Foundation For Vancouver Public Schools Breaks Ground On New Building To Support Technical Trades At Fort Vancouver High School With The Ed And Dollie Lynch Fund (Photo) -05/14/25

VANCOUVER, Wash. — On Wednesday, May 14, the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools, VPS staff and students, and community partners gathered at Fort Vancouver High School for the groundbreaking of a new technical trades building. 

 

This new facility, funded by the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, will be utilized for classes teaching students job-ready skills in advanced manufacturing and welding. It greatly expands the capacity of Fort’s existing programs and will provide students with hands-on, experiential training. The center aims to create a pipeline of skilled workers ready to contribute to the region’s ongoing economic growth.

 

The Ed Lynch Technical Trades Center is projected to open to students by January 2026.

 

“We’re so happy to be able to bridge the gap between our donors’ visions, community needs, and the needs of our VPS students. This pathway for collaboration makes buildings like the Ed Lynch Technical Trades Center possible,” said Timothea Sutton, Interim Executive Director of the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools. “We can’t wait to see the positive impact these highly-trained students will bring to our community.”

 

Attendees included VPS Superintendent Dr. Jeff Snell and City Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle.

 

This project is 100% donor-funded, with no bond or taxpayer money used, thanks to the support of the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, a charitable fund of the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington, as well as the district’s generous community and business partners.

 

For Media only: Photos and video from the event can be found here. 

Foundation For Vancouver Public Schools Hosts Ribbon Cutting For New Construction Trades Building At Hudson’s Bay High School -05/08/25

VANCOUVER, Wash. — On Tuesday, May 20, community members, students, and Vancouver Public Schools Leadership will celebrate the opening of the Endeavour Technical Trades Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Hudson’s Bay High School.

 

Date: May 20, 2025

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Hudson’s Bay High School
                1601 E McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver, WA

 

The state-of-the-art building, made possible by The Endeavour Fund, is an additional 7,500 square feet of workspace for Vancouver Public Schools’ students to learn and engage in hands-on training in areas like foundations, framing, plumbing, HVAC, electrical work, and other fundamental construction skills. In the new building, the students will be able to use simulators for forklifts, mobile cranes, and other heavy equipment. 

 

Eighty students will pilot the program in the upcoming 2025-26 school year, and the program will expand to 100 students in the 2026-27 school year. 

 

The dedication plaque, which will be unveiled at the event, highlights the vision that made this a reality: “This building stands as a testament to the vision and commitment of our donors and community partners - empowering students with the skills, knowledge, and experiences they need to build fulfilling careers and enrich our community for generations to come.”

 

For this initiative, the Foundation for VPS played a vital role by leading collaboration with donors, community partners, and district staff, achieving a 100% donor-funded project, with no bond or taxpayer money used, thanks to the support of The Endeavour Fund and the district’s generous community and business partners. Thank you to all who made this building possible:

 

The Endeavour Fund

Quail Homes

Building Futures Foundation

Bunch Construction, Inc

Cascade Wire Works, LLC

Cascade Electrical

CEG Engineering, Inc

Christenson Electrical

Covalent Architecture, LLC

First Impressions Concrete, LLC

Frontier Metal Fabrications

Greenwood Painting, LLC

Jack’s Overhead Door, Inc

JNB Mechanical, Inc

Legacy 6, LLC

MacKay Sposito

Meteor Education

MJS Contracting, Inc

Nucor

Patriot Fire Protection, Inc

PBS Engineering & Environmental 

Point Monitor Corporation

Pro Property Services, LLC

River City Enterprises, Inc

Steward Mechanical, Inc

Stoner Electric Group

Westmore Construction, LLC

 

###

The Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools is an independent, 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation established in 1988 to support Vancouver Public Schools (VPS). Governed by a volunteer board of directors made up of business, community, and education leaders, the foundation creates opportunities to cultivate and inspire student success. As an educational non-profit entity, the foundation serves students at all 40 VPS schools and programs, providing direct aid to students facing learning barriers due to economic need, as well as financial assistance for learning enrichment and mentoring programs that cannot be funded by the school district. The Foundation for VPS is supported by donations from school employees, parents, students, community members, businesses and foundations.