District 205 Foundation Provides Over $108,000 for Elmhurst Public Schools

Submitted by Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Foundation.

This academic year, students in District 205 will benefit from over $108,000 in funding from the Elmhurst District 205 Foundation.

“Last year, the organization celebrated our 25th anniversary, highlighted by a really special and successful Silver Ball,” commented Martin Franchi, Foundation Treasurer, “The community was incredibly generous, and that directly translates to the amount of support we are able to provide.”

Thiems Educational Grants totaling $29, 194 were awarded in May when Foundation members visited classrooms and surprised teachers , and even two students, with the good news that their applications were selected for funding. Various on line subscriptions, including another year of BrainPop for K-8, a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books, seating options and sensory materials to help improve student engagement, a 3-D printer for high school science, and a community screening of a documentary film are just some of the grants that will benefit students and staff.

Additionally, the Foundation is supporting the district Mobile Learning Implementation with total funding of $57,000. The Foundation purchased three Google Chromebook carts, one cart of 32 devices, for each of the three middle schools. These will supplement the carts already provided by the district and increase resources for students and teachers at the middle school level.

York High School was given a $21,000 grant and two generous designated donor gifts totaling $9,000 from the Foundation that will assist with the roll out of the 1:1 initiative, help cover student fees and ensure that all York students have twenty-four seven access to a Chromebook. Foundation Chair Liz Eder states “Our directors are passionate about bringing diverse and relevant learning resources to our district. We understand the importance of advancing the use of technology for learning and are thrilled with the level of support we are able to provide for this exciting step!”

And finally, with the help of a 2014 $15,000 donation from the 100+ Women Who Care, the Foundation board is implementing an expansion of the Study Skills Program at some of the schools this year. ”This program that gives academic and organizational assistance to students outside the classroom relies on recurrent annual funding to survive,” said Lisa Fanelli, Executive Director, “We are grateful for the generous support that will enable more students to get the extra help they need.”

The District 205 Foundation relies on the community for support in order to fund programs and enhancements that benefit the students in all thirteen Elmhurst Public schools. To learn more about the Foundation and upcoming events, or to make a donation, please visit elmhurst205.org/foundation.