The Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation (CUSF) Grant Patrol delivered souvenir checks totaling more than $60,000 to 182 teachers in the Urbana and Champaign School Districts. The grants will support more than 100 new projects between the two districts. The grant awards are part of CUSF’s ongoing efforts to invest in educators and motivate students for success in our local public schools. Some examples of the grant projects in Urbana School District #116 include:

• 500 K-5 students in Urbana will participate in Drums Alive! a program that provides brain and whole-body activities integrating physical, social, emotional, health with rhythm and movement-based activities. Teachers Bradley Benner of Thomas Paine and Megan Tipton from Yankee Ridge and Thomas Paine collaborated to submit the grant. “We are excited to merge rhythms and physical activity providing opportunities for students to use their brains and bodies to express their emotions,” Tipton says.
• Students at Dr. Preston Williams Elementary will research monarch butterflies, construct a permanent bed and an enclosed pavilion as they observe the monarchs’ life cycles and migration. 
• At Urbana high school 76 high school music students will participate in an in-depth study of composer Aaron Copeland. Funds will be used to purchase music and invite guest artists to support students as they study, learn and perform the works of Copeland. 

The following teachers were awarded a $250 Compact Grant to fund small projects and classroom needs:

• Cuneiform Writing submitted by Cynthia Adamek at Urbana Middle School. Funds will be used to purchase supplies for students to learn and practice this ancient writing form via Zoom with the Spurlock Museum specialists.
• Interactive Tech for the Classroom submitted by Felix Cardoso at Urbana Adult Education. Funds will be used to purchase a digital white board and digital writing pad for adult learners.
• Storage Solutions for Music submitted by Cara Maurizi from Dr. King Elementary. Provides shelving to store the keyboards and ukuleles purchased with previous grant funds.
• DACA Dreamers Read about Real-life DREAMERS! submitted by Lola Pittenger at Urbana Middle School. Funds used to purchase a class set of the book “The Dreamer” by Pablo Nerudo.
• Second Grade STEAM Lab submitted by Lasonia Reed from Wiley Elementary. Funds materials to support the Mystery Science Lessons for budding scientists.
• Spanish Literacy submitted by Wendaliz Rodriguez Torres from Urbana Middle School. Funds will be used to purchase Spanish literacy books for students with disabilities.
• Young Scientists submitted by Heather Schwartz from Urbana Early Childhood School. Funds would be used to purchase lab coats, safety goggles, beakers, magnifying glasses and assorted STEAM kitchen items.
• Diversity in the Classroom submitted by Barb Sebens from Urbana Early Childhood School. Funds used to purchase diverse and culturally relevant books.
• UHS Mural Supplies submitted by Tyler Sims from Urbana High. Funds used to purchase high quality paints for a mural project at the high school.
• Finding a love for reading through audio submitted by Meagan Stenzel from Urbana Middle School. Funds will be used to purchase audio versions of novels being read in class and headphones to support students listening as they read along.
• Learning about African American History through Negro League Baseball submitted by Morgan Williams from Dr. King Elementary. Funds used to purchase books and materials that help students learn about the influence of Negro League Baseball on African American identity.
• Bringing Crayola Colors of the World to Students submitted by Ellie Zimmer from Dr. Williams Elementary. Funds will be used to purchase Crayola Colors of the World supplies to help students draw and create art with colors that represent their skin tones.

In addition to the grant awardees above, the following 1st and 2nd year teachers will get $100 toward classroom startup costs:

• Madison Bertha- Wiley Elementary
• Patricia Booth Hodges- Urbana Middle School
• Devyn Clay- Wiley & Thomas Paine Elementary
• Carol Connell- Wiley Elementary
• Hannah Garrett- Urbana High School
• Devon Gaston-Urbana Middle School
• Gina Hanna- Yankee Ridge Elementary
• Kierra Johnson- Dr. King Elementary School & Urbana High School
• Leighanne Matson- Yankee Ridge Elementary
• Mollie Johnson- Dr. King Elementary
• Jailene Meraz- Urbana Middle School
• Ashia Ravanh-Dr. Williams Elementary
• Keishla Rivera Toledo- Urbana Middle School
• Caleb Ross- Dr. King Elementary
• Tessa Stadnick- Yankee Ridge Elementary
• Maryah Turnage- Gerber
• Christine Vasilopoulos- Urbana High School
• Will Villaflor- Urbana High School
• Alexandria Ward- Urbana Early Childhood Center
• Cheyenne Warman-Neal- Urbana High School

The following teachers will receive a $200 Houston Book Grant for supplemental books for their classrooms:

• Kia Alexander- Urbana Middle
• Noel Hatcher- Dr. King Elementary
• Molly Headtke- Leal Elementary
• Stephanie Helfrich- Dr. Williams Elementary
• Priscilla Kraut- Urbana Middle
• Londa Neely- Urbana Early Childhood School
• Alyssa Pavlakis- Urbana High

A full list of the 2021-22 funded projects can be found at: https://cuschoolsfoundation.org/grants-for-teachers/