Beyond the Books announced its 2024-2025 grant winners on Monday, May 6, 2024. Educators in District 87 and Unit 5 submitted were awarded $80,645 for 47 projects.
Early Education & Elementary Schools
* Christina Schultz | $3480 | Growing The World In Our School Yard
CARLOCK
* Jennifer Burns | $3,270 | Whatjamajig????? .... No, It is a Rigamajig!!
* Stacy Herren | $702 | Purposeful Play
GLENN
* Angie Grubic, Jamie Haseman, Bridget Law & Leeann Bain | $1,086 | We ARE a Thinking COMMUNITY, come THINK with us!
IRVING
* Erin Knuth | $642 | Books for All
NORTHPOINT
* Meghan Pantaleone | $645 | Parks for All
* Sarah Martin | $795 | Empowering Education Through Playaways
Prairieland
* Danielle Estes | $519 | Mighty Language Learning with Miniature Objects
* Suzanne Schertz | $291 | Growing Away from the Book
STEVENSON
* Jason Studryvin | $655 | Remote Control Tag
* Jason Studryvin | $736 | Jumping Rope Should be for Everyone
* Karen Showalter | $794 | Building a “Sound” Reader
* Karen Showalter & Rachel Mattson | $799 | No Words = More Words
* Laura Yost | $773 | Step Into School
WASHINGTON
* Maggie Killian, Jayme Corcoran & Erin Bersche | $4,875 | Garden Greenhouse Gateway to Learning
Junior High/Middle Schools
BLOOMINGTON JHS
* Kristen Ayers & Jessica Dougall | $324 | Birthday Bags
* Rachel Kuehnl | $419 | Winning with Math Game Play
* Caley Oltman & Lillian Harrison | $698 | Building Skills through Board Games
CHIDDIX JHS
* Jillian Meszar | $740 | Empowering Minority Music
Evans JHS
* Elisa Palacio, Bethany Schlipf & Jessica Hoy | $796 | Building Linguistic and Cultural Bridges
KINGSLEY JHS
* Anita Holland | $322 | Hands on History
* Jennifer Ritchason & Nikki Brienen | $675 | Promoting Reading, Writing, & Book Ownership Through Creating Picture Books
* Jennifer Ritchason | $500 | Sometimes Wonderful Community Service Opportunities Fall into Your Lap!
* Jennifer Ritchason, Mindy Leverton, Nikki Brienen & Katie Starkey | $505 | Improving Social & Emotional Regulation
with Board Games
* Eric Stegemann & Lakeisha Banks | $3,918 | A Studio to Keep Kids in the Know
PARKSIDE JHS
* Shiann Papandrea | $790 | Breakout Boxes for Reading Engagement-
* Jessica Lawent & Shelby Gresham | $784 | Magnatiles for Surface Area!
High Schools
BLOOMINGTON High School
* Marla Brady & Casey Kelley | $600 | To Kill A Mockingbird Graphic Novel
* Jacob Beinborn | $4,479 | Percussion Practice Accessibility: Tools and Aides for Effective Practice
* Lisa Clover | $2,663 | Recipe for Success
* Angela Thatcher & Amy Ehrich | $4,930 | Rescue Ready: Elevating Student Preparedness with CPR & AED Training
EUGENE FIELD
* Jordan Newton-Gonzalez, Abby Everett & Jenni Decker | $4,000 | Building Independence Through Apartment Living
Normal Community High School
* Wendy Davis & Zach Barr | $798 | Learning Environment for In School Suspension
* Kara Klepp & Dave Feeney | $734 | Pickleball Club
* Caroline Fox Anvick, Michelle Hawkins, Emily Houk, Jodi Tamburini & Laura Turner | $798 | Hooray for Hi-Lo!
* Kathleen Pufahl | $1,240 | Balances for Biology
* Kathleen Pufahl & Amanda Long | $4,100 | A "Little" Fun With Electrophoresis
* Hunter Watts | $400 | Concepts in Practice: Statecraft Simulations
Normal Community West High School
* John Bierbaum | $824 | Let's get digital, digital: Convert Archival Materials for Online Access
* Ryan Budzinski | $740| Seeing Myself in My Music
* Remy Garard & Katie Bovenkerk | $950 | Children's Books as Windows and Mirrors for Research
* Natalie Spath | $515 | Speak Now (Journalism version)
* Abagail Primo | $961 | Science is Unbeleafable: Student-led Experimental Design
* Valentine Walker, Joel Swanson, and Michael Burt | $4976 | Oh Canada, You Are On Fire!
* Valentine Walker, Joel Swanson, Daniel Highby & David Lehr | $4920 | Recycling: Let's Keep Plastics Out of Our Oceans and Extrude Them!
* Dave Weber | $1,484 | STEM Is Elementary
Beyond the Box
Monies for this award are provided by the Shirk Family Foundation.
NORMAL COMMUNITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL
Dave Weber, Jackson Suddarth, Dave Lehr, John Mackinson, Ali Akyuz & Becky Frangella | $10,000 | Designing a Space for All
Students design, create, and implement more functional and collaborative common spaces at a high school