ICOE’s Foundation for Education to Host 5th Annual Autumn & the Arts Fundraiser
The Foundation for Education, a non-profit dedicated to supporting Imperial County students, will host its fifth annual Autumn & the Arts fundraiser on October 2, 2025. The event will take place at the Imperial County Office of Education and will feature live music, dinner, and silent and live auctions. This year, Imperial County Teacher of the Year Mrs. Dallana Gomez and her Culinary Arts Program students will provide the desserts for the event.
The Foundation for Education, a non-profit dedicated to supporting Imperial County students, will host its fifth annual Autumn & the Arts fundraiser on October 2, 2025. The event will take place at the Imperial County Office of Education and will feature live music, dinner, and silent and live auctions. This year, Imperial County Teacher of the Year Mrs. Dallana Gomez and her Culinary Arts Program students will provide the desserts for the event.
As part of a new tradition established last year, the Foundation will present Jacqueline Pleitez, Art Teacher at Southwest High School, with a Champion for the Arts award for her impact on the arts community and the lives of her students. Raised in Calexico, Pleitez earned a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from UC Riverside and continued her studies at the Art Institute of California, North Hollywood. In Los Angeles, she worked with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the city of Los Angeles, where she supported students of all ages and helped develop community engagement programs. She then returned to the Valley and has been teaching at Southwest High School for the past nine years. Pleitez enjoys teaching Art, especially drawing and painting, and wants her students to experience art and understand the impact it has on our lives. One of her main goals is to promote art not only in school but also in our community. Pleitez is also excited to support her students in pursuing art-related careers and provide them with the tools and knowledge they need to continue their education and future profession.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this award,” commented Mrs. Pleitez. “I honestly don't think I am doing anything different from other teachers who also pour their hearts into this profession. But I also see this award not just as a recognition for me, but for my students. They are the real champions. Their creativity and hard work are what make our classroom so special. I just feel lucky to be a small part of their journey.”
Pleitez emphasizes that art education is about more than just painting or drawing. “It teaches students how to see the world differently, to solve problems creatively, and to communicate ideas that can't always be put into words,” she said. “In the art room, students learn to take risks and learn from their mistakes as part of the process. Art helps build confidence and teaches students the value of a different perspective. These are all skills that are essential not just for school but for a successful and meaningful life.”
“We are so lucky to have passionate art teachers like Mrs. Pleitez who make a real difference in our students' lives,” said Dr. Todd Finnell, County Superintendent of Schools and President of the Foundation for Education. “Her dedication is a gift to our community, and we can’t wait to celebrate her students’ talent—and so many others—at our Autumn & the Arts Fundraiser, on October 2.”
A total of 24 student art pieces will be featured in the silent auction. This year, the public is invited to bid on the artwork by visiting https://givebutter.com/c/aata2025/auction and registering to bid. The bidding will close at 8:00 p.m. on October 2. All proceeds from the silent auction will directly benefit the young artists.
The Foundation will also auction additional art pieces, including a framed photograph donated by Paulette Donnellon, an award-winning nature and wildlife photographer, known for capturing the hidden beauty of desert ecosystems, from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to the Salton Sea. Debi Smerdon of DS Art Studio and Cristina Salazar-Saucedo will also be donating one of their stunning art pieces. Finally, the Rainforest Art Project will be donating a set of three mosaic pots that celebrate the beauty of life’s journey through the lens of the desert landscape. Artist and teacher Cristina Salazar Saucedo is currently working on this signature mosaic artwork in collaboration with students from Valley Academy School.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will support the Foundation's scholarship program, which provides financial assistance to some of Imperial County's most vulnerable students. In 2025, the Foundation awarded over $17,500 in scholarships to 35 deserving local students. Since launching its scholarship program in 2019-2020, the Foundation for Education has steadily grown its impact, awarding nearly $90,000 in scholarships to local students over the past 5 years.
For more information about the Foundation for Education and the Autumn & the Arts fundraiser, please visit foundation.icoe.org/fundraiser.