Grants
GEF funded programs have made a significant impact on the level of education provided in District 34. Since 2001, GEF has awarded over $3,000,000 in teacher grants to District 34. Below are a few recent grants that showcase the type of programs GEF has funded. For information on any grants funded by GEF, please contact us at info@gef34.org.
GEF Grants in Action
Buddy Bench
You may have spotted them on playgrounds—but these benches are doing more than offering a place to sit. Buddy Benches are a simple, structured tool that reduces social isolation during unstructured times like recess. When a student feels left out, they can sit on the bench as a clear signal—they’re looking for connection. What happens next? Other students step in.
This isn’t just about kindness—it’s about building skills that support learning. Students who feel a sense of belonging are more engaged, participate more, and are better positioned to succeed academically. Just as important, the students who respond are developing leadership, empathy, and social awareness—skills that carry into the classroom and beyond. It’s a small intervention with meaningful impact: stronger peer connections, more inclusive school environments, and students who are more ready to learn.
Applying for a Grant
Spring 2026 Deadline:
March 31, 2026
For assistance with the application process or fine-tuning your grant idea, contact your school liaison or email grants@gef34.org.
GEF Grant Liaisons are available to help:
Resources
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Grant Final Report Form - to be submitted at the end of a grant-funded project
Reimagined Together: Upcycling Art, Weaving Community
What happens when creativity, sustainability, and community come together? The Henking weaving project—made possible through a GEF grant.
“I submitted for a GEF grant because although art is amazing, there are areas I can’t cover. Every artist has a specialty, and I have always found that fiber art is therapeutic and relaxing for children. I thought it would be wonderful to have a specialized artist come in and work with sustainable material. I really wanted the Henking students to have the experience of recycling—taking old clothes and seeing how they can transform old things into new things,” said Henking art teacher and GEF grant recipient, Natalie Meek.
But it didn’t end there. Henking 2nd graders were invited to show off their new fiber art skills during a community event where friends and family created alongside them—learning weaving and embroidery techniques and contributing to a large-scale community art piece that will be proudly displayed at Henking for years to come.
This is GEF in action: turning innovative classroom ideas into next-level, memorable learning experiences.
Middle School Broadcasting Studios
Did you know that Attea and Springman Middle Schools now have professional-grade broadcasting equipment—thanks to a GEF grant? It’s one thing to teach students about media; it’s another to put real tools in their hands and watch their creativity take off.
And that’s exactly what’s happening.
With GEF-funded production equipment, the studios have become vibrant, hands-on learning hubs where students explore storytelling, communication, technology, and teamwork.
Learning through production has brought media literacy to life in ways that traditional instruction simply can’t match. We're proud to have supported these new broadcasting studios.
StarLab Planetarium
StarLab, is our very own district-wide mobile planetarium brought to you by the generous donations from our GEF community and through a grant submitted by Laura Strejc, a Science Specialist at Pleasant Ridge.
Educators were trained on how to take their students on an intergalactic journey by elevating space lessons into a three-dimensional interactive and immersive experience. StarLab will travel to each of our D34 schools throughout the school year.
Our Family Library at Hoffman:
Windows and Mirrors - Seeing Ourselves Within Books
Hoffman houses the D34 dual language program for intermediate grades and Spanish language EL students who participate in monolingual classrooms. GEF is proud to sponsor this grant which grows our current Spanish language and Bilingual picture book collection. It now matches the literacy and language needs of our largest EL community in Glenview by adding 500 bilingual (Spanish/English) books to our LRC collection. Through this program, Hoffman hosted three family night events which included a family support workshop followed by book samplings and checkout from the LRC.
