U-46 foundation awards four grants

The U-46 Educational Foundation Board recently awarded four grants to support and enhance programs for Elgin Area School District U-46 students.

The foundation approved $17,905 in grants for the district's attendance campaign; heart monitors for physical education classes; Planetarium programs; and the 2015 Talent Fest event.

"U-46 is pleased to receive this support from the Educational Foundation Board," said U-46 CEO Tony Sanders. "These resources will enable our schools to continue offering outstanding educational opportunities for our students."

All grant requests must be submitted in a formal application process through the U-46 Educational Foundation. A committee reviews these applications prior to making recommendations to be voted upon during board meetings.

"We are happy that we are able to support efforts to enhance the quality of education for U-46 students," said Jamie Garcia, U-46 Educational Foundation president.

The following grants were approved by the foundation:

• Attendance campaign, $5,000: This grant will provide resources for educational tool kits and student recognitions to support the U-46 "I'm Here! ¡Aquí estoy! Attendance Campaign." Because missing school hinders students' opportunities to learn and develop skills for success, the attendance campaign will focus on increasing the district's attendance rates from 94.3 percent to 98 percent.

• Heart monitors for middle school physical education, $4,500: Heart rate monitors will be purchased for all U-46 middle schools. Physical education students will be able to monitor their heart rates and fitness levels during exercise.

• Planetarium program, $5,000: Funding for the planetarium will provide two full dome programs, "The Moon" and "Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda," which can be digitally projected to teach students about observing and understanding the natural world. These programs will enrich the current science curriculum and support Next Generation Science Standards and common core initiatives.

• 2015 TalentFest, $3,405: TalentFest is an annual program held at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin and encourages high school students to develop and display their talents on stage. Top-performing acts from each U-46 high school are invited to perform in the show.