WAUCONDA, Illinois (May 27, 2014) – Bulldog Nation Foundation (BNF), a 501(c)(3) organization established in 2011 to provide financial support to Wauconda High School academic programs, is proud to announce its 2014 grant recipients. Classroom teachers and departments across a wide array of disciplines will receive more than $22,000 to help build a more robust academic experience for all WHS students.

“Wauconda High School offers our kids a great education, but there is always more we can do to enhance the classroom experience,” said Steve Diol, BNF president. “Our teachers have great ideas for impacting students in new and innovative ways, and we are thrilled to be able to help support their efforts.”

Nine new grant proposals were received this year, and several grants that were not funded in 2013 were also considered. With an emphasis on driving innovation in the classroom, many requests focused on new technological equipment, but in some cases educational materials and resources were sought.

The following projects were selected for full or partial funding:

• The Language Arts department will receive two short-throw projectors, adding to the two that were procured through 2013 grant awards.  The Mathematics and Science departments will also receive two short-throw projectors each.
• The Mathematics department will also receive PC-connected writing tablets that will afford teachers more one-on-one time with students and allow them to create lessons students can view at home or in study hall.
• The English department will receive funds to purchase novels that will be used in the teaching of annotation, an active reading strategy proven to improve reading comprehension. These books will be provided to students with financial hardships, who are unable to purchase them on their own.
• The Social Studies department will receive three document cameras for use in several different classes including US History, Sociology, Psychology, Global Studies and AP European History.
• Also in the Social Studies department, the Psychology I and II instructor will receive funds to purchase food that will be used in hands-on experiments, and the US History classroom will receive a set of Art Spiegelman Maus graphic novels about the Holocaust to make teaching of this sometimes-overwhelming subject more relatable to students.
• The Drama, Theater, Band and Choir programs will receive audio and video recording equipment that will be shared across the disciplines to help make rehearsal and performance reviews more timely and effective.

A selection committee consisting of Diol, Dr. Dan Coles, CUSD 118 superintendent, and six BNF members met to review the proposals and make the final decision on funds distribution. The selection of these seven proposals brings the total number of grants funded by BNF to 22, for a total of $59,000 over three years. BNF holds fundraising events throughout the year that bring the Wauconda community together in support of its high school academic programs.