Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum News

For Immediate Release:

October 8, 2009

Contact: David Blanchette
(217) 558-8970

Field trip grant winners announced
Midwest Generation contribution to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library Foundation allows schools and groups that serve low-income
youth to visit Lincoln Presidential Museum

SPRINGFIELD - Grants for field trips to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield have been awarded to schools and groups in Cook, Effingham, Fulton, Jackson, Jasper, Kane, Kankakee, Knox, Lake, Macon, Marion, Morgan, Peoria, St. Clair, Sangamon, Stephenson, Union, Vermilion, and Will Counties.

"These grants were made available to Illinois schools and youth organizations with a high enrollment of low-income children," said Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) Director Jan Grimes. "We feel it's important that all children be given the opportunity to immerse themselves in Lincoln's life and times at the Presidential Museum."

The grants were awarded to:

Cook			Posen Intermediate School, Posen
Cook			Rich East High School, Park Forest
Cook			Woodgate Elementary School, Matteson
Cook			McKinley Junior High School, South Holland
Cook			Kellar Middle School, Robbins
Effingham		Fresh Start TLC, Effingham
Fulton			Ingersoll Middle School, Canton
Fulton/Knox		Spoon River Valley High School/Cuba High School, London Mills
Jackson		        Elverado District # 196 Eighth Grade, Vergennes
Jasper			Jasper County Junior High School, Newton
Kane			Highland Elementary School, Elgin
Kankakee		Momence High School, Momence
Lake			Mundelein High School, Mundelein
Macon			Milligan Academy, Decatur
Marion			Patoka Junior High School, Patoka
Morgan		        Lafayette Academy, Jacksonville
Peoria			Mark Bills Middle School, Peoria
Peoria			Manual Seventh and Eighth Grade Academy, Peoria
St. Clair		        Belle Valley South School, Belleville
St. Clair		        Bluffview Elementary School, Dupo
St. Clair		        Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, Belleville
Sangamon		Riverton Elementary School, Riverton
Stephenson		Lincoln-Douglas School, Freeport
Union			Jonesboro Community Consolidated School District # 43, Jonesboro
Vermilion		John Greer Elementary School, Hoopeston
Will			        Fairmont School District # 89, Lockport

For the fourth consecutive year, Midwest Generation, an Edison International Company, has contributed $20,000 to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation that will allow classroom and youth groups to tour the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. Illinois teachers of grades 4 through 12 in public or private schools with low-income enrollment greater than 30 percent were eligible to apply for a field trip grant. In addition, nonprofit organizations that serve economically disadvantaged children in Illinois were also eligible to apply. Museum admission fees are waived for scheduled school tours, and the funds awarded may be used to defer any costs generally associated with a classroom or youth services organization field trip.

A total of 106 field trip grant applications requesting more than $260,000 in funding were received by the September 11 application deadline. Twenty-six of those applicants were funded.

The judges for this year's grant applications were Rose Hellman, ALPLM staff; Jack Navins, retired physician and ALPLM volunteer; and retired educator Mary Ann Elson.

The field trip grants are coordinated through the ALPLM's Department of Education which, through the use of museum and library collections, provides opportunities for learners of all ages to explore the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, as well as the history of Illinois and the United States.

Grants are awarded each fall. Applications are available online at www.presidentlincoln.org. The deadline for applications for the 2010-2011 school year is September 1, 2010.

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