For 34 years, The Big Event has been the EXCEL Foundation's annual fundraiser that has funded nearly 1,100 grants and raised over $1.7 million dollars awarded to individual educators and counselors in the Coeur d'Alene School District.

This year, our community and our teachers have been dealt with an unprecedented number of challenges and the amazing educators of School District 271 need your support now more than ever!

The Big Event is our signature event of the year. It’s our opportunity to showcase the previous year’s grant recipients, award grants for the current year and show the community the power of innovation and creativity in our school system. Join us for a virtual evening of dinner, friends, raffle and auctions.  Although this year’s event won’t be held in person, it is your opportunity to become involved in a truly groundbreaking effort to help our students achieve a higher level of learning.

The EXCEL Foundation funds grants to teachers for innovative classroom projects in Coeur d’Alene School District 271 such as virtual reality, environmental science and creative arts and music. These projects would not be funded with ongoing school maintenance dollars. Funding is meant to improve the learning experience of students and encourage teachers with creative approaches to education. Grants are not awarded based on particular areas of emphasis or rigid criteria. Instead, the EXCEL Board seeks unique and inventive ideas which will increase a student’s motivation to learn while developing higher level thinking skills and depth of knowledge.

“EXCEL FOUNDATION, INC. is a broadly-based, non-profit community organization whose purpose is exclusively educational and charitable, and is to secure and distribute contributions from individuals, corporations, governmental agencies, and foundations for the benefit of the students in the Coeur d’Alene School District 271."