With the beginning of each new year, we have the opportunity to begin anew. We are given the gift of anticipation for a year better than the last, the expectation of fulfilling our dreams, and the excitement that comes with new paths to travel.
We begin 2015 with gratitude for all the donors who gave during 2014. The students of DPS benefited from a greater response to #Giving Tuesday in December than we experienced the year before. We are grateful for the promise made and kept by Ms. Kenya Moore for her generous gift to her alma mater, Cass Technical High School. We are pleased with the success of our first Champions of Education recognition program. Each of these, and many other contributions and engagements heighten our anticipation of a bright year ahead.
Our mission is straightforward; to create and enhance educational opportunities for DPS students. Our expectation of fulfilling this mission is grounded in our belief that the community recognizes the value in and necessity to support our students. As our city continues its revitalization, we know that the forward movement we are experiencing will slow, or even halt, if we do not prepare the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, executives, and social contributors to actively participate in shaping the new Detroit. Our expectation in 2015 is that the Foundation will play an ever more important role in supporting our schools.
We do not know what lies ahead in 2015. However, that is a part of the excitement that we feel as we think about the possibilities. There is no doubt that our priorities of early childhood education, the fine and performing arts, preparation for STEM careers, and experiences outside of the classroom continue to be future oriented and transformative for many students. It is exciting to read the evaluation reports from grant awardees. The knowledge that what we do matters is energizing. The chance to have greater impact in the year ahead is truly exciting.
We look forward to a year filled with opportunity. We look forward to strengthening old relationships and creating new ones. We welcome advice and recommendations from all of you who are partners with us in enhancing the education of our students. We wish for you a prosperous year, and trust that you too begin anew with anticipation, expectation, and excitement.