On Monday, February 24, the Board of Directors of the Sycamore Education Foundation (SEF) awarded $15,941.30 in grant funding to enhance educational opportunities for the students of Sycamore Community School District 427.
“Through the support of our generous donors, we were able to provide funding for nine special projects for educators during this grant cycle,” said Lauren Holtz, SEF Executive Director. “This is the largest number of grants we’ve received and funded to date. As we are continuing to grow the Foundation, we are hoping to provide an even greater impact for our schools in the future.”
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- Congrats to Annette Keca on receiving $2,488.90 to fund items for the SparTECHus IT program at Sycamore High School.
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- Hats off to Christian Thurwanger and the Sycamore High School Agriculture Department on receiving $1,277 to purchase drones.
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- A wonderful team effort at West Elementary School! Congrats to Bridget Klein (1st grade), Katie Friel (4th grade), Natalie Brooks (3rd grade), Jami Thompson (5th grade), Emma Hagemeyer (kindergarten) and Brian Borrelli(tech) on receiving $2,500 for a Makerspace to benefit the entire school.
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- Congrats to Courtney Walz for receiving $1,304.30 to fund sensory supplies for the OSCAR program.
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- Congrats to Kim Zeitler on receiving $844.80 to purchase character studies through series books for her third grade classroom at South Prairie Elementary School.
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- Congratulations to Katie Davis on receiving $1,481.25 to support the garden classroom programs at Southeast, South Prairie and West Elementary Schools.
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- Congrats to Mary Strohm and Holly Majerus on receiving $1,435 for guided reading books.
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- SEF Executive Director, Lauren Holtz, and SEF Vice Chair, Michelle Ibarra, presented Kelsi Boltz and Kyla Hueber with a check for $1,452 to purchase shared alternative/flexible seating for their third grade classrooms at Southeast Elementary School.
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- Lee Zucker and Marion Kneiling received $3,158 for classroom updates for the ABLE program at Sycamore High School.
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- The 3rd grade students of Southeast Elementary School were ecstatic to receive grant funding for flexible seating options in their classrooms.
These grant funds will go to support a variety of projects in District 427 including:
- Technology items for the SparTECHus IT program at Sycamore High School
- ABLE classroom updates at Sycamore High School
- Drones for the agriculture department at Sycamore High School
- Creating garden classrooms at West, Southeast, and South Prairie Elementary Schools
- Makerspace items for West Elementary School
- Character studies through series books for Mrs. Zeitler’s third grade classroom South Prairie Elementary School
- Guided reading books for Southeast Elementary School
- Shared alternative/flexible seating for Mrs. Boltz and Mrs. Hueber’s third grade classrooms at Southeast Elementary School
- Sensory supplies for the OSCAR program
“We are extremely fortunate to have a strong Education Foundation who supports our staff in creating opportunities for our students to enrich their experience as a Spartan,” said Kathy Countryman, Superintendent of Sycamore Community School District 427. “We are grateful for their work, their connection to our community and alumni and look forward to sharing the stories of the impact of these grants.”
The Foundation last provided over $20,000 in grants for teachers in October 2019.
Since 2018, SEF has funded nearly $210,000 in grants for Sycamore schools. The Foundation has supported a variety of projects for the District including the library renovation at North Elementary School, a 21st Century collaborative commons at Sycamore High School, digital signage, and the Spartan TV production studio and access channel.
If you’re interested in contributing to future initiatives to enhance the quality of education for our students throughout Sycamore School District 427, please click here to make a donation.
