West Chicago students win international contest

Eight fifth- and sixth-graders from West Chicago's Pioneer Elementary School placed first in their division at the International Future Problem Solving Competition in Wisconsin.

The students in Kathy Grogan's Gifted and Talented Education class worked on a project to obtain fencing and warning signs along railroad tracks that run through a field near the school.

The fence was already planned as part of an agreement between West Chicago the Canadian National Railroad, but the students obtained grants and donations for warning signs in English and Spanish.

A $7,000 grant from the CN made it possible for the students to attend the June 9-14 international contest, where they competed against student from 32 states, Canada, Great Britain, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.