GOSHEN — Goshen Community Schools now has a not-for-profit foundation to offer additional support and funding for the school corporation.

After four years of development, the GCS Foundation’s board of directors formally introduced the organization Friday.

Vince Turner, president of the foundation’s board, explained that in light of the funding challenges schools are seeing, the foundation will help fund and support innovative school projects in Goshen Community Schools.

The GCS Foundation launch coincides with the launch of its first fundraising campaign and project.

The “Thank a Teacher” fundraising campaign provides parents of students the opportunity to make a tax-deductible gift to the foundation in honor of a teacher who has made a difference in their children’s lives. Alumni can also recognize a teacher with a gift. Some of the donated money will go to help begin an endowment, while most will go to help fund school projects. Teachers will receive a card with a message from the contributor.

The foundation’s initial project will be to help cultivate interest in middle school students about the high school’s international baccalaureate (IB) program. According to Shelly Wilfong, Goshen’s IB coordinator, middle school counselors are identifying 30 incoming freshmen who come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, but who are likely to succeed in the IB program. These students will be exposed to a college campus and get to know their future high school teachers during a summer camp at Ball State University.

Wilfong said that these students “who maybe need a little extra support” will also participate in regular meetings to talk about academic issues freshmen often struggle with such as study skills and time management to help them succeed in IB courses and beyond.

“We’re really excited about it,” she said. “It’s just one more thing to help kids.”

Diane Woodworth, Goshen’s deputy superintendent and incoming superintendent, said that a link to the GCS Foundation website would soon be on Goshen Community Schools’ website, www.goshenschools.org.