2024 was a year of transition and growth of our organization. While we continue to support CUSD200 staff and students with grants, scholarships, and food; we have expanded our board, hired a new Executive Director, increased our community outreach and partners, and are preparing to bring new avenues of support to our schools in 2025.
Our countdown to 2025 with the best of 2024!
5. CUSD200 Staff: The Student Excellence Foundation has funded over $43,000 in grants this year to staff across both high schools, all four middle schools, and 10 of our elementary schools. Funding has provided reading and STEM “leveling up” resources, coding robots and tools, whiteboard surfaces, as well as regulation and empowering tools to our elementary schools. Our middle schools received music, literacy, STEM, and expanded counseling resources while our high schools received funding for an outdoor classroom, fine art, and coding expansions.
4. Corporate and Individual supporters: Bringing innovative ideas to life, providing food and essential needs to our students and families, giving back to our schools, and expanding offerings at our schools are just some of the reasons that our corporate and individual donors support our mission. Our message is resonating and people are stepping up to support. We are so thankful for all of the support this year. As costs and community needs continue to rise, so does our need to continue our services.
3. Students: Scholarships are offered in the spring to seniors in the district. Through an intensive process, a committee of volunteers review a vast number of scholarship submissions. This past spring, the Student Excellence Foundation awarded 8 scholarships; 2 at each school.
2. Community: The Student Excellence Foundation funded 12 mobile pantries this year which were coordinated with the district and the Northern Illinois Food Bank. These mobile pantries provide much needed food to families in our CUSD200 community. Volunteers from across the district help unload trucks, create household portions, and distribute to our neighbors as carloads of individuals and families queue up to receive these donations each month. The lines are long, the need is great, and the support is so very appreciated.
1.The Student Excellence Foundation Executive Director and Board: Our board has welcomed an incredible new Executive Director, Katie Sivak, this year. Through Katie’s involvement, our community involvement, board efficiency, corporate outreach, and membership have thrived. We have also welcomed amazing members including Chris Dabovich, Sean McCumber, Meghan Gualtieri, and Rob Kroehnke. We have said good-bye to many who elevated the Foundation to where it is today: Shannon Ensing, Steve Johnson, Brett Mathieson, and Jennifer Merck.
Thank you to all who have supported the Foundation this year and we look forward to a new and exciting 2025!