District 99 Foundation presents grants for attendance support, sensory room, transition program and student clubs

The District 99 Foundation on Jan. 27 presented checks to five school projects that the foundation approved last semester, foundation president Julia Beckman told the Board of Education.

The grants recognized included an attendance intervention mentoring program, a sensory room at Downers Grove South, an entrepreneurship (candle-making) program at Transition 99, a disc-golf club at North, and engineering-club parts for radio-control projects.

Julia Beckman, president of the District 99 Foundation Board, opened the presentation and named board members attending. Grants chair Donna Dawson then introduced the recipients and presented checks.

Catherine Kelly described the attendance-intervention mentoring program as a tier‑2 initiative coordinated with the regional office of education, in which participating schools receive slides, ongoing contact with ROE staff and implementation data. Kelly said the South program plans to add individual and group incentives and relationship-mapping strategies to “build some more culture and a community within the attendance group.''

Nicole (first name only), who identified herself as an occupational therapist at Downers Grove South, described the sensory room as a controlled space to support students with sensory‑processing needs: “It’s a space for them to reduce their anxiety, to reduce their stress levels ... and for us to teach them how to self regulate because the environment of a school building can be so overwhelming.”

Tricia Brawley, vocational coordinator at Transition 99, requested $555 to start a candle‑making microbusiness as part of the program’s existing microbusiness activities (stickers, dog treats, mugs). Brawley said the group planned to launch sales by mid‑February and would share a website link for purchases with district staff.

Representatives of North’s new disc‑golf club (represented by Brian and co-sponsors) described their request to purchase 10 practice putting baskets to support clinical putting practice and local outings; they said club membership and participation had grown since the fall. Tony Salo, sponsor of the engineering club, explained that a $1,000 grant will fund radio‑control parts and 3‑D modeling and fabrication projects; students aim to race model boats in the school pool later this semester.

Beckman said the foundation will open spring grant applications in March and thanked district staff and board members for support.

The board and superintendent Hank thanked the foundation and grant recipients for the presentations and the projects’ work with students.