HOI 19 KIDS COUNT
The education of our children is a priority and concern for everyone living in the Heart of Illinois. Our news coverage is full of the financial problems school districts face, from closing and consolidating schools, to increasing class sizes. In fact, the cuts have gone so deep many teachers are digging into their own pockets to buy needed supplies for their classrooms.

Mrs. Calene Martin :
"In today's world the majority of children lack an accurate understanding of life outside of their own country, state, or even city. In an effort to expand students' knowledge of multiculturalism, this year my class will take part in a year long study of the seven continents, titled, "Around the World in 175 Days". In order to fully develop this unit, an abundance of materials (in addition to imagination) are needed to provide opportunities for students to study, explore, and understand multicultural aspects of all of the seven continents. Without these materials (teacher resources, student books, posters, maps, art supplies, groceries, etc.) it
would be extremely difficult to effectively engage students in this
learning experience. An HOI News grant would allow our classroom to purchase these essential supplies, therefore expanding our knowledge and understanding of life outside of Pekin, Illinois. Working with a high percentage of low economic students, it is evident that the students in my classroom would benefit a great deal from this unit, if it is properly developed and implemented. For some students it will mean understanding where they came from, for others it will mean learning about places they only hear about. But for most of them it would mean traveling beyond their one bedroom apartments and their unreliable means of transportation and embarking on a journey across the world, a world that they do not even realize exists."

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