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District 211 Foundation
Innovation Grants
Scholarships

District 211 Foundation

The Mission of the Township High School District 211 Foundation is to obtain and provide resources to enhance and enrich learning opportunities for the students, staff, and school community of Township High School District 211.

The History
The Foundation was incorporated in 1995 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The Board of Trustees determines guidelines for selecting and funding projects and raising and disbursing Foundation funds. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board and operates independently of the District 211 Board of Education.

The Goals
The Foundation will achieve its mission through direct support for:

Student Development
•   Provide instructional enrichment activities.
•   Provide for unique student learning needs.
•   Expand opportunities beyond the school day.

School / Community Collaboration
•   Promote community awareness about education programs in the District.
•   Facilitate partnerships among the Foundation, Township High School District 211,
    individuals, community organizations, businesses and industry.
•   Promote educational unity, understanding and cooperation throughout the school
    district and community.

Staff Excellence and Creativity
•   Provide resources to encourage employee innovation and creativity.
•   Support unique staff development activities.
•   Provide seed money for new enrichment programs.

Innovation Grants

Innovation Grants are intended to develop ideas, programs, or practices that are not normally funded from within the regular school budget. Grants are awarded for innovative projects or programs that have the potential to impact student learning.
Innovation Grant Descriptions

For a list and description of Foundation Innovation Grants (awarded December, 2007), choose your school's link below.

Conant Fremd Hoffman Estates Palatine Schaumburg

Innovation Grant Application

District 211 Foundation Scholarships

The High School District 211 Foundation makes available opportunities for interested community members to provide scholarships for students in our schools. The following outlines the current scholarships and their criteria. For more information and application forms, please contact the Student Services department at your high school or Becky Rolph at the Administration Center.

Scholarships:

The application deadline for 2008 graduates was March 20, 2008.

Scholarships available to 2009 graduates will be posted to this website in January, 2009.

If you are interested in creating a new scholarship, please contact Becky Rolph at 847-755-6633.

Motorola Foundation grant to help fund
District 211 engineering program equipment
Once in a great while a program becomes available that is more than just an educational opportunity...

Motorola Foundation grant to help fund District 211 engineering program equipment

Once in a great while a program becomes available that is more than just an educational opportunity. It also is a chance to present a valuable vocational option for students who are typically underrepresented in an important career area. Such is the case with Project Lead the Way. This series of courses provides a combination of engineering concepts and experiences, as well as significant career investigations, for students who are interested in exploring engineering in its many facets.

Project Lead the Way is an established program that is supported by major Colleges of Engineering, including those at Purdue University and the University of Illinois. Starting with a general concepts course, and moving towards courses aimed at investigating specific areas of engineering such as bio-engineering and aeronautical engineering, the program provides a basic understanding of the work done by engineers in the 21st century. An investigation of the program as it has been offered in other states reveals that not only does this provide access to vocational exploration for the general high school population, but that young women and minority students, currently underrepresented in the engineering vocation, also have gained insight into this esteemed career area.

Because this program attempts to reflect true experiences in engineering, it is highly-dependent on technology and specialized equipment. One such piece of equipment is a three-dimensional printer that can produce physical objects from drawings developed by students on computers. These 3-D printers are very expensive pieces of equipment and provide an experience that cannot be duplicated elsewhere for students.

“Recognizing that the need of students involved in the District’s Project Lead the Way program fit perfectly with the mission of the Motorola Foundation, namely to fund projects that educate and attract students to careers in mathematics, science, and engineering, our committee presented a grant application for purchase of a 3-D printer,” said Susan Farmer, District 211 Foundation chair. “With the help of the Motorola Foundation, this grant will provide outstanding opportunities for District 211 students who are interested in engineering.” The District 211 Foundation and the faculty and students of the District’s Applied Technology Department are most pleased that the Motorola Foundation has chosen to fund this grant proposal, providing approximately $35,000 for the purchase of a 3-D printer for use by students in several of District 211 schools.

“Previously, students solved design problems through the use of 2-dimensional design software,” commented Mark Hibner, District chair for applied technology. “Now, students can take solving design problems to a whole new level by evaluating the form, fit, and function of parts that were made using a 3-D printer. This gives students in engineering classes the opportunity to take an idea and make it into a reality. That is the true essence of engineering. I appreciate the work of both the District 211 Foundation and the Motorola Foundation in supporting this exciting opportunity for our students.”

For additional information please refer to www.motorola.com/giving