The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) is pleased to announce the 2025 DKG Mini-Grant recipients. The DKG Mini-Grant program was established by the Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, whose members are women educators from Boone and Winnebago Counties. It is funded by two endowments established in memory of local educators and Zeta members Blanche J. Martin and Lana P. Smith. 

DKG Mini-Grants are awarded to qualified Early Childhood through Grade 12 educators currently teaching in Boone and Winnebago Counties. Proposals submitted by teachers are reviewed and recommended for awards by current DKG members. The grants are used to fund special classroom activities, purchase education materials, attend workshops, or implement other projects that enhance or improve the quality of education. Learn more at https://cfnil.org/grants/dkg-mini-grant  

The nine 2025 grantees are:

Erikka Coletta, Maple Elementary School | Bringing the Poetry Fun: To update the classroom collection of poetry books to provide colorful, engaging, funny, and interesting poems to help students develop a love of poetry and a desire to learn more about this expressive form of literature.

Jessica Frint, Haskell STEAM Academy | Kings and Queens Come to Life: To add activities to the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum unit on kings and queens that will help students exhibit self-awareness and responsible decision making.

Kathy George, Winnebago County Special Education Cooperative | Learning Through Sensory Play: To purchase a light table and other materials to enhance the motor skills area of a classroom for students with autism, down syndrome, and intellectual disabilities, and increase opportunities for multisensory learning.

Elizabeth Nolley, Seth Whitman Elementary School | Write and Learn While Drawing and Exploring the Alphabet: To purchase magnetic letters and associated storage accessories that students will use as they write, draw, and build words and sentences.

Jackie Norquist, Seth Whitman Elementary School | Play-based Learning Furniture: To purchase additional classroom furniture to increase and enhance opportunities for play-based learning. 

Amy Pliml, Haskell STEAM Academy | Caring for Our Planet: To purchase materials to enhance the integration of Language Arts and Science curriculum, with the goal of motivating and inspiring students’ connection and excitement for life on the planet and their role in impacting the planet’s health.

Karla Proper, Harlem Middle School | Building a Library: To purchase graphic novels to help bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books and inspire students to read and complete longer texts as they transition to pictureless chapter books.

Chelsea Pruitt, Harlem Middle School | 6th Grade Classroom Library: To curate a vibrant, diverse classroom library with a wide range of age-appropriate books across genres, designed to inspire a love of reading in 6th graders.

Jazmin Rodriguez, Belvidere South Middle School | Turning Pages, Bridging Cultures: To inspire 8th-grade dual language students to enjoy reading and enhance their biliteracy skills by creating a diverse and engaging bilingual book collection. The collection will help address the lack of diverse representation and limited bilingual options in the current library, better reflecting student identities and promoting inclusivity and literacy.