Great teaching lights the fire. Great communities bring the kindling."

That's not the Warwick Education Foundation's (WEF) official mission statement. But it is a catchy phrase shared by Barb Mobley that encapsulates what WEF does and what it's all about.

"The education foundation enriches education for students, over and above what the school district is able to provide through its budget process," said Mobley, who's been WEF's executive director for 13 years. "We do that by providing grants to teachers. They're creative people. They know what's needed in the classroom. We're investing in the future of our community."

WEF, which does not operate out of a brick-and-mortar building or office, provides teachers throughout the Warwick School District with two opportunities each year - once in the spring and once in the fall - to apply for monetary educational grants that are used to enhance their students' learning experiences. WEF reviews and evaluates the grant proposals before approving them.

"Education is about creating a foundation so kids can be successful and solve problems," said Mobley. "It can give them experiences that make them productive citizens in our world."

"I think my favorite part is seeing the grants implemented," added Mobley. "My personal passion is seeing kids get experiences they might not otherwise get. Our role is to bring opportunities to kids. That's what it's all about."

To this point of the 2024-25 school year, WEF has approved 57 educational grants throughout the school district, some as large as $150,000. During the 28 years of its existence, WEF, which is overseen by a 15-member board, has awarded grants totaling more than $3.8 million.

Those grants have been used for things like expert presentations, speakers, extracurricular programs, technology resources and equipment.

"We work well together, but the education foundation is completely separate from the school district," said Mobley. "We're definitely partners. They're the experts. They know how to teach. Our role is to provide resources above and beyond."

There are currently more than 3,700 students in kindergarten through 12th grade enrolled in the Warwick School District. The school district operates six schools: Warwick High School, Warwick Middle School, Lititz Elementary, Kissel Hill Elementary, John Beck Elementary and John R. Bonfield Elementary.

"It's important that people understand that we can strengthen not just the individual students, but also the community," said Mobley, WEF's only paid employee. "Hopefully, we're making the school district stronger and making the area more attractive. The thinking is larger."

WEF's work is supported through fundraising events, business contributions, private donations and Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program.

"Many people support us," said Mobley. "We have very supportive businesses in our area who have been generous over the years. There are people who believe in our mission and want to help make things happen."

WEF's practices differ from some other education foundations in Lancaster County.

"I think most school districts (in Lancaster County) have education foundations, but they're not all the same," said Mobley. "It's just the way they've evolved. At Warwick, we don't have specific scholarships for students. To us, it makes sense for the money to go into their education while they're at Warwick. With other education foundations, the money is utilized in the students' next journey. Some foundations have endowments. We want to give out as much money as we take in to teachers and students."

Partly through the vision of former Warwick School District superintendent John George, WEF was established in 1997. Some of the original WEF board members donated money out of their own pockets to fund the modest grants of that time.

"It's really a grassroots organization," said Mobley. "Since then, the education foundation has changed in several ways. The amount of connections we've made and the money we've been able to make has increased over the years. The number of grants that we have has ballooned."

For additional information, go to http://www.warwickef.org.