Excellence in Education grants available for teachers

[April 10, 2012]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Retired Teachers Association Foundation is making $15,000 in grant money available to 32 counties in Illinois. This special grant program will provide additional funds to public school educators in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade so that their students will have the means to participate in special projects.

The program rotates annually among northern, central and southern Illinois. For the current year, the grant is available in IRTA Areas 3 and 4. The following counties are included: Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Cook -- South Suburban, Cook -- Southwest Suburban, Cook -- West Lake Shore, DeWitt, DuPage, Ford, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, Henderson, Iroquois, Jersey, Kankakee, Logan, Macoupin, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, Morgan, Peoria, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Tazewell, Vermilion, Warren, and Will.

Educators can participate by visiting the IRTA website at www.irtaonline.org to download the application. Applicants should complete the grant proposal by describing their needs for the grant, telling how they will use it and explaining the difference their project will make in the lives of their students. Applications should be submitted by mail to the IRTA Foundation, 620 N. Walnut St., Springfield, IL 62702. All proposals must be postmarked by Sept. 7.

The IRTA Foundation designed this program based on the idea that educators often do not have additional revenue sources available for unique student projects or classroom materials. A special committee will select the recipients of the grant money in October. Recipients will be notified shortly after that.

[Text from file received from Illinois Retired Teachers Association]