GRANTS - 2023
The District 230 Foundation helps staff at Sandburg, Stagg and Andrew High Schools bring their innovative ideas to life for students through its grant program. By providing more than $400,000 to support nearly 150 projects over the past 16 years, the Foundation has made a significant impact on students' education.
Grants have supported social studies, art, foreign language, sports medicine, democracy, special services, science, literacy, college preparation, character development, international studies, environmental awareness, business, physical education, family and community connections, and so much more.
Hover over the photos below to learn more about the grants currently being implemented.
VJA Wellness Room Expansion
EL Parent Involvement
Stagg High School
Amal Abdellatif
Students have higher achievement, increased graduation rates, improved attitudes toward school, and overall better well-being when parents and family are involved in their education. Action Plan for English Learning Parent Involvement will engage immigrant parents and remove barriers that prevent culturally diverse parents from feeling comfortable and connected to the school.
T-Bolt
Trailblazers
VJA Wellness Room Expansion
Andrew High School
Andrew Wellness Team
The Wellness Room at Andrew High School is a place to refocus, learn and apply strategies that help students and staff cope with daily stressors. This grant expands this successful program with outreach including a Wellness Enrichment Series, Social-Emotional Learning night for families, and connections to community resources. It forges relationships and empowers students, staff, and families to navigate mental health and support.
Wentz Hall Concert
District-wide
Bob Mecozzi,
Stewart Bailey, Brian Hillhouse and Mark Iwinski
This concert band festival featuring three top curricular ensembles connects students with a professional collegiate music educator through clinics, a performance at the acclaimed Wentz Concert Hall in addition to professional recordings.
School Store ULTIMA
Sandburg High School
Elizabeth Brits
The ULTIMA Lifeskills program focuses on developing functional skills for students with disabilities. The ULTIMA School Store connects students in the program with peers to run a business. When students develop strong meaningful relationships they develop a stronger sense of belonging and purpose. Students will be responsible for creating and ordering products, counting money, taking inventory, cleaning and organizing the store, and selling to their peers and staff.
T-Bolt
Trailblazers
Andrew High School
Michelle Vieu
Assist First Generation college-bound students with the post-secondary planning process. The group is for all grade levels and provides
various levels of assistance including an understanding of what it means to be First Gen, career counseling
and exploration, post-secondary planning and resources, student mentorship, informative field trips and guest speakers, and more!
Math and Construction Class
Andrew High School
Shawn Nussbaum
Students apply mathematical concepts to the trades in the new Math and Construction course at Andrew High School while connecting with working professionals in carpentry, plumbing and electrical unions. This grant supports the launch of the new class through the purchase of power tools and construction materials.
VJA Wellness Room Expansion
Stand Up for Student Learning
Andrew High School
Lisa Mondragon
There is a positive connection between movement, body pressure, and the impact on the brain for student learning. Stand Up for Student Learning provides standing desks for special services instructional classrooms that improve attention in class as well as work quality by reducing the need for fidgeting while sitting and overall improving the cognition process.
T-Bolt
Trailblazers
Student Services Leadership Team
The Student Services Leadership Team is composed of students across grade levels that work as an extension of the school counseling office. These two grants support Sandburg and Stagg High Schools as students take part in projects that further develop academics, social-emotional, and college/career readiness for the student body through peer-to-peer tutoring, mentoring, and podcasting.
Stagg & Sandburg High Schools
Stagg Guidance Department
Career Day & Beyond
Andrew High School
John Tadla and James Malec
Andrew Career Day is a unique schoolwide and in-person experience that provides students an opportunity to explore their future career options with industry professionals. This grant will expand on those opportunities by adding career panels, field trips and career cluster exploration throughout the school year
Sensory Seating & Equipment
Andrew High School
PALS Program
The PALS Program at Andrew High School meets the needs of students with behavioral and social-emotional issues by providing social-emotional instruction, individual processings, teaching of coping strategies, and an environment that allows students to decompress and regulate their physical and emotional stress. This seating and equipment enhance the trauma-informed classroom where students and staff process through severe stress, anxiety, anger depression, and suicidal thoughts.