The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation (IPEF) has partnered with the Indian Prairie School District 204 since 1988. Together they enrich education for students by supporting their academic, artistic, emotional, and physical needs. The vision of the foundation is for students to achieve academic success through unique opportunities and exposure to inspiring possibilities, for staff to develop their full teaching potential, and for the community to work together in support of the school district.
“We got into a little more social services right around the time of Covid, and now we help out with a lot more mental health support for our students,” says Trudie Ranson the IPEF Executive Director. “And also, we do a lot of what we call kid essentials, students who are low income and might need a little help here and there. Their families might need a little help with here and there so they don’t have to worry about anything besides getting a great education.”
Student academic and wellness programs are a key focus for IPEF. They proudly continue to honor their original purpose each year by funding the district’s award-winning Fine Arts programs, including holiday concerts and the annual Fine Arts Festival. The Fine Arts Festival is the largest one-day event held in IPSD 204, featuring over 80 musical performances and a display of over 12,000 pieces of art from students in grades pre-K through 12. IPEF also supports STEM-related programs throughout District 204 such as robotics clubs, e-sports, and the Project Lead the Way curriculum for future engineers.
The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation supports students’ mental and physical health
Student health and wellness is the fastest growing area of need in the district. The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation funds mental health support for students, parents, and the community through the Back on Track program and IPSD 204’s annual Mental Health Symposium. It also helps to provide free biennial cardiac screenings for all high school students in IPSD 204.
Additionally, the foundation is proud to support disadvantaged IPSD 204 families through the Kid Essentials program, where basic essentials including school supplies, food, and clothing are provided for the district’s over 5,500 low-income and homeless students.
Standing with the teachers and staff of District 204
IPEF’s programming is also supporting District 204 teachers and staff. The foundation selects and funds grants for projects that provide new concepts for creative teaching through their Teacher Innovation Grants program. Those grants that are funded are then implemented within the classroom to provide academic enrichments and curricular enhancements for students. The foundation also proudly supports the monthly A+ Award, recognizing an educator chosen from student, parent, and community member recommendations for going above and beyond for their students.
IPEF is honored to be able to provide these and other support programs for the IPSD 204 students. staff, and community.
Spotlight Guests: Trudie Ranson, Executive Director and Tami Reid, Board Chair
