"Only on the foundation of education can our children build useful lives and a stable society."
The Partnership for Educational Excellence is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational foundation dedicated to improving educational opportunities for children in the accredited schools of Community Unit School District 7 (CUSD7) in Macoupin County, Illinois.
Since 1992 an all volunteer board drawn from the community has shaped policy and guided The Partnership in significant growth. Our two programs are:
Classroom mini-grants are our premier program. They fulfill the desire of many donors to place their funds in the hands of as many children as possible. By allowing teachers to purchase supplementary curricular materials, the mini-grants meet this goal.
Academic tuition scholarships are our second program. These modest awards of $500 primarily serve a non-economic purpose: recognizing academic achievement and potential among students who seldom receive scholarships. Past scholars have attended technical schools, junior colleges, private and state four year colleges in Illinois as well as prestigious institutions in other states.
For Our Classrooms
The Partnership offers classroom minigrants of up to $500 per classroom per semester. Our premier program, minigrants place extra resources directly into the hands of school children. Since 1992 every grade – from PreKindergarten through 12 – has benefitted from the generosity of our many donors, both small and large. Recently your generosity has allowed an average gift of $20,000 per semester to all three accredited schools in Community Unit School District 7 (CUSD7) In the past 22 years approximately $500,000 has been invested this way.
Learn more about applying for a classroom mini-grant.
For Our Graduates
The Partnership set a record in 2014, awarding $500 tuition scholarships to 26 graduating seniors from Gillespie High School (GHS). “This class perfectly embodies our policy of rewarding every ability level for hard work, involvement in school and community activities, and proven ability to set goals,” said John Fassero, Jr., a founding member and president of The Partnership. Since 1992 The Partnership has invested in 340 GHS graduates pursuing postsecondary education.
Learn more about applying for a $500 student scholarship.
Become a Donor
The lifeblood of The Partnership is the generosity of thousands of alums, neighbors, local businesses, charitable foundations, and a few corporations. Whether a simple donation to remember a loved one or a major gift, every dollar entrusted to The Partnership is carefully protected and used according to the donor’s wishes. Dr. D. Ross and Mrs. Rosemary Billiter recently presented The Partnership with $25,000 for scholarships in gratitude to area residents who supported this surgeon’s medical practice and in hopes that their example will encourage others to include The Partnership in their estate plans.
Learn more about our donor or become a donor.
About The Partnership
The Partnership for Educational Excellence is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 educational foundation dedicated to improving educational opportunities for children in all the accredited schools in Community Unit School District 7 (CUSD7) in Macoupin County in Illinois.
Learn more and meet our board of directors.