|
 "Whether it is dedicating their time in the classroom, helping to
ensure the most qualified teachers are being hired, or providing
leadership for Illinois school districts, all of these individuals
have been instrumental in shaping the educational climate in
Illinois. Today we're proud to honor these individuals as state fair
grand marshals and join in celebration of all of the people who
dedicate their time to educate our youth," Bliefnick said.
The 2007 grand marshals are:
-
Dr. Christopher Koch,
state superintendent of education
-
Jesse Ruiz, chairman,
Illinois State Board of Education
-
Ed Geppert,
president, Illinois Federation of Teachers
-
Ken Swanson,
president, Illinois Education Association
-
Joe Fatheree, 2007
Illinois Teacher of the Year
"This year's theme encompasses the best of what the state fair
has to offer, highlighting the educational offerings as well as
celebrating the state's rich heritage. What better way to represent
the theme of ‘Celebrate and Educate' than to honor these five
individuals as grand marshals for their efforts in the field of
education," Illinois Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke added.
The grand marshals will lead the Twilight Parade, which begins at
6 p.m. on Thursday. Parade participants will step off from the
corner of Ninth Street and North Grand Avenue and travel down Ninth
to the fairgrounds' Main Gate. The parade will follow Main Street
through the fairgrounds to Grandstand Avenue, before concluding at
the north end of the Grandstand.
Admission to the fairgrounds will be free that evening.
Besides honoring those who excel in the field of education, the
fair will provide a number of educational opportunities for
fairgoers, including:
-
A podcast tour of
the fairgrounds' historic buildings -- The Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency produced this electronic history lesson,
which is downloaded onto personal MP3 players and takes
listeners on a narrated walking tour of 12 historic fair
buildings.
-
Live power-line
demonstrations -- Sponsored by the Illinois Electric Council's
Safe Electricity program, the demonstrations teach valuable
lessons to prevent electrical accidents and fires.
[to top of second column]
 |
-
The Illinois Pork
Producers Association's farrowing center -- The center gives
fairgoers a chance to watch the birth of baby piglets.
-
The Kids Activity
Tent -- The tent offers children tips about proper fitness and
nutrition.
-
The Senior Center
-- Sponsored by the Illinois Department on Aging, the center
provides free health screenings and information about Illinois
Cares Rx, the state prescription drug program.
-
The Jungle -- This
exhibit in the former Happy Hollow features educational animal
shows with alligators, bears, sharks, lions, tigers and
elephants.
-
The Illinois
Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety booth
-- The booth includes a video arcade that promotes traffic
safety, a trivia game that reinforces good driving habits and
instructional videos that teach proper child passenger safety
and promote safety belt usage.
-
The Illinois
Department of Agriculture tent -- Among other things, the tent
includes free samples of Illinois food products to raise
awareness about the economic importance of the state's food
processing industry.
-
The Illinois State
Fire Marshal's Firehouse Museum -- The museum teaches adults and
children alike about fire safety.
-
Conservation World
-- This area, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources, offers free shows and hands-on activities that
educate visitors about outdoor recreational opportunities and
the state's natural resources.
-
Hometown Pride --
Each day of the fair, a different Illinois community will have a
chance to highlight the activities, events and services its
community has to offer.
-
Campus Town --
This exhibit allows students and their parents to learn about
the educational offerings at state colleges and universities.
The Illinois State Fair will run Aug. 10-19. For more
information, please visit
www.illinoisstatefair.info.
[Text
from
Illinois State Fair news release received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
 |
