Beyond the Books Educational Foundation (BTBEF)
announced today its annual grant winners for the Unit 5 and District 87 school districts. This year, BTBEF will award $80,645 - funding 47 grants to be implemented during the 2024-2025 school year.    
 
Since 1992, BTBEF has invited educators from both school districts to submit proposals for grant monies to fund innovative and educational projects.  
 
The grant winners were announced at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, May 6, via a Facebook Live event and will later be congratulated at the schools. Awards are determined through a blind review of the applications – reviewers do not know the name of the district, school or applicant. This year’s grant proposals ranged widely, from using sensors to measure air quality, to adaptive jump ropes for kids of all abilities, to new equipment for a student-run news club.
 
There are three levels of grants – mini (max $800), standard (max $5,000), and Beyond the Box (max $10,000). For the 2024-2025 season: 
 

 27 mini grants were awarded, totaling $17,009
 19 standard grants were awarded, totaling $53,636
 1 Beyond the Box grant was awarded, totaling $10,000
 

This year’s Beyond the Box grant winner are two teachers from Normal West High School: Dave Weber, a science teacher, and Jackson Suddarth, a family and consumer sciences teacher. Their proposal will receive $10,000 to fund a student-led project that will design more functional and collaborative common spaces at the school.  

BTBEF funds grants thanks to donations from individuals (including school district employees), businesses and other community organizations. Among the larger donations: The Shirk Family Foundation has been a significant contributor for the past 15 years for the Beyond the Box grant; the Ingold family, in memory of Jack and Ann Ingold, provides an annual donation; and Rivian Automotive, Inc., donated money to support STEM-related grants over three years.  
 
A list of projects funded for the 2024-2025 school year is posted on the website or you can review this 2024 Grants presentation for more details.