District 301 Foundation raises $15,000 for educational grants

Alex Trebek would have been mightily impressed with Central Community Unit District 301's recent Education Foundation benefit.

Nearly 300 community members turned out for "Trivia Schmivia," a night of facts and fun at the Centre of Elgin, raising $15,000 for educational grants.

The Educational Foundation, founded last January, awarded five $500 mini-grants to teachers in the district's schools for the 2008-09 school year.

"The purpose is really to create innovate programs and motivate teachers to do more," said Rose Diaz, a foundation member and member of the school board.

Howard B. Thomas Grade School second-grade teachers Kathy Kolvitz, Cheryl Lorden and Gracie Sewell received funding to purchase an incubator so students could observe chicken eggs growing and hatching.

Central High School English teachers Kristine Bushman and Stacy Nemec received a grant to start an afterschool book club.

Prairie View Grade School special education teachers Patty Miner and Jennifer Zein have applied for a grant for touch-sensitive materials to help students tackle math.

The $15,000 will allow the foundation to expand the grant offerings in number and value for 2009-10, foundation Chairman Tom Knief said.

"We want to make sure all seven district schools have at least one grant recipient for the 2009 school year," he said.

Deeming the program "a huge success," Knief said planning already is underway for Trivia Schmivia 2009.

Teachers can find grant application forms at www.301foundation.org.