LHSEF commits to support nine grants in 2017-18 school year

The Lemont High School Educational Foundation has committed to supporting nine grants for more than $34,000 for the 2017-18 school year. Grant proposals were submitted by Lemont High School faculty and staff, with the goal of enhancing educational opportunities for the school’s enrollment of more than 1,400 students.

The LHSEF is fully funding nine Educational Foundation Grants for a total of $34,036, with a stipulation that the funds provided for the projects must be used during the 2017-18 school year. 

Included among the 2017-18 Educational Foundation Grants are the following proposals: 

• Authentic Art Through Integrating Technology
• Breakfast Buddies
• LegSim
• LHSEF Presents ... Lemont High School!
• Link Crew
• Picture This - Phase V
• Polar Heart Rate Monitors
• Projecting a Clear Future
• Summer Science: SSTEAM WOW!

Photo gallery of grants ceremony

2017-18 Educational Foundation Grant Summaries

Lemont High School teachers submitted 13 proposals for grants, requesting nearly $65,000. Since 2007, the LHSEF has supported nearly $400,000 in grants to benefit Lemont High School.

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 ten years, the “Food for Thought” celebrations have drawn large crowds of enthusiastic supporters. Last fall’s “Food for Thought” event drew 2,500 supporters to downtown Lemont, making it the most well attended event in LHSEF history.

The LHSEF already is gearing up for its next “Food for Thought” event, which will take place in downtown Lemont on September 9, 2017. Ticket information will be available soon. “Food for Thought” once again will be a family friendly event open to all ages and will feature a number of local food and drink establishments and outstanding 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.

2017-18 Educational Foundation Grants

“Authentic Art Through Integrating Technology”
Funded at $2,047 — proposal by Megan Idell
Current art technology requires the authentic hand of the artist. New drawing tablets allow students to draw with a pressure sensitive touch and enhance the level of student artwork. As the school moves to a 1:1 environment, Wacom Intuos Drawing tablets will provide the necessary technology to transform art education that features genuine authorship and promotes critical thinking. Integrating a classroom set of this technology into Digital Art and Graphic Design classes will help students develop their skill sets in an ever-changing world, and strengthen their art portfolios.

“Breakfast Buddies”
Funded at $2,100 — proposal by Krissy Bergles & Joan Browning
Since 2006, Breakfast Buddies has helped with socializing for both students with disabilities and students who wish to be mentors. Breakfast Buddies is held before school on Wednesdays and attracts dozens of students weekly. Students with disabilities 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 disabilities of all kinds. Social skills, respectful and polite behaviors, and appropriate friendly conversations all are learned and incorporated within the kitchen and classroom setting. Breakfast Buddies consistently has been funded by the LHSEF over the last ten years.

“LegSim”
Funded at $250 — proposal by Rob Hammerschmidt, Carol Leonard, Jodi Nye & Rick Prangen
A 2016-17 LHSEF Educational Foundation grant provided all Lemont High School seniors the chance to participate in “LegSim” – a Web site that offers all of the features students need to organize and operate their own legislation simulation. This grant will make that opportunity available to the Class of 2018 as well. Teachers have collaborated to design LegSim as a capstone activity for all American Government students, as they are provided with a realistic perspective on the legislative process. Each student plays the part of a member of Congress, which includes writing, proposing, amending, debating and voting upon legislation.

“LHSEF Presents ... Lemont High School!”
Funded at $1,019 — proposal by Denise Dalton & Co.
During the 2016-17 school year, teachers from various departments have been meeting to plan a positive and energizing video that highlights various teams, clubs, students and teachers. This teacher-student collaboration will shine a light on all facets of student life at Lemont High School. Some neighboring districts have spent significantly to have similar videos professionally produced, but the goal of the planning team is for students and staff to do the video in-house for much less. This grant will purchase hardware that will make an annual video a reality. This hardware also will be available to student groups and organizations so that they can produce their own videos.

“Link Crew”
Funded at $1,405 — proposal by Denise Dalton, Cara Franta & Jeana Parry
The Link Crew is a transition program that makes new students feel at home throughout their first year on campus. Previous LHSEF Educational Foundation grants have covered the cost of Link Crew training, as well as implementation of the program for the 2016-17 school year. This grant will cover costs for the 2017-18 school year. Approximately 100 upperclassmen were involved as Link Crew mentors in 2016-17. Survey feedback from the Class of 2020 has shaped revisions for orientation activities for 2017-18; for instance, a lesson on “Social Media Awareness” will be added, with Link Crew members serving as role models. A second-semester “retreat” will be added in 2017-18 for the Class of 2021 and their Link Crew mentors.

“Picture This - Phase V”
Funded at $2,000 — proposal by Jenna Bumber & Ryan Hennebry
Previous Educational Foundation grants have funded cross-curricular projects that have merged various disciplines with art and computer aided design (CAD), exposing these areas to students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the building. Students research the world around them, helping them to discover art that intrigues them, and take pride in their creations and showcase their talents. These projects have resulted in hallways throughout the building being filled with the best student artwork. Connections between school work and the outside world allow students to appreciate the arts, cultures, creativity and imagination.

“Polar Heart Rate Monitors”
Funded at $6,000 — proposal by Physical Education Department
This grant will fund the purchase of Polar GoFit Heart Rate Monitors for use in Physical Education classes. Up to 120 students will have access to the watch-like devices each class period. This system provides students the opportunity to view their heart rate data while participating in class, and also to track their fitness outcomes throughout the semester. Instructors will use the data from utilizing the monitors to teach the positive effects of exercise on the body and the overall health effects and benefits of regular exercise. Each student will be evaluated based on his/her level of fitness. Students no longer will be required to wear a heart rate monitor strap, which makes for a more comfortable environment for students.

“Projecting a Clear Future for the Performing Arts Center”
Funded at $15,000 — proposal by Dave Nommensen
The projector used in the Performing Arts Center has not been replaced since the PAC opened in Spring 2008, and after hundreds of events, it no longer is suitable to project detailed clean information in a manner that is visible with the PAC lights on. This has been troublesome for high-profile events such as Graduation, Senior Honors Night, student fine arts productions, and faculty meetings. This grant will fund a portion of the purchase of a new projector that will make the viewing experience much more clear for PAC audience attendees. 

“Summer Science: SSTEAM WOW!”
Funded at $4,215 — proposal by Michael Beranek, Scott Collins & Monica Johnson
With the support of previous Educational Foundation grants, Lemont High School has developed and fostered a program of inclusion for both special needs and general education students to develop Special Education, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (SSTEAM) skills, as well as skills in the areas of social communication and digital resources. This program has generated national recognition for its innovative approach. General education students benefit by providing coaching and mentoring to their peers, while special education students receive instruction through hands-on activities while working on real-world problems.