Dr. Walter Cooper Academy Fund

Since the opening of the RCSD Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School No. 10 in 2009, REF has provided resources to its students.

The REF Dr. Walter Cooper Academy Fund provided micro-libraries to students and their families during the summers of 2011, 2012 and 2013. Dr. Cooper personally delivered books and talked to families of students in need of extra reading support. This effort helped to stem summer learning loss and increased reading proficiency.

Another area where the Fund has been helpful has been in providing morning transporation to students participating in Math Club. Twenty five students in grades 3, 4 and 5 regularly participated in Math Club in 2013 thanks to donors to the Cooper Fund.

Supporting school field trips has also been a focus of the Fund, including community-building trips to "Rock Ventures" and educational trips to the Seneca Park Zoo.

In October 2014, Dr. Everett Williams, a retired educator from Buffalo and a childhood friend of Dr. Cooper, announced a $20,000 per year, multi-year gift to support literacy at the school. The gift will be used to support a summer reading program. The gift will be matched by the Rochester City School District to help make the program a high quality initiative.

Dr. Walter Cooper Academy is named in honor of Dr. Walter Cooper, a former member of the New York State Board of Regents who has exhibited a lifetime commitment to educational excellence. Dr. Cooper, a retired Eastman Kodak scientist, was the founder of Action for a Better Community and the founder and president of the Rochester Urban League. Dr. Cooper also is a member of the REF Advisory Council.

This fund is used to advance opportunities for students at the school.

Support the Program

Use the button at right to make a donation in support of Rochester Education Foundation and the Dr. Walter Cooper Academy Fund.