Making a difference in our local schools

Annually, the foundation invites educators from both District 87 and Unit 5 to submit requests for grant monies to fund innovative projects. Since 1992, $609,563 has been awarded to support 755 projects requested by educators in the two school districts.

Beyond the Books celebrated 25 years at a special event Saturday, February 25, 2017. From pantagraph.com: Whether it’s a towering climbing wall or the cost of postage to send letters to parents, Twin City classrooms have benefited from grants given by the Beyond the Books Educational Foundation for 25 years ...

Ozobots, Spheros, robots, and more than 160 students in grades K-8— both girls and boys — occupied every corner of Normal Community West High School on December 9, 2016, for the "Girls Who Code" event.

From The Pantagraph: Beth Smith knows how hard it is for elementary, middle and high school classes to go to a museum, so she’s bringing the museum to them. Smith, an art teacher at Normal Community West High School, is the mind behind the “Museum Project,” an effort to give McLean County Unit 5 teachers access to portable masterpieces reproduced in large-scale by NCWHS students.

Beyond the Books Education Foundation provided a grant that allowed Holocaust survivor Marion Blumenthal Lazan to speak to sixth graders at Bloomington Junior High School.