The Tahoe Truckee Excellence in Education Foundation was honored this last week by the California Consortium of Education Foundation at its annual conference.

Excellence in Education Executive Director Laura Abbey Brown was in Los Angeles to accept the Apple Award for Programs and Outreach for the statewide education association’s successful Education Matters project.

“It is a prestigious award within the association,” Brown said. “But more than that, it was very validating.”

Because the Education Matters project has proven to be such a thriving example of community outreach, the consortium also asked Brown to sit on a panel with conference key note speakers for educational workshops addressing community partnerships and outreach efforts.

“It was encouraging to feel like we created something that truly works, and a model that could go into other communities as well,” Brown said.

Being recognized gave the Excellence in Education Foundation an added boost of confidence as Education Matters pushes forward with phase two.

“I really feel like the lion’s share of the work in front of us, not behind us,” said Brown.

Education Matters is a collaborative effort between the school district, community members and three local foundations ” the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Tahoe Truckee Excellence in Education Foundation and the Lahontan Community Foundation ” to assess and fund educational needs in the community.

In late spring, nearly a dozen community forums were held in Truckee and on the North Shore where parents, educators and students gathered to discuss educational needs and desires.

Eight priorities were identified, and beginning this week, meetings on the first issue ” Safe, Healthy Environment ” will get underway.

“We will revisit what the community desires of the outcomes, identify existing programs and resources, and then brainstorm and prioritize strategies,” said project coordinator Kim Bradley.

When those strategies have been pinned down, the committee will make a proposal for action to the school board early in the new year, and if approved, implementation will begin, Bradley said.

“We really want to keep this alive and make things happen,” Bradley said. “And now we need people to roll up their sleeves and do the work with us.”