Grant Award to Knox College4Kids

The 2007 Knox College4Kids program has been awarded an innovation grant from the Center for Success in High Need Schools, a program of the Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI).

The $10,000 grant is supporting ten fellowships for Knox College students who are working toward teacher certification, to assist with Knox College4Kids, a two-week summer academic enrichment program for local students in grades three through eight. The fellowships are part of Knox's new Project REACH -- "Recruiting and Enlightening through Access to and Communication with High-need schools."

"Project REACH is designed to increase the number of male and ethnic minority teacher candidates and to better prepare all teacher candidates to work with high-need students," said Jason Helfer, assistant professor of educational studies at Knox and co-director of Knox College4Kids. The grant, awarded by ACI, is funded by the United States Department of Education's Teacher Quality Enhancement Program.

Knox College4Kids is being held weekday mornings, June 11 through June 22, on the Knox campus in Galesburg, Illinois.

"During the mornings, the Knox students are assisting with College4Kids classes, and during the afternoons, they are participating in seminars and other activities that will help prepare them for working with high-ability students from high-need schools," said Lawrence Breitborde, Dean of Knox College and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Breitborde announced the grant at the opening of this year's Knox College4Kids on Monday, June 11.

Knox College4Kids was founded in 1975 as the College for Kids program. This year it is enrolling more than 160 students in 36 courses. The faculty of Knox College4Kids includes 12 Knox College professors, plus master teachers from the area.

"In our effort to make these enrichment classes available to as many Knox County children as possible, regardless of financial means, Knox has provided over 40 need-based scholarships. As a result, the student body profile of Knox College4Kids is its most diverse ever," Breitborde said.

"This is also the first year during which Knox College4Kids has been fully integrated into the programming of the Educational Studies Department," Breitborde said. "The new co-directors, Assistant Professors of Educational Studies Jason Helfer and Stephen Schroth, are providing leadership, energy and imagination, including having written the successful ACI grant proposal," Breitborde said. "With the support of their colleagues in Educational Studies, Jason and Stephen are guiding the program in a way that involves and benefits Knox students, and ensures our continuing contributions to the local community."

2007 Knox College Project REACH Fellowship Recipients
Dean Cliff
Michael Wipper
Semenya McCord
Muhibo Sharif-Sidi
Maureen Cole
Justin Miller
Joseph Okine
Jake Runge
Rob Hull
Amanda Wallen

Lawrence Breitborde, Dean of Knox College and Vice President for Academic Affairs, speaks to the 2007 Knox College4Kids opening convocation.