Ed Darby Foundation

🚴‍♂️ What an incredible day!
Today, EDF had the privilege of riding in the Bike Club Rally alongside over 500 students. The joy on every face was something truly special to witness. 🍀
So proud to see our EDF students representing: Anderson, Celia Clinton, Hawthorne, John Hope Franklin, Springdale, and Unity showing up and showing OUT!
We rode from Hardesty National BMX Stadium all the way to The Gathering Place….and every single pedal stroke was filled with energy, pride, and pure community love.
This is what excellence looks like. 🚲✨

What does it look like when students get to dream big?
It looks like Unity’s Global Gardens kids discovering something new at Big Dipper. It looks like students stepping to the mic at Tulsa Changemakers Pitch Night to share how they’ll change their community. It looks like the fierce, brilliant debaters at Monroe Demonstration Academy.
EDF got to witness all of it this week and we are so grateful.
This is why we do what we do: ensuring every student in the McLain feeder pattern has access to experiences that show them what’s possible.

Unity Learning Academy’s Glow Night was a beautiful celebration of African American history.

Art teacher Mrs. Tomlinson turned the school into a glowing gallery where students proudly showcased their glow-in-the-dark artwork inspired by influential African American artists, innovators, and changemakers.

It was inspiring to see families walking through the displays and celebrating the creativity, history, and stories behind each piece.

The Ed Darby Foundation is proud to support ULA and all schools in the McLain feeder pattern where students are encouraged to explore, create, and shine.

The Ed Darby Foundation continues to see the incredible impact of Expanded Learning programs across the McLain feeder pattern. In recent weeks, students have been exploring new interests, building confidence, and discovering their talents through hands-on learning with some of our amazing community partners.

Students are engaging in:
📚 Literacy activities with Gaining Ground
📣 Cheerleading, basketball, flag football, art, and STEM through EnRich Ed and The Opportunity Project
🔬 STEM exploration with Education for Scholars
🌱 Global Gardens, where students are planning a new “Bob Garden” in honor of our beloved Bob Darby
🎶 Learning harmonica with Tangled Up in Tunes
🎧 Mixing and composing music with SWAT Meet
🗣 Student leadership and civic engagement with Tulsa Changemakers, who have identified gun violence as the impact topic they are working to address

Because of these dedicated partners (and many others!), students across the McLain feeder pattern are discovering new passions, developing their voices, and learning that they have the power to shape their communities.

This is what Expanded Learning is all about! It is giving students opportunities to explore, create, lead, and dream BIG.