D300 Foundation for Educational Excellence

Large Projects

NEW!

National Young Leaders Conference Scholarships

The Foundation is pleased to offer three full-tuition scholarships to the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington DC.  You must be a current junior student in high school to be considered.  Deadline is February 1, 2010.  Conferences will be held this spring in Washington DC.  For more information and to pick up an application, please see your high school social studies division teacher.  For more information about the conference itself, visit the NYLC website:  cylc.org/nylc.

or click here

What is a Large Grant?

Grants

Foundation grants support innovative, creative projects that improve teaching and learning and are not normally funded within school budgets.

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Raku Kilns Purchased for High Schools

LARGE PROJECT GRANT proposals are studied by committee members made up of trustees from the Foundation and educators that cross all age levels but concentrate on subject matter pertaining to the committee.  Once a committee has settled on a project and has completed a rigorous assessment the committee representative from the Foundation presents the project to the Foundation Board in March moving it to the Projects Committee to enter the approval process. 

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Shuesterman Literacy Project

The Projects Committee made up of three Foundation Trustees and the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction go over the submitted requests to make sure that the proposals 

1.  meet the mission of the Foundation
2.  follow State Standards in Education
3.  reach out to all District 300 students

The four major committees that the Foundation established in 2002 are:

Literacy
Performing & Fine Arts
Science & Technology
Student Leadership

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Check out our Large Grant Project -- CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) at our High Schools 

Without help from the Foundation for Educational Excellence, this course would have been a skeleton of what it is now.  The items purchased were 6 forensic kits (case, rulers, markers, and other evidence collection items), 3 mannequins, and 3 crash kits. 
Each school received 2 kits, 1 mannequin, and 1 crash kit. Forensic evidence collection kits-We used these at the crime scenes.  Students loved these most.  They felt like real CSI investigators.  They contained evidence markers, measuring tape, and different rulers.  We added different materials and tools to the kits depending like a camera, fingerprint collection tools, and scissors.  They were the best addition to the course.   Mannequins-We used these as a victim at the crime scenes. 
The students made 5 other bodies using clothes, pillows, blankets, and newspaper.  I was able to use the mannequin as the incentive and the squads would compete to use it.  This was the best tool for marketing the course, because when the mannequin was being carried or at a crime scene, everyone would look.   
Crash kits-Crash was great because it came with lesson plans, activities, worksheets, and materials already prepared and ready for use.  It was a good break from just crime scenes, and allowed us to discuss why not to drink and drive, and why to wear a safety belt.  This was a great activity kit and made the lesson planning much easier.

Joe Ehrmann. Biology/Forensic Teacher -- Dundee Crown

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The mission of the District 300 Foundation for Educational Excellence is to seek and make available resources that enhance and extend learning opportunities for all of its students.