The LASF/LPIE booth at the Reservoir Run. Photo Jean Follmer

After days of rain, an unexpectedly beautiful Halloween morning greeted thousands of smiling Lafayette Reservoir Run participants. Adding to the delicious annual Rotary Club pancake breakfast was a community carnival to celebrate the Lafayette Arts and Science Foundation's name change. Now Lafayette Partners in Education, President Maureen Bagley could not have been more pleased. "I would like to thank the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce for letting us reveal our new name in front of a huge crowd on a beautiful day at the Reservoir Run. We had a terrific response to the unveiling of the new name, Lafayette Partners in Education," said Bagley.

Partners in Education (Partners) representatives greeted children, parents and community members, handed out reusable shopping bags with the new name, and answered questions about the name change. Children had the opportunity to do scratch art, try their hand at a Warhol-inspired mural, use their math and judgment skills to make "estimates" and fly down the inflatable bouncy slide in the Plaza Center parking lot.

Thirty years ago, LASF was started to fill the state funding gaps in the arts and sciences. Over the years, LASF grew to meet the needs of the Lafayette School District, Acalanes High School and the Lafayette community. While staying true to the Arts and Sciences, LASF also provides extensive support in the areas of: Music and Drama, Health, Math, Humanities and Technology. "The name Lafayette Partners in Education more accurately reflects the current role of the education foundation. The financial needs of our schools have grown significantly and the education foundation has had to reach out to a greater number of community partners to help us reach our fundraising goals. We work very closely with parent organizations, teachers and administrators, our own instructors and the local business community. We chose the name in recognition of these critical partnerships," explained Bagley.

Partners plans to continue to strengthen its working relationship with school site parent organizations. This month, Partners is forming an advisory committee that will review the way the education foundation is organized and to ensure all partner organizations have a strong voice in its operations.

"Although we have changed our name, we are still the same great organization with the mission of supporting and enriching the education of all public school students in Lafayette," finished Bagley.