In October, U.S. Cellular told 29 teachers in northern Illinois, including teachers at Huntley Middle School in DeKalb and Hiawatha Elementary School in Kirkland, that their classroom projects had been funded through the company’s Calling All Teachers program.
This is the company’s fourth time working with philanthropic website DonorsChoose.org, and this year funded $1 million in impactful and engaging classroom projects submitted by public school teachers. Statewide, 89 Illinois teachers received more than $52,000 in donations, benefiting nearly 7,000 students.
U.S. Cellular is committed to supporting education and Calling All Teachers is one of the ways the company gives back to local communities.
“U.S. Cellular is proud to support and salute teachers’ efforts to ensure every student has a meaningful learning experience,” said Scott Preston, area sales manager for U.S. Cellular in northern Illinois. “We are dedicated to the northern Illinois community and excited to lend a hand to teachers in ensuring educational excellence of local students through this program.”
Earlier in the fall, teachers across the U.S. Cellular footprint posted classroom projects for funding consideration that covered a variety of topics, including language and literacy, math and science, music and the arts, health and sports and special needs. Some asked for classroom reading rugs, teaching easels and books while others requested foreign language tools and tablets.
“U.S. Cellular’s continued support of education is helping change the classroom experience in a powerful way,” said Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org. “The company’s donation of $1 million enables teachers to create impactful learning moments which last a lifetime.”
At Huntley, teacher Alexandria Henry received $372.16 for her project, Google Technology for Special Education. At Kirkland, teacher Melissa Irick received $457.15 for her project, Help Us Access Reading Rainbow's Digital Book Library.