Ector County Independent School District serves 33,500 students in the heart of the Permian Basin, just west of Midland, Texas, with Odessa squarely in its boundaries. It supports 28 elementary schools, six middle schools, five high schools and one K-12 STEM campus, so the Ector County ISD Education Foundation is a vital nonprofit organization operated by a volunteer board of directors fully dedicated to enriching the educational experiences of students and teachers within the district. Its mission is to create opportunities for education, envisioning that every student in the ECISD will be school-ready, college-ready, work-ready, and eventually world-ready.  

The Education Foundation is instrumental in providing financial support for innovative classroom projects, teacher assistance programs, and student scholarships. By fostering a collaborative environment that involves community members, local businesses, and educators, the Education Foundation aims to promote educational excellence and provide opportunities for student success. This community-driven approach helps to raise funds and increase volunteer involvement, thereby strengthening the overall impact of the foundation’s work within Ector County ISD. 

Since its inception 24 years ago, the Education Foundation has awarded more than $2.7 million in grants to support various educational initiatives. These grants are designed to encourage innovation in teaching and learning, addressing specific needs and improving educational outcomes for students. In particular, two initiatives align perfectly with Atmos Energy’s Fueling Safe and Thriving Communities childhood literacy pillar: 

• Bookworms Literacy Program: Pre-K through second grade students read along to a story in class and then receive a free copy of the book to promote at-home family reading. The program has provided new books to more than 6,000 students. 

• Book Vending Machines: When demonstrating good behavior and meeting academic goals, students may earn a token to select a free book from the vending machine. There are currently 38 vending machines across the district. 

Atmos Energy has partnered with the Education Foundation for the past five years, with employees who volunteer to unpack, count, and sort books that are delivered to the schools; they also read those books to students once a month. We have also donated funding for two book vending machines, located at the STEM Academy and Pease Elementary, and sponsored the foundation’s annual fundraiser in June 2019. In April, our Midland employees participated in the ECISD Education Foundation Bookworms Literacy Festival, distributing more than 500 free books to children. 

"We are incredibly grateful to have Atmos Energy as a partner in support of our ongoing literacy efforts – both financially and as a sounding board for new ideas or initiatives to pursue,” said Celeste Potter, executive director of the Education Foundation. “Literacy impacts our entire community, and having a business like Atmos Energy lead the charge says a great deal about the company and the people that represent them." 

Public Affairs Manager Andrea Goodson serves on the Bookworms Committee, which is a collaborative effort between the foundation, businesses, and community organizations to promote literacy. The Bookworms Committee’s goal is to put a book into the hands of every student and help build their home library. Goodson says more exposure to books develops a love of reading, which better prepares them to read at grade level by third grade.  

“Today, Atmos Energy donates book vending machines to schools throughout our eight-state service territory, but it all started in Ector County with the Bookworms Literacy Program,” said Goodson. “The Education Foundation began raising money a few years ago to put book vending machines in Odessa elementary schools, and we saw firsthand that they generated an excitement for reading. So, we expanded this concept across the 1,400 communities we serve. Thanks to the Education Foundation’s partnership, we are able to have a greater impact.” 

In September 2023, the Bookworms Committee and partners including Atmos Energy received an “Excellence in Collaboration” Beacon Award from the Nonprofit Management Center. 

To learn more and support Ector County ISD Education Foundation, please visit: ectorcountyisd.org.