Cheryl Hilyard, representing Central Tech Foundation, Inc., was among the nearly 300 local education foundation board members, community leaders, teachers and school administrators who recently attended the 16 th annual Fall Forum for Local Education Foundations, held on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman. The Fall Forum, sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, provides a one-of-a-kind networking and training opportunity for local education foundation volunteers, school administrators and educators from throughout Oklahoma.

Local education foundations (LEFs) are nonprofit organizations that raise private funds for local public schools. These foundations provide grants for special classroom projects and other programs that are not covered by a school district's annual budget. Oklahoma is a national leader in the number of LEFs per capita, with 166 total. The Central Tech Foundation supports programs and students at Central Tech's campuses in Drumright and Sapulpa . Current Foundation Board members include Fred Caudle, Wendell Bookout, Eddie Walker, Shirley Klaus and Debbie Watson.