See who won an Express Grant this month, discover Lego Education Science and more!

See who won an Express Grant this month, discover Lego Education Science, and happy holidays from our Board of Trustees!

Congratulations to our December Express Grant Recipients!

The following Express Grants received funding to turn Naperville 203 staff and students' great ideas into reality, providing up to $1,000 for immediate use.

Día Del Niño Cultural Event

Tulia Golden, Jaime Torné, Monica Neal, Elsa Jiménez - Beebe Elementary School

Building Our Brains

Shannon Staley, Cassandra Nagel, Stacey Scaminaci, Patricia Hanafi - Mill Street Elementary School

Staff and students are encouraged to apply to fund their own original ideas! Applications are due the 15th of each month. Grants are available on a rolling monthly cycle throughout the school year.

Naperville 203 educators learn with Lego Education Science

This year NEF funded the purchase of Lego Education Science kits for elementary students throughout Naperville 203. Lego Education Science engages students with hands-on lessons, allowing them to deepen their understanding of science.

In December, 41 Naperville 203 educators participated in a training session where they used the Lego Education Science kits and learned how they will be used in the classroom.

Naperville North High School hosts Cocoa & Cram

NNHS Home & School President Jepharya Badie, NEF Board Chair Stephanie Hebron, and NEF Executive Director Wendy Goettsch

NNHS students at Cocoa & Cram

Every year NEF provides funding for Before & After school programs in District 203. Each school determines the program that best fits the needs of their student population.

This year, Naperville North High School hosted Cocoa & Cram. The program provides students the opportunity to study for finals together and get any extra tutoring they need from their teachers. At Cocoa & Cram, NEF was able to pay for 24 staff member tutors to help around 500 students prepare for their finals.

Thank you to Naperville North Home & School for their hard work planning the event!

Junior high students advance to Illinois sectionals for FIRST LEGO League!

On Saturday, December 6, Naperville North High School hosted the FIRST LEGO League Qualifier for the junior high level. District 203 had eight teams represented at the event. Eleven teams from the qualifier are advancing to sectionals, and five of the eleven advancing teams are from Naperville 203!

The Naperville 203 advancing teams include:

JJHS Team A: Archeology Avengers
JJHS Team B: Robo Relics
WJHS Team A: The Deceptive Dinos
LJHS Team A: d.i.r.t
LJHS Team B: Indiana Bones

Congratulations to all teams for your hard work!

Happy holidays from NEF's Board of Trustees!

NEF's Board of Trustees had some holiday fun at their meeting this month cooking up new recipes for student success!

Upcoming Events

Save the date for Thursday, April 16, 2026 for NEF's 33rd Annual Breakfast Benefit! The event will be hosted at The Matrix Club from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Secure your sponsorship and seats to help Naperville 203 students soar!

DONATE NOW

The Naperville Education Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Illinois corporation.

All gifts are tax deductible based on federal IRS regulations. Please consult your tax advisor for details. EIN: 36-3844402

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