LHSEF commits to support eight Educational Foundation grants

2023-24 LHSEF Grants Recipients

The Lemont High School Educational Foundation has committed to supporting eight Educational Foundation Grants for nearly $38,000. Grant proposals were submitted by Lemont High School faculty and staff, with the goal of enhancing educational opportunities for the school’s enrollment of approximately 1,400 students.

The LHSEF is funding in full or in part eight Educational Foundation Grants for a total of $37,945, with a stipulation that the funds provided for the projects must be used by the end of the 2023-24 school year. 

Included among the latest Educational Foundation Grants are the following proposals: 

  • Breakfast Buddies
  • Cosmetology/Nail Tech Student Fees
  • Incorporating Therapies into the ARC Program
  • Rosetta Stone Language Foundation for English Language Learners
  • Respect Week
  • SchooLinks College & Career Readiness Dashboard
  • Uplifiting Lemont
  • World Languages Earphone Sets

Photo gallery of grants ceremony

Educational Foundation Grant Summaries

A complete description of all the supported grants, with recipient information and the amount awarded, may be found below.

Lemont High School teachers submitted nine proposals for grants, requesting more than $43,445. Since 2007, the LHSEF has supported more than $540,000 in grants to benefit Lemont High School.

In addition to funding for Educational Foundation Grants, the LHSEF proudly pledged multi-year support for the transformation of the school’s Learning Resource Center into the CITGO Innovation Academy, which opened in 2018. This reimagined space facilitates student collaboration and encourages creativity, and is home to a Makerspace and the Common Grounds coffee shop.

A primary reason the LHSEF has been able to provide such significant support to Lemont High School is the success of the “Food for Thought” series. For more than a decade, these celebrations have drawn large crowds of enthusiastic supporters. Typically, the “Taste of Lemont” draws thousands to downtown Lemont, making it one of the most anticipated community events each year.

The LHSEF already is gearing up for this fall’s “Taste of Lemont,” which will take place in downtown Lemont on September 9, 2023. Ticket information will be available this summer. The “Taste of Lemont” once again will be a family friendly event open to all ages and will feature a number of local food and drink establishments as well as live music.

The LHSEF provides revenue and support to Lemont High School in order to enhance educational opportunities and enrich the overall experience for its students. It operates independently from the school, yet fosters the district’s ongoing and systemic efforts to attain the next level of success in all areas of a comprehensive education for all students.

The LHSEF’s mission is to partner with the community to make lasting improvements to Lemont High School that will enhance the total educational experience for all of its students. Its desire is to fund and support programs and opportunities that aid students’ growth, both academically and as citizens of the Lemont community. The LHSEF is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization; all gifts are tax-deductible to the extent provided by the law.

Educational Foundation Grants

“Breakfast Buddies”
Funded at $2,300 — proposal by Kelsey Eisele

Since 2006, Breakfast Buddies has helped with socializing for both students with diverse abilities and students who wish to be mentors. Breakfast Buddies is held before school twice a month and attracts dozens of students. Special education students gain confidence and acceptance, helping to make them feel more a part of the Lemont High School community, while their peer mentors gain expertise in working with individuals with diverse abilities. Socialization, patience, empathy, understanding, and appropriate social interaction skills all are learned and incorporated within the kitchen and classroom setting.

“Cosmetology/Nail Tech Student Fees”
Funded at $2,000 — proposal by Counseling Department

The Wilco Area Vocational Center provides fantastic opportunities for Lemont High School students to receive career training and get a head start on their future. The school is able to cover the tuition for students, but course fees and lab kits are the responsibility of students and their families. This grant will offset the cost of the required $800 nail “kit” for students who have been granted fee waivers and are enrolled in either the Cosmetology or Nail Tech courses. Students who complete the course are able to graduate from a high school with a career credential.

“Incorporating Therapies Into the ARC Program”
Funded at $1,850 — proposal by Stephenie Goostree & Kelly Lucio
Lemont High School will revamp its ARC Program (Academics, Resilience, Character) during the 2023-24 school year to serve as a therapeutic setting for the school’s special education students. Students will receive additional services to help address internalizing behaviors (school anxiety, school refusal, depression) that impact their ability to progress in traditional classroom settings. This grant will provide evidence-based treatments of art, music, and yoga therapy into students’ monthly schedules to help them develop healthy coping strategies, increase emotional regulation, and improve self-esteem and resilience to stress.

“Rosetta Stone Language Foundation for English Language Learners”
Funded at $5,995 — proposal by Tina Malak

Lemont High School’s English Language Learner population has increased by more than 50 percent over the last five years, and now includes nearly 50 students who speak more than 10 languages. Each student is at a different level of English proficiency and is tested annually in reading, listening, speaking and writing. This grant will make the Rosetta Stone Language Foundation program available for all ELL students. Its structured immersion program sets students up for success by expediting language learning and building a deeper understanding of the language, helping students feel more confident speaking in the real world.

“Respect Week”
Funded at $1,000 — proposal by Meagan Drummond

During the 2023-24 school year, Lemont High School will debut “Respect Week”, which will be a spirit week focusing on inclusion for all students, regardless of differences. The goal of the week will be to promote inclusion, acceptance, tolerance, and empathy for all. Various activities will get students involved to spread awareness and promote collaboration, which will help students build relationships with peers with whom they may not typically interact. This grant will offset the cost of some of the activities, which may include raffles, a unified basketball game, and fundraising for Special Olympics.

“SchooLinks College & Career Readiness Dashboard”
Funded at $20,000 — proposal by Student Services Department

The SchooLinks College and Career Readiness Dashboard features tremendous benefits for students, parents/guardians, and educators, and incorporates a complete set of tools to enable schools to improve student performance and to empower educators and parents/guardians. SchooLinks can support every Lemont High School student and their families in the areas of college and career planning. The platform monitors what students have done in real time (activities, assessments, etc.), and facilitates family engagement. This grant will establish the dashboard for all Lemont students for the 2023-24 school year.

“Uplifiting Lemont”
Funded at $500 — proposal by Meagan Drummond, Kelsey Eisele & Trisha Weber

The “Uplifiting Lemont” program, which will be established at Lemont High School during the 2023-24 school year, will allow for faculty and staff to catch students doing good things. This initiative will positively impact students, improve the school’s community, culture, and climate, and recognize students for their hard work and growth. Faculty and staff will identify students who deserve recognition (growing in academics, showing kindness to peers, etc.), and honored students will receive a postcard with information on why they stood out, as well as a small reward (token to the school’s Common Grounds coffee house, etc.).

“World Languages Earphone Sets”
Funded at $4,300 — proposal by Christie Entler

Listening to a variety of sources in a language of study is an essential element in learning a second language. As many as 75 percent of Lemont High School students are enrolled in a World Languages class each year. During the pandemic, classroom sets of earphones that had been used in World Languages classes were repurposed across the building to facilitate remote and hybrid learning models. This grant will be used to purchase seven classroom sets of earphones, which will provide students the opportunity to practice listening skills in an individualized way, as well as the chance to record themselves speaking the language.