Ed Foundation, for supporting students! If you have not donated yet, you can make your contribution online now.