Eastern Illini Electric Co-op is proud to introduce a new grant program designed to give each school district in our service territory an education grant of up to $500 each year.
The Empowering Education Grant Program is designed to help fund projects that will inspire and benefit students. Eastern Illini’s President/CEO Bob Hunzinger noted, “We are excited to be able to help students in our communities. With our service territory being so spread out, we think this grant program is a practical way to reach our entire service territory.”
| 2017/18 Grant Recipients | ||
| School | Teacher | Title of Project |
| Armstrong Township High School | Audrey Cler | Update Classroom Novel Materials |
| Arthur Grade School | Jessica Vanausdoll | Flexible Seating |
| Arthur Grade School | Kathleen Burdick | Reading Mastery |
| Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond High School | Shannon Blesse | Smart Snacks |
| Atwood-Hammond Grade School | Tim Manselle | Reaching the stars |
| Atwood-Hammond Grade School | Denise Strack | STEM |
| Bement CUSD #5 | Angie Corum | Real Care Babies/Appliances |
| Bement School District 5 | Kate Ruggless | Project Lead the Way |
| Bismarck Henning Rossville Alvin High School | Lisa Story | Going Global |
| Crescent City Grade School | Jody Munsterman | Planting Seeds of Service |
| Donovan Elementary | Lindsay Maple | Flexible Seating |
| Gifford Grade School | Tammy Pollard | STEM Stations for Tech Classroom |
| Iroquois West Elementary | Christina Basham Chris Denton | Family Reading Night |
| Iroquois West High School | Carrie Miller | U of I – College of Business field trip |
| Ludlow Grade School | Tanya Turner | Makerspace |
| Ludlow Grade School | Sherry Janowski | Electricity/Circuitry/Magnet Design |
| Monticello Schools | Jennifer Smith | STEM Breakout |
| Oakwood Grade School | Nicole Johnson | Inventing 3D Style |
| Paxton Buckley Loda High School | Leann McPike | Designing by Role Play |
| Paxton-Buckley-Loda Junior High School | Hillary Sawyer | Lighting Up Education |
| Paxton-Buckley-Loda Junior High School | Matthew Duffy | Microscopes for Life Science |
| Pleasant Acres Elementary | Amber Stivers-Anders | 9/11 literature to engage history |
| Prairie Central Elementary | Lisa Lange | Mush! |
| Prairie Central High School | Andrew Quain | Cemetery Mapping Project |
| Prairie Central Junior High | David Rothert | Prairie Pens |
| Rossville-Alvin CUSD #7 | Jake Hill | 3D Printer |
| TriPoint School District | Diana Loschen | Live Line Demo |
| TriPoint School District | Keri Andrews | Peer Buddies |
| Tuscola High School | Aspen Pirtle | Energy Stewards |
| Villa Grove High School | Linda Werts | Microbe Power! |
| Watseka High School | Casie Hanson | Studio 9 Upgrade |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Who is eligible?
Any teacher who teaches grades K-12 at any public or private school located in Eastern Illini’s service territory is eligible to apply for an Eastern Illini Electric Co-op Empowering Education Grant.
When is the deadline?
The deadline for the 2018/19 school year program is December 14, 2018. Applications are available here.
Can multiple teachers from the same school apply?
Yes, but each school district is only guaranteed one grant per year. If additional funds are available, a district could earn more than one grant.
Can a teacher apply for multiple grants?
No, a teacher may only apply for one grant per school year.
Do the grant requests have to be for energy or electricity projects?
No! Any project that positively impacts students is eligible for an Empowering Education Grant.
What is the maximum grant amount?
The maximum grant amount for each grant is $500. Some grant requests may be partially funded.
What qualities is Eastern Illini looking for in the grant applications?
Several qualities, including innovative learning experiences for students, a clearly defined plan of implementation, how it directly involves students, and providing an adequate budget summary.
When will I know if I have been awarded a grant?
Grant winners will be notified as they are approved. There is no set time frame on announcements.
Who judges the applications?
A panel of judges will review the applications and select the Eastern Illini Empowering Education Grant recipients.
Does Eastern Illini accept applications from private schools?
Yes! Our program accepts applications from private schools.