Foundation for a Strong Education: An inside look at the District 88 Foundation MENTORS Lunch Groups Food Lure mini-grant
Pictured is District 88 Foundation Chairperson Sharon Kucik.
As Chairperson of the District 88 Foundation, one of my favorite times of the school year is when we award mini-grant funds for staff members to implement instructional opportunities that benefit our students.
It’s amazing to see the creative and innovative programs, projects and services staff members request to continuously improve the learning environment of our schools. From a rain garden, to cooking programs, to music tools/software, to theatre events, to technology enhancements, to providing mentor speakers for our students and more, the care and passion our teachers show through applying for these mini-grants never ceases to amaze me. You can truly see their dedication to each and every student and how much they strive to provide a high-quality experience.
To date, the District 88 Foundation has awarded 76 mini-grants, for a total of more than $36,500! It has been unbelievable to watch these requests on paper come to life in the classroom. We’re excited to introduce this new feature in our newsletter, called the “Foundation for a Strong Education” column, to share how these mini-grants are benefiting our students. Through this column, which will run on the last Friday of each month during the school year, you’ll get to see and hear directly from Addison Trail and Willowbrook teachers and students how these mini-grants are making a positive difference in our buildings.
This month, we’re thrilled to showcase the MENTORS Lunch Groups Food Lure mini-grant.
MENTORS Lunch Groups Food Lure mini-grant
About the mini-grant: The grant money was used to buy a snack to lure male students to the College and Career Center during lunch periods to participate in the MENTORS group, a program designed to train upperclassmen to mentor underclassmen through being mentored by vetted male volunteers from the community. The group meets once a week during lunch, and community members provide motivational and educational presentations.
Number of students who benefited from this mini-grant: 300
School year mini-grant was awarded: 2015-16
Staff member who applied for/received the mini-grant: Willowbrook Social Worker Erik Engel
How did this mini-grant impact student learning?
Students learned IL Social-Emotional State Standards that apply to community building, supportive problem solving and leadership practice (3B.5a. Analyze how present decision making affects college and career choices. 3B.5b. Evaluate how responsible decision making affects interpersonal and group relationships. 3C.5a. Work cooperatively with others to plan, implement and evaluate a project to meet an identified school need).
Student voice: “I attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and have regularly applied my leadership experience I gained from MENTORS in the college setting to achieve greatness.”
- Kerim Lakota, class of 2017
The District 88 Foundation is a member of the Partnership for Inspired Education (PIE) Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that serves public school students in District 88, Addison School District 4, School District 45 and Salt Creek School District 48. Founded in 2009, PIE is designed to be the foundation that supports a long-term partnership with the community, businesses, schools and, most importantly, the children served. For more information about PIE, go to www.piefoundation.org.
The District 88 Foundation hosts and participates in a variety of events each year to raise money, and those funds wouldn’t be possible without your support. Your generous donations allow us to continue providing mini-grants, which could not otherwise be funded through the district’s budget.
You can make a donation by:
- Mailing your tax-deductible contribution to:
PIE Foundation
P.O. Box 5438
Villa Park, IL 60181
*Please make checks payable to “District 88 Foundation”
- Making a donation online at our secure website by clicking here
- The Foundation for a Strong Education column provides an inside look into mini-grants provided by the District 88 Foundation for staff members to implement instructional opportunities that benefit District 88 students. This feature will share how these mini-grants are making a positive difference at Addison Trail and Willowbrook to build futures for our students and help accomplish District 88’s mission of working for the continuous improvement of student achievement. The column will run in the District 88 Newsletter on the last Friday of each month during the school year. For more information about the foundation, go to www.dupage88.net/foundation.