LHSEF commits to support four Educational Foundation grants

The Lemont High School Educational Foundation has committed to supporting four Educational Foundation Grants for nearly $22,000. 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 four Educational Foundation Grants for a total of $21,615, with a stipulation that the funds provided for the projects must be used by the end of the 2022-23 school year. 

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

• Blue & Gold Fridays
• Breakfast Buddies
• Creative and Innovative with a Marker
• Honoring the Class of 2022

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 on the following page. Lemont High School teachers submitted six proposals for grants, requesting more than $38,000. Since 2007, the LHSEF has supported more than $500,000 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 10, 2022. 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. This year will mark the return of headliner Mike and Joe to the LHSEF stage.

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

“Blue & Gold Fridays”
Funded at $1,200 — proposal by Denise Dalton & Mark Tomczak
During the 2021-22 school year, Lemont High School piloted “Blue & Gold Fridays” in an effort to encourage enthusiasm and school spirit among the school community. Each week, the name of one freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and faculty/staff member was drawn, and anyone who was wearing blue and gold that day was given a free Lemont High school t-shirt. This grant will expand that effort to the 2022-23 school year, with winners having the choice between the 2022-23 themed shirt or a $5 gift card. School pride and school spirit should continue to increase as students continue to wear gear from their clubs and sports, or other Lemont High School spirit wear.

“Breakfast Buddies”
Funded at $2,300 — proposal by Krissy Bergles, Meagan Drummond & 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 on Wednesdays 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. Acceptance, respectful and polite behaviors, and appropriate social interaction skills all are learned and incorporated within the kitchen and classroom setting.

“Creative and Innovative With a Marker”
Funded at $15,015 — proposal by Kathy Young
A previous Educational Foundation grant allowed for an ‘Extreme Classroom Makeover’. Two tables with writable surfaces were included in that grant, and the Mathematics Department learned this change of furniture provided an optimal learning environment and enhanced teaching and learning.  When students have writable surfaces, they explore and wonder freely since any errors can be eliminated with a swipe. They also collaborate more, and teachers can view a variety of approaches to problems and identify potential errors. This grant will provide a classroom of 30 individual student tables with writable surfaces, as well as unattached chairs. As many as 240 students each semester will benefit from the improvements in this one classroom.

“Honoring the Class of 2022”
Funded at $3,100 — proposal by Megan Idell
When Lemont High School closed for in person instruction in Spring 2020, it partnered with the Lemont High School Alumni Association to purchase a senior t-shirt and graduation sign for each member of the Class of 2020. These items were delivered to students’ homes with a goal of instilling pride in their school even though they were unable to be on campus. The Lemont High School Educational Foundation stepped in a year later and purchased t-shirts and signs for the Class of 2021. Though their senior year has been closer to “normal”, the Class of 2022 has been affected by the pandemic as much as - perhaps even more than - those two classes. This grant will aid in the purchase of t-shirts and graduation signs for the Class of 2022, and provide a gesture of goodwill for all seniors and their families as the new graduates move on to the next chapter in their lives.