“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
With SEED’s support, Shorewood students will discover new ways to learn, grow, and shine—through a stronger math curriculum, engaging after-school programs, and innovative digital tools. This year, thanks to the generosity of our community, SEED invested more than $125,000 in Shorewood Schools. These funds are helping to strengthen academics, support families, and spark curiosity in classrooms across the district.
Building Confidence in Math ($80K)
This fall, Shorewood’s 6–8 grade classrooms are launching the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum, a key step in the district’s “Leveling Up” initiative. The goal: to ensure every student is on track for Algebra by 8th grade.
With SEED’s investment of $50,000, classrooms now have high-quality instructional materials that encourage problem-solving, collaboration, and deeper reasoning. To further strengthen this initiative, SEED also provided $30,000 to support professional development for teachers in grades 6–12, including the Summer Math Institute and ongoing training during the 2025–26 school year.
Kelly Steiner, Shorewood Intermediate School Math Teacher, describes how the changes are already reshaping the classroom:
“This curriculum is wonderful and so powerful because it shifts the focus to making students the doers of mathematics. They are actively wrestling every day with building their conceptual understanding. They talk to each other and compare strategies.”
She also notes how the curriculum was designed to reach all learners:
“It’s incredibly well designed with the needs of all kinds of students already built in. This is allowing us to level up for every student so that every student gets access to algebra in 8th grade. That allows us to have heterogeneous groups in our classes, which benefits all students.”
Kelly emphasized how much this investment matters:
“Without SEED we wouldn’t have been able to invest as thoroughly as we did.”
Mike Joynt, Director of Teaching and Learning, highlighted how this curriculum moves away from rote memorization:
“The new 6–8 math curriculum challenges students to think deeply and make meaningful connections between concepts. We are grateful to SEED for their generous support in funding this initiative.”
Together, the new curriculum and teacher training ensure every Shorewood student has access to a rigorous, modern math education. More information about the new math curriculum can be found in the most recent Ripples Article
Support New Opportunities After School ($13K)
Beginning in January, Shorewood Recreation will launch a Wednesday after-school enrichment program designed to support families on early-release days. The program will run from 2:30–4:30 p.m. at both Lake Bluff and Atwater Elementary Schools, giving parents a reliable childcare option while providing students in grades K5–6 with meaningful, age-specific activities.
Through a balance of play, skill-building, and personal growth, students will have the chance to develop confidence, build friendships, and explore new interests. With the partnership of EMPOW3R Sports Performance, the program will incorporate active games, teamwork, and guided reflection that help strengthen both body and mind.
SEED’s gift of $13,000 is making this pilot program possible, while offsetting the cost for every parent that enrolls their student.
“We are so grateful for SEED’s support in making this new after-school pilot possible,” said Erin Cross, Shorewood Recreation Director. “Their generosity allows us to expand opportunities for Shorewood students, and we’re excited to see the positive impact this program will have on kids and families in our community.”
The district will review the results of this pilot and evaluate opportunities to expand enrichment opportunities to SIS students in the 2026–27 school year.
Unlocking Creativity with Technology ($32,711)
SEED also gave back $32,711 in technology enhancements that support Shorewood’s ongoing integration of digital learning. Early elementary classrooms received updated iPads, giving students opportunities to explore, create, and collaborate in ways that enhance—not replace—their foundational skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
New software applications like Seesaw, BookCreator, and EduCreator are helping teachers design engaging, student-centered lessons while also connecting families more closely to classroom learning. Updated computers in Project Lead The Way classes at SIS are enabling students to model designs, simulate engineering processes, run data analysis, and collaborate more effectively—critical skills for future STEM pathways.
Twice the Impact: Fund the Future
These investments are only possible because of the generosity of our community—and this year, your support goes even further.
Your Annual Fund donation is matched dollar for dollar through our Fund the Future campaign. A generous supporter has pledged to match every gift, up to $1 million.
This is more than a simple match. The funds raised will do two critical things:
- Fund this year’s district initiatives for science support. Your doubled donation will provide immediate and direct support for our students and educators.
- Grow the Educate Forward Endowment. Your contribution will also build our new endowment, creating a permanent, reliable source of funding that will support our district for years to come.
We extend our deepest gratitude to those who have already given—and invite anyone who has not yet made a gift to join us in shaping Shorewood’s future. Together, we can help give our students the resources and support they need to excel.