About SEED
Sunset Elementary Enrichment Drive, Sunset’s school foundation, was founded in 2005 by a group of involved parents. SEED is a pioneering effort. School foundations are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States -very few foundations of this nature exist in Florida.
SEED’s objective is to advocate and raise funds for innovative technology and curricular initiatives at Sunset Elementary, while remaining flexible and sensitive to Sunset's needs. Funds are raised through grants, and by reaching out to individuals, corporations, and foundations that contribute to educational causes. SEED fundraises for endeavors at Sunset Elementary that are generally not the responsibility of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS).
SEED has successfully raised close to $14 million for Sunset Elementary through grants, donations and advocacy. Grants have totaled $62,500, including $37,500 from Hewlett-Packard and Best Buy in 2006 for “Whilring Winds,” a hurricane study project. With help from SEED, Sunset Elementary was awarded the 2007 Goldman Sachs National Prize for Excellence in International Education. This award, which included a $25,000 gift, is granted to only one school in the United States each year, selected from the universe of all public and private elementary and middle schools in the country (Read more on this award.) Through the Giving Tree and the Brick Campaign, parents and corporations have donated nearly $130,000 since SEED's inception. Through local government advocacy, SEED led a schoolwide effort (BAC) for a new school building and renovations to existing facilities totaling $12 million in 2008. In 2009 SEED formed the Sunset Advocacy Committee (SAC) to protect Sunset Elementary from impending governmental budget cuts. SAC's efforts protected Sunset Elementary from a budgetary loss of $277,000 for the 2009-10 school year. Click here to read more about BAC and here to read more about SAC. 
During the past two years, SEED has funded technology for multidisciplinary project-based learning initiatives, teacher professional development programs, math manipulatives, science kits, beautification, new math curriculum for Pangea students, Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) training, light and sound system in the cafeteria, and technology for the new "Hands-On Minds-On Lab." This lab reaches all Sunset Elementary students in grades two through five, and provides them with instruction in world math and science.