Photo courtesy of @eaparentsassoc
Little do students know that behind the scenes of their everyday lives at EA, there’s a group that’s constantly working to build a sense of community and strengthen school spirit: the EA Parents’ Association (EAPA). Composed of volunteer parents and guardians, the EAPA serves its mission of helping Episcopal’s students to have a memorable experience outside the classroom. They fulfill this mission by planning fun events like the Christmas Tree Lighting, providing grades with snacks, and fundraising for EA. The EAPA is truly an integral part of the EA community.
Despite the EAPA’s involvement in so many aspects of student life, many students seem to not know much about the organization itself. So, what actually is the EAPA? EAPA President Karen Park states that “Our mission is to help foster community, support the school, and serve as a fundraising vehicle for EA.”
The EAPA is made up of a plethora of different committees that help to run events throughout the school year. The executive committee meets monthly to discuss what’s happening within these different committees, plan upcoming events, and make other important decisions. These meetings allow parents to voice their opinions and determine what will best serve the school community. “We just had a discussion at our last executive committee meeting about the possibility of making Harvest Day free instead of charging a ticket price,” Park notes. “We had a long discussion about the ramifications of charging a ticket price versus not charging a ticket price.” While a free event could encourage more people to attend, it would also make it harder for the EAPA to predict how many people would come and how much food, crafts, and other supplies would be needed.
Meetings are structured to be inclusive for everyone involved. Kelly Gompers, EAPA Athletic Association Co-Chair, acknowledges, “Everyone has a voice in the process, and there is a lot of brainstorming and collaboration. We listen to different ideas and perspectives and work together as a group to make each event the best it can be.”
One of the EAPA’s main goals is to improve the quality of students’ experiences at EA, often in ways that may go unnoticed. Benjamin Heo ’28 comments, “I might not think about the EAPA while I’m at an event, but I know they’re behind a lot of the experiences that bring students together.” EAPA events and activities have a lasting impact on the Upper School community. For example, Tanvi Kaistha ’29, puts it simply: “Students love the food.” Whenever students enjoy yummy grade snacks or Homecoming dinners, they experience just one of the many ways the EAPA contributes to student life.
For many students, the EAPA may remain behind the scenes. But every Christmas Tree Lighting, senior graduation dinner, and community event represents hours of work from parents and caretakers who volunteer their precious time. The next time an EAPA event appears on the calendar, students can do more than simply show up. As Gompers put it: “We want the entire student body to know that everything the EAPA does is for YOU. We want to make your EA experience the best it can be!” By participating, sharing ideas, and giving feedback, students can help the EAPA understand the community’s wants and continue building the experiences that make EA the very special place that it is.