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Kane Education Foundation reports programs funded by $20,000 commission grant; seeks additional library support
Summary
Kane Education Foundation presented its annual report, saying $20,000 from the commission funded literacy and enrichment programs—from Dolly Parton Imagination Library book deliveries to STEM camps and summer counseling—and requested consideration of additional library funding for an art program.
Callie Kelly, representing the Kane Education Foundation, told the commission on Oct. 22 that a $20,000 allocation from commissioners helped sustain several countywide youth programs. "The funding of $20,000 from the commissioners has helped us, significantly, in what we can do for the students in our area," Kelly said.
Kelly described the foundation’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library for ages birth to 5, noting the program costs about $5,000 a year to operate in the county and that the foundation had delivered roughly 6,899 books in Kane County to date. She said the foundation budgets about $1,000 annually for a preschool summer science camp that served about 70 children this year and that monthly library art projects reach roughly 320 students across partner elementary schools.
For older students, KEF partners with Kane County 4‑H to run a two‑day STEM camp that serves 80 students (40 girls and 40 boys, ages 9–14) and carries a roughly $20,000 annual budget. Kelly said the STEM camp costs approximately $200–$300 per student and currently operates free to participants, with a waiting list in some years. The foundation also funds summer counseling to maintain continuity of care for at‑risk students when school‑based counseling pauses; Kelly reported about 37 students were served this past summer and that the program costs approximately $15,000 per summer.
Commissioners thanked KEF for the report and discussed potential adjustments to county library funding to support the foundation’s art‑in‑the‑library outreach in schools. Kelly welcomed additional support and said the programs have generated positive responses from families and teachers. The presentation closed with commissioners encouraging staff to consider modest reallocations to support the foundation’s outreach where feasible.
The foundation offered to provide program reports to commissioners for further review.