Naperville Education Foundation

✨ We're excited to share more about one of this year's Express Grants In Action! "Using Authentic Community Experiences to Reach Post-Secondary Outcomes," a grant submitted by and awarded to Connections Social Worker Mary Muszynski in October, funded four community outings for 26 Connections students enrolled in the Social Emotional Learning course. The group's first outing was at a restaurant in Downtown Naperville. "Following everyone having a chance to order, the time in between that and receiving the food was spectacularly spent in social engagement," Muszynski shared. "Students who have historically shared little, expressed thoughts on topics ranging from what they were looking forward to eating, to their families, to the preferred interests of themselves and others using total communication (gestural, facial expression, AAC device)." 🔗 Learn more about recent Express Grants: https://lnkd.in/gCFta8jA. Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203

🌈 Secure your Kindness Sponsorship to support student artwork at the 32nd annual Building a Passion Breakfast. Student artwork will be shared on notecards distributed at the event. There is only one Kindness Sponsorship available for each Naperville 203 school. Your Kindness Sponsorship ensures there's no place like 203, making all the difference for Naperville 203 students! 🎇 🔗 Visit https://lnkd.in/gxrhCgvd to secure your Kindness Sponsorship of the breakfast today. Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203

✨ We're excited to share more about one of this year's Express Grants In Action! "Legos for the art room," a grant submitted by and awarded to Highlands Elementary Art Teacher Kyle Wood in September, funded Lego bricks and baseplates for students to use in art class. "Students love to build with the colorful plastic pieces and they have already found tremendous success making mosaics, animations and more," Highlands educators shared. "The activity has not only honed their artistic abilities but has also reinforced important skills such as problem-solving, spatial reasoning and perseverance." 🔗 Learn more about recent Express Grants: https://lnkd.in/gCFta8jA. Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203

✨ Thanks to the generosity of the Ecolab Foundation, NEF was awarded an NPO grant to support STEM opportunities outside the school day for Naperville 203 students. We're proud to partner with Ecolab to create this impactful opportunity in our community. 🪴 Nalco Water, An Ecolab Company Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203

✨ We're excited to share more about one of this year's Express Grants In Action! "Social Emotional Learning Through Team Building," a grant submitted by and awarded to Naperville North Learning Behavior Specialist Andrew Bax in September, funded an outdoor education experience for students in the SUCCESS program at Naperville North. "This experience not only gave us the opportunity to explore and enjoy the outdoors, but also taught us invaluable skills that we will carry with us throughout the rest of the year," students said. "Your generosity has made a lasting impact, and we are so grateful for your support in creating this memorable and meaningful learning opportunity." "We truly appreciate the support and allowing us to go on this trip," Bax shared. "The Lincoln Marsh put on a great program and we had a lunch together afterwards and talked about what went well and opportunities for growth. It definitely got students out of their comfort zone which will lead to some lifelong learning." 🔗 Learn more about this year's Express Grants: https://lnkd.in/gCFta8jA. Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203

✨ As we welcome the new year, our Board of Trustees reflects on what their hopes for Naperville 203 students are for the rest of the school year. ✍️ What are your hopes for Naperville 203 students in the new year? Comment below and share! Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203

🎆 The Naperville Education Foundation Board of Trustees and Staff wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy new year! Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203

✨ With the 2024-25 Express Grant application open, we're excited to share more about past Express Grants In Action! "SEL Robots," a grant submitted by and awarded to Kennedy Junior High teacher Tobey Sanford funded the purchase of interactive robots to help students manage stress in a positive way. "[Students] really feel as if they are having a special experience getting to hold these unique robots," Sanford said. "We don't often encourage hugs at school, but students smile as they hug and hold the animal-like Qoobos. Students verbally express their gratitude for the SEL Robot opportunity nearly every time they check one out in the Learning Commons." 🔗 Learn more about last year's Express Grants: https://lnkd.in/g5amBnTm. Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203

❄️ There's still time to include NEF in your end-of-year giving! As you plan your year-end giving, consider the opportunities you can create for Naperville 203 students with a gift to NEF. Your donation supports our mission to ensure that every student in the district can take advantage of opportunities to make the most of their education. 🔗 Donate now: https://lnkd.in/ghpMSfp9 Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203

☃️ The Naperville Education Foundation Board of Trustees and staff wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season! Naperville Community Unit School District 203 #Elevate203