A Look Back at the CEAM IDEA Gala – Over a Decade of Celebrating Education!
Despite the tremendous fun we always have together at the IDEA Gala, after careful consideration, our board felt the best stewardship of our resources at this crucial time is for our small, but mighty team to soley focus on the important advocacy work that is changing lives.
We hope you you understand and hope you will continue to support this transformative work. All students deserve education opportunities that fit their needs. Please donate to the year-end campaign today.
Now, let’s take a look back at some past gala moments and the amazing people we introduced and honored.
Above: At the 2024 CEAM Gala, attendees met several young people for whom having a choice in K-12 education altered their lives for the good. The CEAM Team program core left to right – Peter Franzen, Cici Tompkins, Lisa Smith, and Samoy Mainda are talking with Dr. Nehemiah Colyer.
Above: The Colyer Family poses at the doctoral commencement for Dr. Nehemiah Colyer. Over a decade ago, the family was able to transfer both of their sons out of a failing school district into an accredited, high performing district. Mr. and Mrs. Colyer advocated for their sons throughout their high school experiences.
Above: At the 2023 IDEA Gala, we met charter public school leaders Kelly Garrett and Kimberly Townsend. Kelly was the leader of KIPP St. Louis Public Schools, a group of six schools serving grades K-12. Kimberly was the founder of the Leadership School, which was the first charter school to open in St. Louis County. The opening of the Leadership School was allowed after the school district failed to gain full accreditation over a period of three or more years. The pair were interviewed by guest host, Shaka Mitchell from the American Federation for Children.
Along the way, we have honored some incredible people for their innovations, commitment, and advocacy. The Innovation and Discovery in Education Award (IDEA) recognizes people who have made a difference in improving access and quality in K-12 education.
The 2014 Champion of Education Reform Awards celebrated Maxine Clark.
Above: Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear, was recognized with the Champion of Education Reform in 2014 held at the Cheshire Inn in St. Louis. Maxine is leader in philanthropy and community action. She championed the arrival of charter schools like KIPP and served on the KIPP board of directors among many other nonprofits. Currently she spearheads the ambitious development of a mixed-use complex designed to house nonprofit organizations as well as teachers and nonprofit employees in affordable housing in the completely reimagined site of the old Regional Hospital in St. Louis now called the Delmar DiVine. She is pictured above with Paul Davis, father of Riverview Gardens student Robert Davis who began advocating with CEAM after hearing about our work to help families successfully transfer their students to nearby school districts. Between the two districts approximately 25% of all students transferred to other districts when the law was triggered.
Above: Attorney Joshua Schindler came to the aid of families in the unaccredited Riverview Gardens and Normandy School Districts when those districts and potential receiving districts balked at a Missouri law that allows families to transfer out of unaccredited districts. Robbyn Wahby has been working with charter public schools since her days in the office St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. Today she is the executive director of the the Missouri Charter Public School Commission. Both were recognized in 2015 with the Champion of Education Reform Award.
The 2018 CEAM Champion of Education Reform Awards Gala recognized a national leader. Former Governor Mitch Daniels helped lead the way in Indiana before taking over at Perdue University. Pictured above is the Governor with CEAM supporter Kerry Casey before she was appointed to the Missouri State Board of Education several years later.
Above: The 2016 Gala took place at the Sheldon and honored two schools for their incredible work to close the achievement gap. Stella Arondu from Northside Community School and Joe Olwig from KIPP Inspire (both charter public schools) accepted the awards on behalf of their schools.
Along the way we have shined a spotlight on incredible parent advocates who are engaging with elected leaders throughout the year. Supporting the CEAM Gala, meant ensuring that first hand experience and perspective is injected into the conversation about improving outcomes through increased K-12 options for families.
Every family, every option, every where in Missouri.
That’s what CEAM advocates are working toward in the Show Me state. Even though the gala is taking a break, our hardworking team does not. Keeping advocates engaged and reaching out to parents across the state is challenging. YOUR support helps us get to where we are going.
This month we will launch our 2025 year-end appeal in the mail and email. We hope you will respond with a donation to CEAM’s parent advocacy programs. Your donation will make a difference!