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Beyond the Books helps get students moving
By Phyllis Coulter
pcoulter@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON — Fourth-grade students at Fox Creek Elementary School step in determined rhythm to music for 15 minutes before they start class, because teacher Amy Schumacher learned students retain more if they exercise first. | Video

They use “Dance Dance Revolution” mats, based on a popular video game, that tie their footsteps to music and dance shown on a videotape. Schumacher was able to buy the mats with money from a nonprofit organization that fosters creative and innovative ideas of teachers in Unit 5 and District 87 schools.

That organization, the Beyond the Books Foundation, marks its 15th anniversary this year.

“They (students) are engaged,” said Jason Nourie, a third-grade teacher at Towanda Elementary who bought a variety of new resources to teach about Route 66 in geography classes. He set up a display with a variety of items, instead of just telling the stories. “As soon as they came in, they oohed and ahhed.”

Beyond the Books paid for DVDs about how the road was built, CDs with songs about the character of the nation’s Mother Road, a flag, books and other memorabilia.

Beyond the Books got its start in 1989 when District 87 school board member Janella Cooley learned about education foundations at a conference. The foundation got its formal start in 1992.

“We wanted to encourage, and support teachers’ innovative and creative ideas for programs to benefit our children (making funding available) which might not be in a school district’s budget,” Cooley said. “The quality of a community depends on the quality of education in our public schools.”

To date, Beyond the Books has given 347 grants totaling nearly a quarter million dollars, said Gail Ann Briggs, Unit 5’s board representative since the foundation started.

Although the awards are made through a “blind” application process, every school in Unit 5 and District 87 has benefited from the awards, and there has been a good mix with arts, science, music, math and all parts of the curriculum, Briggs said.

Donations feed an endowment and the interest is used to issue the grants. The endowment reached $750,000 this year and has a goal of $1 million in 2010, said Foundation President Alex Horvath.

Grants can be as little as $39 for stamps or as thousands of dollars for technology.

The scope of ideas is vast. Amy Oberts created a Wild About Math event at Washington Elementary School, buying math equipment, games and items for a jungle-themed family activity. Parents told her the event helped families “consider math in a new way, was enjoyable, and helped strengthen home and school ties,” she said.

The program has brought the two districts together when teachers share common goals.

Spanish teachers Dave Hirst of Normal Community West High School and Melissa Brown of Bloomington High School both benefited from a grant that bought an iPod.

Hirsh said students can hear from a Venezuela journalist or listen to a family in Spain cooking dinner, or he can teach them about grammar as they listen to popular Spanish songs.

The teachers share ideas in how to teach a subject they both love, Hirsh said.

Beyond the Books

What: An educational foundation that funds innovative projects proposed by Bloomington District 87 and Normal-based Unit 5 teachers for their students

History: Janella Cooley, a District 87 school board member, brings the idea of an education foundation back to the school board from a Chicago convention (1988); District 87 donates $3,000 for a fund to get things rolling (1989); District 87 Education Foundation is official (1990); Beyond the Books Foundation is created to assist both District 87 and Unit members with Gail Ann Briggs joining as the Unit 5 representative (1992); Beyond the Books celebrates 15th anniversary with an endowment of $750,000 (2007); foundation hopes to reach the goal of $1 million endowment (2010).

So far: Beyond the Books has given 347 grants totaling nearly a $250,000; every school in both District 87 and Unit 5 has received a grant.

How to help: Donations can be sent to Beyond the Books Foundation, P.O. Box 908, Bloomington, IL 61702-0908. Information is available from District 87 at (309) 827-6031 or www.district87.org; and Unit 5 at (309) 452-4476 or www.unit5.org.

Take a look
Students in Amy Schumacher's class, participated in a Dance Revolution session before class, Thursday, October 11, 2007. Research has shown the aerobic activity improves students' performance in the classroom. Schumacher received the matts and video equipment through a Beyond the Books grant. (Pantagraph, David Proeber)
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Reader comments on this story - 2 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Woodford Pundit wrote on Oct 16, 2007 11:33 AM:

" Right, wrong, effective or not: “We wanted to encourage, and support teachers’ innovative and creative ideas for programs to benefit our children (making funding available) . . ." If a program is important enough, what does granting have to do with it? When will we stop doing what is granted and start doing what is correct? I come from a business background. I've worked for school districts; not a good marriage. I would say, "listen, I can save you a lot of money here". They aren't interested. They only get more money if they can show they "need" to spend more money. The grant money gets wasted because there is no organic need. IMHO "

Michael Schumann wrote on Oct 16, 2007 12:26 AM:

" Proving once again that education improves with an investment of time, resources and imagination. Yet still, far too many do not want to make such investments while at the same time they complain loudly about low educational standards or poor test results. In a multi-media world of information, it is sad really, that we think our kids should function better as adults when we still want to educate them on the cheap. "
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