This is why I give
According to the U.S. Department of Education, all 50 states reported a teacher shortage in more than one area for the 2022-23 school year. In a 2023 report, the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Licensing Standards Board found that between 80-90 percent of our state’s school districts were impacted by teacher and substitute shortages.
The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation is dedicated to creating a pipeline of future teachers. (Photo by Allison Shelly for ALL4ED)
Richard “Dick” Schulze founded the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation (RMSFF) after stepping down as CEO of Best Buy. Two decades later, it’s the fourth largest private foundation in Minnesota based on giving. RMSFF primarily supports communities in Minnesota, where Schulze was born, raised his family, and built Best Buy; and in Florida, where he now lives and works. Its focus areas include health, human services, and education, with grants to Twin Cities nonprofits and hospitals, the University of St. Thomas, and the University of Minnesota, including a naming gift for the outdoor terrace at Carmen D. and James R. Campbell Hall, home of the Institute of Child Development.
Working with RMSFF president Mark Dienhart (PhD ‘88), CEHD proposed a scholarship to benefit undergraduate and graduate students working toward a teaching license in the high-need areas of math, science, English as a second language, and special education. Since 2014, the Schulze Future Teachers Scholars Program has funded 74 undergraduates and 90 MEd students on their way to teach in Minnesota classrooms. One scholarship recipient says, “With the Schulze Family Foundation’s generosity, I now have a new group of supporters cheering me on, a strong vote of confidence in my ability, and a reminder that the work I am going to do will be hard but essential and life-changing, both for me and the youth I advocate for.”
Working with RMSFF president Mark Dienhart (PhD ‘88), CEHD proposed a scholarship to benefit undergraduate and graduate students working toward a teaching license in the high-need areas of math, science, English as a second language, and special education. Since 2014, the Schulze Future Teachers Scholars Program has funded 74 undergraduates and 90 MEd students on their way to teach in Minnesota classrooms. One scholarship recipient says, “With the Schulze Family Foundation’s generosity, I now have a new group of supporters cheering me on, a strong vote of confidence in my ability, and a reminder that the work I am going to do will be hard but essential and life-changing, both for me and the youth I advocate for.”
“It has never been more important to ensure that children receive the best education possible,” says Dienhart. “The Schulze Family Foundation is proud to help reduce debt for future teachers and encourage more talented students to pursue this critical profession in our state.”
—ANN DINGMAN