Ojai Valley News • Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011

Donors put OEF within $5K of goal

OEF hopes to implement math programs in all OUSD elementary classes by fall

 Misty Volaski

editor@ojaivalleynews.com

 A surprising e-mail arrived in the Ojai Education Foundation in box just before Christmas last year. It was from a company in Bakersfield, and read, in part, “I saw an article in the Ojai Valley News regarding your current campaign to raise $50,000 for the purchase of computers benefitting local Ojai schools.  My company would like to donate to this effort. Please give me a call so that we can discuss the specifics.”

Phil Caruthers, OEF treasurer and member in charge of answering e-mails, was a bit wary at first. The OEF had not previously had any contact with anyone from Bakersfield, and Caruthers said he was unfamiliar with the company mentioned in the note. But, he decided to call as the e-mail had requested. 

It's a good thing he did, because within a few weeks of receiving that e-mail, Thayne Whipple, president of OEF, was handed a giant check — for a whopping $10,000. Those funds will help provide technology and  software for the Ojai Unified  School District's new Envision  Math program, and OEF hopes  to have the technology available  in every elementary and junior  high school classroom by next  fall. 

"It's a significant step toward reaching our goal," said an enthusiastic Caruthers. 

Susie Geiger, left, of Vintage Production California LLC, OUSD superintendent Hank Bangser, OEF President Thayne Whipple, and Dick Oringderff, also of Vintage Production, celebrate a $10,000 donation from the Bakersfield oil company to the Ojai Education Foundation. Along with two other recent donations, the funds will help provide high-tech math programs to Ojai Valley students

 That fateful e-mail came from Susie Geiger, director of external relations for Vintage Production California LLC in Bakersfield.  Along with Dick Oringderff, president and general manager, Geiger emphasized that her email was real, and that Vintage Production California did in fact want to support the new math program adopted by OUSD. 

Vintage Production California, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, has extensive oil and gas production in the Bakersfield area, but also has properties in Upper Ojai — hence their interest in supporting good causes in the area.  The company has also recently given funds to the Ventura County Office of Education, the Ventura County Science Fair and its Impact II program, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, and the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley. 

Geiger and Oringderff explained that their company wanted to “support organizations that are making a difference in the communities where we work and live.” 

The Envision Math program that the Ojai Unified School District has adopted features interactive software that provides visual and audio cues to help kids learn mathematical concepts.  With music, cartoons and other fun stuff infused into the math lessons, students are “getting it” more often, and more quickly, said Meiners Oaks Elementary School principal Dawn Damianos at a recent OUSD board meeting.  “It just makes math so much more interesting to students,” said Caruthers.  “Today’s kids are so tech-oriented, and this uses technology most of them are already familiar with. It does a really good job of bringing home the principles of math.”